Luke warriors take it to mud

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class David Owsianka
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Getting muddy, going through electric shock and jumping into freezing water are just some of the things Luke Air Force Base members did to complete the Tough Mudder Saturday at Mesa Proving Grounds. The Tough Mudder is a 12-mile course consisting of 29 obstacles.

Tough Mudder is an organization that hosts endurance events that feature 20 to 30 challenging obstacles designed by British special forces to test all around strength, stamina, mental grit and camaraderie.

"It's going to be a huge challenge for my three fellow Airmen and me going through it," said Maj. Ronald Sloma, 21st Fighter Squadron assistant director of operations, prior to starting the Tough Mudder. "How well in tact we are at the end remains to be seen."

According to Sloma, his team didn't just participate to challenge themselves physically and mentally; they did it to support the Wounded Warrior Foundation and raised $600.

The participants started off the race by scaling a wall and then ran to the kiss of mud, an obstacle where participants do a low crawl underneath barb wire through mud.

Other obstacles included jumping 25 feet into freezing water, carrying wood, crawling through tunnels, going over and under log obstacles and climb over hay stacks to reach the final event called electroshock therapy.

Sloma considered the last event to be the trophy obstacle.

"That will be the final test for us to prove to ourselves that we could get through it as a team," he said.

A group of enlisted Airmen related the Tough Mudder to the obstacle course they completed in basic military training.

They agreed the Tough Mudder was what they'd hoped for.

"It was more extreme than the one in BMT and we got dirtier," said Senior Airman Stephanie Harp, 56th Security Forces Squadron.

Although there were a variety of favorite obstacles for the Luke members, they all said the Tough Mudder was amazing.

"Going through with a team was great, because we helped each other get through it," said Staff Sgt. Patricia Radomski, 310th Aircraft Maintenance Unit. "It was definitely unforgettable and a challenge but worth it."