The document summarizes a 3-day extreme survival race for military service members. Over the course of the race, teams participated in challenging activities designed to test their survival skills, such as constructing shelters and rafts, navigating with maps, hunting and preparing food, and overcoming fears such as bungee jumping and zip lining. The goal was to provide an educational yet fun event that allowed participants to take their minds off daily military life. The event concluded with celebrations and support from military leadership and units.

1. AFTER ACTION REVIEW

2. THE EVENT
DURING THE PLANNING STAGE THE EXECUTIVE BOSS TEAM AND THE
BOSS COUNCIL DISCUSSED MANY DIFFERENT OPTIONS IN REGARDS TO
THE PILOT PROGRAM FOR LIFE SKILLS EVENTS. IT WAS THE OVERALL
DECISION THAT THIS RACE WOULD BE BOTH EDUCATIONAL,
CHALLENGING, MOTIVATING, EXTREME, YET FUN. IT IS MY OPINION AS
THE BOSS PRESIDENT THAT THIS PROGRAM EXISTS TO TAKE CARE OF
OUR SERVICE MEMBERS AND CREATE EVENTS THAT TAKE THEIR MINDS
OFF OF THE EVERYDAY MILITARY LIFE. THIS EVENT DID JUST THAT.

3. DAY ZERO
ON JULY 21ST TEAMS WERE STRIPPED OF ALL
PERSONAL BELONGINGS, TO INCLUDE THEIR
CELL PHONES. THE PARTICIPANTS WERE BRIEFED
ON MANY SURVIVAL METHODS THAT CIVILIIANS
USE WHEN LOST IN THE WILDERNESS.
ALTHOUGH MANY OF THEM HAD PREVIOUS
TRAINING DUE TO THE MILITARY LIFESTYLE, WE
FOCUSED OUR TRAINING ON SURVIVALIST
TECHNIQUES.

4. DAY ZERO
BETWEEN TOPICS OF DISCUSSION, WE PLAYED
CLIPS FROM POPULAR SURVIVALIST SHOWS
SUCH AS BEAR GRYLLS, NAKED AND AFRAID,
AND SURVIVORMAN. THIS BREAK WAS GOOD
FOR THE TEAMS BECAUSE IT ENABLED THEM TO
RELAX A LITTLE AND HAVE SOME LAUGHTER
BETWEEN LONG INSTRUCTION. FOLLOWING
THE BRIEFING TEAMS WERE RELEASED TO
RESEARCH SURVIVAL TECHNIQUES AS A TEAM
AT THE NELSON REC CENTER.

5. DAY ZERO
THERE WAS MUCH DOWNTIME FOLLOWING THE
BRIEFING, BOSS PROVIDED A BARBEQUE AND
INITIAL TEAM CHALLENGE IN THE BACKYARD TO
PREP THE TEAMS FOR THEIR THREE DAY RACE
AHEAD. TEAMS WERE ABLE TO INTERACT WITH
ONE ANOTHER, THE BOSS TEAM, AND VARIOUS
BOSS REPS WHILE BEING LOCKED DOWN AT THE
NELSON REC CENTER FOR THE REMAINDER OF
THE DAY.

6. DAY ZERO
TEAMS SLEPT ON COTS IN AN EMPTY BALLROOM WITH
JUST TWO EMERGENCY BLANKETS AND THREE COTS.
THE REASON BEHIND THIS WAS CHALLENGING THE
PARTICIIPANTS ENOUGH TO EITHER WORK TOGETHER
AND GET A DECENT NIGHTS SLEEP, OR STRUGGLE
APART AND LEAVE A TEAMMATE RESTLESS.

7. DAY ONE
DAY ONE BEGAN WITH AN ABRUPT
WAKEUP AND QUICK BREAKFAST OF
BAGLES AND CREAM CHEESE BEFORE
GETTING PUSHED TO THE EXTREME
SURVIVAL RACE BUSES. TEAMS WERE
THEN BUSED TO THE MOCKUP SITE
WHERE THEY HAD TO EARN THEIR
SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT. BEGINNING THE
RACE WITH ABSOLUTELY NOTHING
TESTED OUR TEAMS ABILITY TO OBTAIN
ITEMS THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO
THEIR SURVIVAL. WOULD THEY GRAB A
REDBULL FOR INSTANT GRATIFICATION
OR WATER TO SUSTAIN THEM THROUGH
THE RACE? THE CHOICE WAS THEIRS IN
THIS 10 MINUTE SPRINT INTO THE
RUBBLE.

