Soldiers attending the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special

Soldiers attending the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School Mountaineering Program conduct Senior Course Level II training near Fort Carson, Colo., after completing the Basic Course (Level III) where team members learned 15 basic tasks, including navigating in mountainous terrain, rope commands, transportation of a casualty on an improvised litter and rappelling techniques. During Level II, the soldiers are expected to know and pass a hands-on test on the basic fundamentals of rock climbing throughout the course. Among the 17 tasks in the Senior Course they must be proficient at constructing a belay point, rappelling point and setting up rescue systems should they need to assist a stranded climber. The soldiers were also taught basic animal care of pack animals and procedures on properly loading and securing heavy equipment and weapons onto mules by wranglers at a working ranch at lake George,Colo. Throughout the training soldiers recovered weapons caches from the top of mountains and abandoned mine shafts using a variety of rope techniques. In October 2011, the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School will hold an activation ceremony officially turning the Mountaineering Program over to A Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Warfare Training Group (A), Fort Bragg, N.C.