Summer Survival

The closing ceremony of the International AFCR Championship Military Multi-Contest SUMMER SURVIVAL 2008 took place in the garrison of Vyškov on Friday, October 3, 2008.

COL (GS) Jaromír Zůna, Director of the King John of Luxembourg Training and Doctrine Directorate, handed the winner’s cup to the soldiers representing the team from Chrudim. Military policemen from Prague achieved the second position and the bronze medal was won by the team from the 4^th Rapid Deployment Brigade in Žatec. The Turkish team achieved the highest position among the international teams.

SUMMER SURVIVAL, organized by the Military Academy in Vyškov and held under the auspices of the AFCR General Staff, is a highly challenging multi-contest of three-member military teams, in which all participants have to prove outstanding physical and mental endurance. Furthermore, they are expected to master all basic skills needed for special physical training and shooting with infantry weapons. Except for Italy which participated only as an observer, 20 teams from 5 countries took part in the competition this year (15 Czech Republic, Hungary, 2 Germany, Poland and Turkey).

The route of the competition and individual events were designed so as to expose the athletes to an unknown environment and make them work in isolation. As seen in the task list, individual soldiers had to prove their reaction flexibility, logical deduction, improvisation, communication and cooperation skills and teamwork spirit. The competition took place on the premises of the Dědice Barracks, Aquapark in Vyškov, rough and forested terrain of the Březina Military Training Area and some locations of the National Protected Area, Moravian Carps. Athletes had to fulfill many unique and surprising tasks such as shooting with infantry weapons, land navigation under difficult conditions and in the night, moving on vessels, surmounting artificial and natural obstacles, swimming, diving, wading and others

Text: CAPT Pavel Kočvara