8. DAY ONE
IN THE FIRST HEAT, FIVE TEAMS DASHED TO
THEIR SECOND CHECKPOINT. MANY
INDIVIDUALS GOT LOST DUE TO THE LACK OF
INTEREST IN WHAT I WAS SAYING. “YOU ALL
HAVE TIME TO GO THROUGH YOUR THINGS,
THIS WOULD BE A GREAT TIME TO INVENTORY
ALL YOUR ITEMS., DOING SO MAY HELP YOU
DOWN THE ROAD”. SOME TEAMS WERE ABLE
TO UNDERSTAND THE VOCALIZED HINT,
OPENING UP THEIR PHONES THEY OBTAINED
JUST MINUTES AGO AND SEEING A MAP WITH
A PLOTTED POINT.

9. DAY ONE
ONCE THE PLOTTED POINT WAS REACHED,
TEAMS WORKED TOGETHER TO SURVIVE
SIMULATED ANIMAL ATTACKS FROM GRIZZLY
BEARS, A MOTHER BROWN BEAR AND HER
CUBS, AND LASTLY A DANGEROUS PACK OF
HOWLING WOLVES. IF PARTICPANTS
WORKED TOGETHER AND REACTED
CORRECTLY THEY WERE HANDED THEIR
NEXT CLUE AND SENT A TEXT WITH THEIR
NEXT PLOTTED POINT.

10. DAY ONE
ITEMS CAN BE FOUND IN NATURE WHICH
WILL HELP FIGHT HUNGER AND
EXHAUSTION. TEAMS WOULD HAVE TO
RECOGNIZE WHAT COULD SAVE THEM OR
INJURE THEM FURTHER. PUZZLE PIECES
WERE SCATTERED IN BRUSH WITH BOTH
POISONOUS ITEMS AND EDIBLE ITEMS.
ONCE ALL PIECES WERE OBTAINED THEY
WERE EXPECTED TO PLACE THEIR PUZZLE
TOGETHER ONLY SHOWING THE EDIBLE
ITEMS. IF THE PUZZLE WAS CORRECT THE
TEAMS WERE GIVEN THEIR NEXT CLUE
WHICH LED THEM TO THEIR FOLLOWING
DESTINATION.

11. DAY ONE
ALL PARTICIPANTS CONTINUED BY FOOT
IN A 3 MILE STRETCH TO LEWIS LAKE
WHERE THEY WOULD QUICKLY LEARN
THAT KNOT TIEING CAN BE EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT TO ONE’S SURVIVAL. AFTER
ARRIVING AT THE LAKE TEAMS WERE
SENT TO THEIR DESIGNATED AREAS
WHERE THEY WERE MET BY SIX 5-6 FOOT
LOGS ROUGHLY 8-10 INCHES IN
DIAMETER. USING THE 550 CORD THEY
OBTAINED AT THE CRASH SITE, TEAMS
CONSTRUCTED RAFTS IN WHICH WERE
MEANT TO KEEP VALUABLE ITEMS DRY
AND ASSIST IN THEIR SWIM ACROSS THE
LAKE WHICH STRETCHES A HALF MILE.
UPON DEPARTURE FROM THE WATER,
TEAMS WERE GIVEN THEIR NEXT CLUE
WHICH WOULD TEST THEIR ABILITY TO
THINK, AND ASK FOR HELP.

