The Ground Team Challenge (GTC) is a competitive event for Cadets and Seniors that combines physical fitness, land navigation and teamwork/leadership exercises.
The Spring 2010 GTC was held at Suffolk County Blydenburg Park on May 8, 2010. The competition consisted of (in order sequence):
1) A 24 Hr Pack gear check performed on one member of each participating team, randomly chosen. One minute was added to their respective teams's final time for each missing item,
2) A teamwork/leadership exercise at the start of the timed hike. Time elapsed to complete this exercise ( a team "pontoon swamp walk") added to each teams hike time,
NY117 completing the Teamwork Exercise
3) A timed hike around Stump Pond (approximately 4.5 miles total distance), and
NY117 departing the Hiking start point
4) Six land navigation tasks (compass bearings, pace count, declination calculation, and map reading) to be performed during the timed hike using a topographic map package supplied to each team. Three minutes were added to each team's final time for each wrong calculation/response.
NY207 at "Point 1" for land navigation task
Results:
1st PLACE
2nd PLACE
Gabreski Squadron (NY117)
Timed Hike and Teamwork Exercise - 02:45:04
Gear Check Penalties - 1 min. x 1 missing item = 1 min.
Land Nav Penalties - 3 min. x 4 wrong responses = 12 min.
Final Time of 02:58:04
Suffolk Cadet Squadron VII (NY153)
Timed Hike and Teamwork Exercise - 02:45:46
Gear Check Penalties - 1 min. x 1 missing item = 1 min.
Land Nav Penalties - 3 min. x 4 wrong responses = 12 min.
Final Time of 02:58:46