U.S Army Soldiers compete in Bulgarian 'strong man' competition
By Spc. Ethan Valetski | 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment | May 10, 2019
Staff Sgt. Michael Rowan, a military policeman with the 313th Military Police Detachment, climbs a mountain with a 95-pound jug of water on his back near Sliven, Bulgaria, May 6, 2019. Soldiers from the Novo Selo Training Area participated in the Haiduk Gathering, a competition that includes carrying a simulated wine bag up a mountain, rock throwing, knife throwing and wrestling. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ethan Valetski) (Photo by Spc. Ethan Valetski)
Staff Sgt. Michael Rowan, a military policeman with the 313th Military Police Detachment, throws a knife near Sliven, Bulgaria, May 6, 2019. Soldiers from the Novo Selo Training Area participated in the Haiduk Gathering, a competition that includes carrying a 95-pound jug of water up a mountain, rock throwing, knife throwing and wrestling. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ethan Valetski) (Photo by Spc. Ethan Valetski)
Staff Sgt. Michael Rowan, a military policeman with the 313th Military Police Detachment, wrestles a Bulgarian man near Sliven, Bulgaria, May 6, 2019. Soldiers from the Novo Selo Training Area participated in the Haiduk Gathering, a competition that includes carrying a 95-pound jug of water up a mountain, rock throwing, knife throwing and wrestling. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ethan Valetski) (Photo by Spc. Ethan Valetski)
(From back row left to right) Spc. Chad Morgan a military firefighter with the 524th Engineer Detachment, Spc. Rene Gonzalez, a military firefighter with the 524th Engineer Detachment, Spc. Jocelyn Zamora a military policeman with the 313th Military Police Detachment, Staff Sgt. Michael Rowan, a military policeman with the 313th Military Police Detachment, and Cpl. Dillon Moran (Front), a cavalry scout with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1th Infantry Division, group together for a photo at the top of a mountain near Sliven, Bulgaria, May 6, 2019. Soldiers from the Novo Selo Training Area, Bulgaria participated in the Haiduk Gathering, a competition that includes carrying a 95-pound jug of water up a mountain, rock throwing, knife throwing and wrestling. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ethan Valetski) (Photo by Spc. Ethan Valetski)
Staff Sgt. Michael Rowan, a military policeman with the 313th Military Police Detachment, throws a rock near Sliven, Bulgaria, May 6, 2019. Soldiers from the Novo Selo Training Area participated in the Haiduk Gathering, a competition that includes carrying a 95-pound jug of water up a mountain, rock throwing, knife throwing and wrestling. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ethan Valetski) (Photo by Spc. Ethan Valetski)
Staff Sgt. Michael Rowan, a military policeman with the 313th Military Police Detachment, drinks from a waterfall while on his way up a mountain near Sliven, Bulgaria, May 6, 2019. Soldiers from the Novo Selo Training Area participated in the Haiduk Gathering, a competition that includes carrying a 95-pound jug of water up a mountain, rock throwing, knife throwing and wrestling. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ethan Valetski) (Photo by Spc. Ethan Valetski)
Staff Sgt. Michael Rowan, (second from left) and Spc. Jocelyn Zamora, both military policemen with the 313th Military Police Detachment, start their journey up a mountain alongside Spc. Chad Morgan (right), a military firefighter with the 524th Engineer Detachment, May 6, 2019, near Sliven, Bulgaria. Soldiers from the Novo Selo Training Area participated in the Haiduk Gathering, a competition that includes carrying a 95-pound jug of water up a mountain, rock throwing, knife throwing and wrestling. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ethan Valetski) (Photo by Spc. Ethan Valetski)
SLIVEN, Bulgaria —
Without a trail to follow, and a 95-pound jug of water on each of their backs, five U.S. Soldiers hiked up the steep Bulgarian mountain.
Soldiers on rotation at the Novo Selo Training Area followed in the footsteps of Hadji Dimitar, a Bulgarian revolutionary who scaled a mountain with 43 liters of wine (95 pounds) to quench the thirst of his unit.
"In my 11 years in the Army, this might have been the hardest thing I've ever done," said Staff Sgt. Michael Rowan, a military policeman with the 313th Military Police Detachment. "To train up for this I had some heavy dumbbells I would place on my shoulders and try to balance them for long distances. The problem is, when I put that jug on my back, it was a completely different monster. I really think the only way to train for something like this is to do it over and over again."
Balancing the 95-pound jug on their backs was only one part of the challenge; the other was the difficult two miles up the mountain.
"The trail is somewhat designated, but very loosely," said Cpl. Dillon Moran, a cavalry scout with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. "They give you a start point and an end point and just tell you to get up the mountain. It's rocky, slippery, and I was scrambling up these rock faces and hills, just doing everything I can to get up that mountain. Once I was reaching the last couple hundred meters, I could hear the cheering in the distance."
Once the Soldiers reached the top, there were more challenges waiting for them, such as knife throwing, rock throwing and wrestling. The festivities ended with a feast of lamb, vegetables and wine.
"I felt really embraced by them when I got to the top," Moran said. "This is their history, and for them to allow us to be a part of it was really unforgettable."
200th Miilitary Police Command
313th Military Police Detachment
Atlantic Resolve
US Army Reserve