12. DAY ONE
AFTER READING THE CLUE, SOME TEAMS
VENTURED TO MOCK CITY WHERE THEY
REACHED A “DETOUR” SIGN. THE NOTE
READ, “ASKING FOR HELP WHEN YOU’E
UNSURE WOULD HAVE ASSISTED IN THIS
RACE, YOU’VE NOW OVERSHOT YOUR
DESTINATION POSSIBLY LOSING YOUR
PLACE. USING THIS MAP YOU CAN
REDEEM YOUR POSITION, YOUR NEXT
LOCATION WOULD BE PERFECT FOR
FISHIN’”. IF TEAMS CHOSE TO RELY ON
THEIR PERSONAL OPIONIONS OF THE
MAP GIVEN THEY WERE SENT ROUGHLY 1
MILE OUT OF THEIR WAY, THOSE WHO
ASKED FOR HELP ENDED UP AT THEIR
NEXT CHECKPOINT WITHOUT ADDITIONAL
DISTANCE.

13. DAY ONE
IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT WHEN LOST
IN THE WILDERNESS TO HAVE A WEAPON
THAT CAN HELP YOU OUT OF STICKY
SITUATIONS. THE NEXT CHECKPOINT
CHALLENGED THE PARTICIPANTS TO
CREATE WEAPONS OUT OF
SURROUNDING VEGETATION. MOST
TEAMS CHOSE TO CREATE A SPEAR.
AFTER THEIR WEAPONS WERE
CONSTRUCTED THEY HAD TO POP
BALLOONS TO RECEIVE THEIR NEXT CLUE.
IN THE SPIRIT OF THE COMPETITION
THERE WERE ROADBLOCKS PROVIDED IN
ONE BALLOON WHERE THEY COULD SET
A TEAM BACK BY MAKING THEM POP ALL
FIVE BALLOONS INSTEAD OF JUST THE
ONE WITH THE CLUE (MOST TEAMS
JUMPED TO THIS OPPORTUNITY).

14. DAY ONE
DEHYDRATION IS AMONG ONE OF THE
MOST LIFE THREATENING CHALLENGES OF
BEING LOST IN THE WILDNERNESS.
WITHOUT WATER ONE COULD BECOME
WEAK, SICK, OR POSSIBLY EVEN DIE. AT
THE NEXT CHECKPOINT TEAMS HAD TO
PURIFY RIVER WATER USING THE ITEMS
AND KNOWLEDGE THEY RECEIVED
EARLIER IN THE RACE. SOME TEAMS
CHOSE TO BOIL THEIR WATER SUPPLY BY
USING A SMALL CAMPING STOVE THEY
FOUND IN THE RECKAGE, OTHERS
CREATED A FILTER FROM BARK, SAND,
CHARCOAL, AND RIVER ROCK. ALTHOUGH
BOTH METHODS WERE GREAT FOR
PURIFYING WATER, ALL TEAMS MISSED
THE WATER PURIFICATION TABLETS THAT
WERE PLACED IN THEIR BAGS AT THE
BEGINNING OF THE RACE. AFTER THE
WATER WAS PURIFIED ALL PARTICIPANTS
HAD TO DRINK 17.5 OUNCES.

15. DAY ONEINJURY AND ILLNESS IS ALSO A SIGNIFICANT
THREAT TO SURVIVAL. MEDICAL STAFF PROVIDED
A CHECKPOINT WHERE A SIMULATED
INJURY/ILLNESS WAS TREATED BY THE TEAMS. IF
THE TEAMS COMPLETED THE TASK, THEY WERE
ABLE TO CONTINUE TO THEIR NEXT DESITNATION.
FOR EACH FAILED ATTEMPT TEAMS RECEIVED A 5-
10 MINUTE PENALTY DEPENDANT ON HOW BADLY
THEY DID.

16. DAY ONE
AT LAST TEAMS REACHED THEIR FINAL
DESTINATION OF THE DAY WHERE THEY
HAD TO CONSTRUCT A SHELTER FROM
VEGETATION FOUND AROUND THE
CAMPSITE, THEIR ITEMS THEY
OBTAINED EARLIER, AND THE LOG RAFT
THAT THEY HAD TO PORTAGE 6 MILES
FROM LEWIS LAKE BETWEEN EACH
CHECKPOINT. SHELTERS WERE VERY
CREATIVE AND SURVIVAL SKILLS
ABSOLUTELY ASSISTED IN THE OVERALL
SUCCESS OF THE STRUCTURE.

