WASHINGTON –U.S. Army Recruits of the District of Columbia National Guard Recruit Sustainment Program (RSP) participated in a confidence-conditioning obstacle course March 8, 2025, at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The Fort Belvoir Resilience Obstacle Course, designed to complement and enhance the Installation Resilience Program, represents the challenges individuals face daily or throughout their lives.

The RSP’s mission is to prepare recruits before they leave for Basic Combat Training (BCT). This preparation helps recruits stay focused mentally, physically, emotionally, and administratively while also familiarizing them with the terminology and protocols of Guard service.

The recruits tested their skills on eight rigorous obstacles designed to challenge them physically and mentally. The course began with a low-wire obstacle, where participants had to low-crawl under it before moving on to the next challenge. The final obstacle, the cliffhanger, required teams to pull themselves to the top of an inverted structure and descend in reverse, demanding teamwork and perseverance. Designed as an outdoor classroom, the obstacle course aims to strengthen the mind, body, and spirit. Teams utilized specific obstacles to reinforce essential skills and enhance unit cohesion.

The Army relies on leaders to teach Field Manual 22-102, emphasizing team cohesion through strategies and techniques that strengthen military units. The manual highlights communication, trust, and shared responsibility to enhance teamwork and effectiveness.

Staff Sgt. Oscar Gonzalez, the District of Columbia RSP coordinator and Noncommissioned Officer in charge of the obstacle course exercise, was enthusiastic about introducing this course to the recruits. “We are going to send them through the course in teams,” said Gonzalez. “This is valuable training—negotiating obstacles while physically exhausted, learning how to utilize a sustainable pace, and understanding how to react in adverse combat environments.”

All 29 participants completed the course, relying on teamwork and strategic planning to overcome each challenge.“You have to push yourself with this obstacle course,” said Private First Class Isacc Castro, a combat medic specialist assigned to the RSP. “You have to communicate with your team to get through. It’s hard because of the obstacle angle, but you must push through.”

“I want the recruits to know that no matter what they face, as a team, they can get through anything together,” said Gonzalez.

Through experiences like this, the RSP ensures that recruits build the resilience and skills necessary for success in their future military careers.