San Antonio, Texas –
The Fort Sam Houston Modern Military Pentathlon kicked off
with a big splash at the Jimmy Brought Fitness Center Nov. 6, with more than 20
swimmers gathering for a 200-meter freestyle swim.
“This is exciting,” said U.S. Army North health promotions
officer Paul Kennedy. “After a long drought of not having the modern pentathlon
as a sport at Fort Sam Houston, this is a great throwback from the past into
the future by bringing these military members to compete in this event.”
Lt. Gen. Perry Wiggins, commanding general, U.S. Army North
(Fifth Army) and senior Army commander of Fort Sam Houston and Camp Bullis, had
tasked the Army North Community
Health Promotion Board with a way to
encourage healthy competition and camaraderie between units on Fort Sam Houston.
The group suggested bringing back the pentathlon.
The U.S. Marines of the 4th Reconnaissance Battalion took
the top team prize, while their comrades who showed up to cheer them on took
home the Spirit Award.
The top swimmer was Navy Lt. Correy Dean who clocked in at 2
minutes, 24.76 seconds. Army Maj. Tim Hansen of Army North Task Force 51 took
second at 2:29.64, while NCO Academy Brigade Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Lucas
rounded out third at 2:31.51.
Fort Sam Houston once served as the national training center
for the U.S. Modern Pentathlon team that produced multiple Olympic medalist in
the 1950s and 1960s. San Antonio was an ideal location given its ideal
year-round weather conditions for outdoor training. The center stood for more
than 40 years before relocating to Colorado Springs, Colo., in 1996.
The next event, horsemanship, will be held in March 2016,
followed by run and shoot in May 2016 and fencing in July 2016.
The final event including all four categories will take
place November 2016.