17. DAY ONEITS TIME TO EAT! PARTICIPANTS CHOSE ONE
INDIVIDUAL TO CONSTRUCT A WEAPON AND “HUNT”
FOR THEIR FOOD. REALISTIC TRACKING PRINTS LAY
ON THE GROUND WHERE THEY WERE IDENTIFIED
PRIOR TO VISUAL OF THE ANIMAL, ONCE THE
ANIMAL WAS FOUND THEY WERE ABLE TO USE THEIR
WEAPON TO “KILL” THEIR PROTEIN FOR THE NIGHT.
ELK, DEER, BOAR, AND BISON WERE THE ANIMALS
AVAILABLE FOR HUNTING, IT WAS UP TO THEM TO
DECIDE WHAT THEY WANTED TO EAT. ACTUAL RAW
EXOTIC CHOPS WERE PROVIDED TO EACH MEMBER
OF THE TEAM AFTER THE KILL WAS SUCCESSFUL.
RAW MEAT IS NOT SAFE FOR CONSUMPTION, TEAMS
ALSO HAD TO CREATE A FIRE UTILIZING FLINT AND
COTTON TO GET A SPARK. IT WASN’T UNTIL AFTER
THE FIRE WAS CREATED AND SUSTAINED WERE THEY
ABLE TO BEGIN COOKING. MEAT TEMPERATURES
WERE CHECKED BY THE EXECUTIVE BOSS TEAM AND
DEEMED SAFE OR UNSAFE FOR CONSUMPTION.
TEAMS WHO CHOSE TO HUNT THE CLOSEST ANIMAL,
THE BOAR, QUICKLY FOUND OUT THAT THEIR
MISTAKE COST THEM ROUGHLY 15-20 MINUTES
ADDITIONAL TIME DUE TO THE HIGHER
TEMPERATURE REQUIRED FOR CONSUMPTION OF
THE PORK.

18. DAY ONE
DAY ONE ENDED WITH SLEEPING ON A BED
OF GRASS FOR SOME, WRAPPED IN AN
EMERGENCY BLANKET BY A FIRE THAT WAS
KEPT STOKED BY THE TEAMMATE PULLING
GUARD TO PROTECT THEIR TEAM FROM
POTENTIAL BEAR ATTACKS.

19. DAY TWO
DAY TWO. LEAVE NO TRACES OF HUMAN
CONTACT WHILE TRAVELING IN THE
WILDERNESS. TEAMS QUICKLY
DECONSTRUCTED THEIR SHELTERS,
REMOVING ALL TRASH AND VEGETATION TO
ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE. BEING MILITARY AND
RESPONSIBLE CAMPERS, THE INDIVIDUALS
ALSO DID A MAJOR POLICECALL OF THE SITE
REMOVING ITEMS LEFT FROM OTHER PEOPLE
WHO HAVE VISITED THAT AREA IN THE PAST.
TEAMS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE
POLICECALL RECEIVED A 10 MINUTE
DEDUCTION IN TIME AS A REWARD.

20. DAY TWO
TEAMS THEN SPRINTED UPHILL TWO MILES
WHERE THEY WERE MET BY A RESCUE CREW,
HOT COFFEE, HOT BREAKFAST, AND A BUS
RIDE. WOULD THIS BE THE END OF THEIR
ADVENTURE? NOT AT ALL. THIS RACE WAS
INTENDED TO TEACH INDIVIDUALS LIFE
SKILLS. A VERY WORTHY SKILL TO HAVE IS
OVERCOMING FEAR. THE NEXT TWO DAYS
WILL BE FULL OF HIGH ADRENALINE, HIGH
STAKES, AND A WHOLE LOT OF FUN.

