FORT CARSON, Colo. — The 4th Infantry Division hosted a thematic physical fitness training event June 14, 2024, involving more than 12,000 Ivy League Soldiers from across the division and Fort Carson.
The theme of the event was the 4th Infantry Division’s participation in Operation Overlord. On June 6, 1944, commonly known as D-Day, soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division stormed Utah Beach, beginning the U.S. effort to liberate Axis-occupied France.
“This event commemorates these heroes,” said Maj. Gen. David S. Doyle, commander of the 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson. “Those who stormed Utah Beach fought their way through artillery and machine gun fire, overcoming obstacles and liberating towns such as Ste.-Mere-Eglise, Ste.-Marie-du-Mont, Picauville, Quinéville and Montebourg.”
Ivy’s soldiers scrimmaged over obstacles that simulated D-Day environmental conditions, including rocky terrain, barbed wire, makeshift anti-tank barriers, steep trenches and walls of shipping containers.
“The course was fantastic,” said Lt. Col. Nathan Platts, commander of the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. “It was a great way to commemorate the great history of this division.”
Anti-tank barriers were the most prominent obstacle the Ivy Soldiers encountered as they stormed Utah Beach before scaling the bulkheads to neutralize the enemy.
While the event celebrated a historic moment in the history of the 4th Infantry Division, participation in the event was not limited to just the division’s Soldiers: Tenant units included the 4th Engineer Battalion, 71st Ordnance Group, 627th Hospital Center and 759th Military Police Battalion.
This year’s winner was 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, who earned the 4th Infantry Division championship belt.
“The Soldiers that took Utah Beach inspire us to do things like this,” Doyle said. “We have to be strong. We have to be prepared. We have to be healthy. This is what’s happening now. This is about building strong teams. It’s about understanding what your body can do, how you can work together — how it functions on the modern battlefield.”
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| Data collected: | June 14, 2024 |
| Posted on: | June 14, 2024 17:44 |
| Story ID: | 474067 |
| position: | Fort Carson, Colorado, USA |
| Web view: | 44 |
| download: | 0 |
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