21. DAY TWOFOLLOWING A 3 HOUR BUS RIDE WHERE
RACERS WERE ABLE TO SLEEP AND REGROUP,
THEY WERE ABLE TO VIEW THE TALLEST YEAR
ROUND, SPRING FED, WATERFALL IN
AMERICA; MULTNOMAH FALLS. RACERS WERE
GREETED WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO TAKE IN
THE BEAUTY OF THE FALLS WHILE MAKING
THEIR WAY UP A 76 DEGREE INCLINE TO THE
MILE AND A HALF MARKER TO RETRIEVE
THEIR NEXT CLUE JUST BEFORE HEADING
BACK DOWN TO THE BUSES.

22. DAY TWO
EXCITEMENT GREW AS THE
BUSES ARRIVED AT WET PLANET
IN HUSUM WASHINGTON;
RACERS WILL NOW WHITE
WATER RAFT ON CLASS IV AND V
RAPIDS, DO A TWENTY FOOT
CLIFF JUMP, AND RAFT A 12 FOOT
TALL WATERFALL. THIS PORTION
OF THE RACE PROVED THE
INTENT TO BE TRUE WITH ONE
RACER WHO WAS IN TEARS OF
HAPPINESS , EXCLAIMING THEY
HAD A SIGNIFICANT FEAR OF
WATER AND WHITE WATER
RAFTING. THIS IS WHY WE ARE
HERE, THIS IS WHAT WE DO.

23. WHITE SALMON, HUSUM WASHINGTON

24. DAY TWO
DAY TWO ENDED WITH ANOTHER BARBEQUE, A
SURPRISE STAY AT THE HOLIDAY INN WHERE EACH
TEAM WALKED INTO THEIR ROOM TO SEE THEIR
OVERNIGHT BAGS FULL OF FRESH CLOTHES, THEIR
CELL PHONES, AND PIZZA.

25. DAY THREE
DAY THREE. A FULL CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST OF
PANCAKES, BISCUTS AND GRAVY, FRUITS, EGGS, AND
MORE WAS A GREAT WAY TO START THE RACERS DAY
JUST BEFORE BEING BUSED TO THEIR NEXT
DESTINATION.

26. DAY THREE
BLACK BRIDGE, THE HIGHEST BUNGEE BRIDGE IN
NORTH AMERICA. HERE THREE RACERS WOULD
HAVE TO TAKE THE PLUNGE TO EARN THEIR TEAMS
AN ADVANCEMENT IN THE RACE; THE FOURTH
WOULD HAVE TO ZIPLINE THE WIRE THAT SITS 320
FEET ABOVE THE BASE OF THE CANYON BELOW. THE
BUNGEE BRIDGE PROVED THE TRUE INTENT YET
AGAIN AS RACERS STAND TREMBLING AT THE
THOUGHT OF THE 200 FOOT PLUMMET THEY WERE
ABOUT TO ENDURE. WITHOUT HESITATION NEARLY
ALL RACERS WERE ABLE TO JUMP, SOME EVEN
ATTEMPTING DIFFERENT STYLES ON THEIR SECOND
PLUNGE. THE ZIPLINE, SEEMINGLY EASY, WAS A TAD
MORE DIFFICULT AND MUCH MOTIVATION WAS
NEEDED AS RACERS LET GO OF THEIR LIFELINE TO
RETRIEVE FLAGS THAT LAY BELOW THE SMALL
PLATFORMS ALONG THE 2 MILE STRETCH OF WIRE.
AGAIN, MOST WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE THIS TASK.

27. BLACK BRIDGE, VANCOUVER WASHINGTON

28. DAY THREE
IT WAS A LONG RIDE BACK TO JBLM DUE TO TRAFFIC,
WHAT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN TWO HOURS ENDED UP
LASTING CLOSER TO FOUR. IT WAS A GOOD NAP FOR
SOME, BUT EXCITEMENT OF BEING HOME AND
COMPLETEING THIS RACE KEPT MANY RESTLESS.
TEAMS WERE MET BY THEIR SUPPORT ON
JBLM. COMMANDERS, SERGEANTS MAJOR, FIRST
SERGEANTS, PLATOON SERGEANTS, AND EVEN FULL
UNITS WAIVING GUIDEONS LED THE TEAMS TO
VICTORY. COMPLETING MIND BLOWING TASKS SUCH
AS BOBBING FOR COW EYES AND HOLDING IT
BETWEEN YOUR LIPS UNTIL THE LAST TEAM MEMBER
COMPLETED THE TASK, AND CONSUMING MEGA
WORMS FIT FOR LIZZARDS. HAVING A BLAST WITH
SELFIE CHALLENGES, COMMUNICATION RELAY, AND
KARAOKE ROULETTE ALL BEFORE SIGNING OUT FOR
THE LAST TIME OF THE FIRST EXTREME SURVIVAL
RACE.

29. DAY THREE
THE FACES OF THE PARTICIPANTS AS THEY RAVED
ABOUT THE EVENT SAID IT ALL. THIS RACE WAS
MENTALLY, PHYSICALLY, AND EMOTIONALLY
CHALLENGING, BUT ALL COMPETITORS COMPLETED
THE RACE WITH THE SMILE OF SUCCESS AND
MOTIVATION TO DO MORE ADVENTEROUS THINGS
IN THE FUTURE. THE OVERALL LIFESKILL TAKEN
FROM THIS RACE? LIVE EACH DAY AS THOUGH IT
WERE YOUR LAST.

30. • THE RACE LAYOUT WAS EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE
• HOLDING SERVICE MEMBERS OVER NIGHT MADE IT EXTREMELY EASY AND TIME EFFECTIVE FOR EARLY MORNING
DEPARTURE
• HIGH ADRENALINE EVENTS CREATED A FUN AND EXCITING RACE
• THE HOTEL STAY WAS BENEFICIAL TO RACERS MOTIVATION AND QUALITY OF LIFE
• WET PLANET WAS EXTREMELY PROFESSIONAL AND IMFORMATIVE ON SWIFT WATER PROCEDURES
• BUNGEE.COM WAS AN EXCELLENT COMPANY TO GO THROUGH. THEY ALLOWED ALL PARTICIPANTS TO JUMP FOR THE
PRICE OF 19
• UTLIZING THE NAC MADE FOR EASY PAYMENT METHODS AND EASE OF PLANNING ON THE BOSS EXECUTIVE TEAM
• UTILIZING THE NAC, NELSON RECREATION CENTER, AND THE WARRIOR ZONE HIGHLIGHTED SOME MWR EVENTS AND
FACILITIES FOR FUTURE USE BY SERVICE MEMBERS
• ENDING THE RACE WITH COMMAND SUPPORT ASSISTED IN THE ESPIRT DE’ CORPS.

31. • HIRE SURVIVALIST TO TEACH CLASSES
• NEED AN EVENTS CREW OF ROUGHLY 6 TO EXECUTE EFFECTIVELY
• THERE IS TIME TO START LATER IN THE DAY ON DAY ZERO
• ENSURE VOLUNTEERS ARE WELL AWARE OF THEIR STATIONS AND HAVE POSITIVE CONTROL OVER ALL CHECK POINTS
• HAVE SECONDARY PLAN THAT MITIGATE THE PORTAGE THE RAFTS OVER 2 MILES.
• BETTER TIME MANAGEMENT FOR STAFF OF THE EVENT
• MORE PIZZA NEEDED FOR RACERS AT THE HOTEL
• GET PERMIT FOR MULTNOMAH FALLS
• SECURE ALL RANGES WITH RANGE CONTROL NLT 1 MONTH OUT FROM DAY OF EVENT
• UTILIZE HHC COMMAND FOR SUPPORT WITH THIS LEVEL OF AN EVENT
• SECURE ALL TEAM SIGNUPS NLT 1 MONTH OUT, HAVE AN ENTIRE ROSTER OF BACK UP TEAMS
• BOSS CHOOSES NAMES OF TEAMS
• DRY RUN OF THE EVENT 1 MONTH OUT, 1 WEEK OUT, AND DAY PRIOR WITH EVENT STAFF
• HAVE THE AWARDS CEREMONY THE MONDAY FOLLOWING THE RACE TO GIVE ALLOW ENOUGH TIME FOR RACE TIME CALCULATIONS