Mon, Dec 01, 2008
 UA football players use wood planks while building a bridge as part of an obstacle course exercise at Fort Huachuca.
DAVID SANDERS / arizona daily star
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Gaining maturity, closenessMilitary exercises help build bridge literally, figuratively
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 08.16.2008
FORT HUACHUCA — Mike Thomas was sick of watching.
The Arizona Wildcats' star wide receiver missed Friday morning's practice with a groin injury and, as a result, was not supposed to participate in the afternoon's team-building exercises.
It didn't last. When his coaches were not looking, Thomas — wearing flip-flops, basketball shorts and a T-shirt — shimmied inside a giant metal tube and helped six teammates build a crude bridge across a swimming pool.
"My team needs me!" he bellowed.
The Wildcats' final full day at Fort Huachuca included a morning practice and an afternoon packed with military exercises.
Players participated in a Leadership Reaction Course in the green hills south of their barracks before taking on unlikely adversaries in an indoor shooting exercise. The Wildcats' evening was capped with a special dinner.
"This," senior linebacker Ronnie Palmer said, "is one of the best things I've done since I got (to the UA)."
The Wildcats split into teams of six for the obstacle course, held in shifts during the midafternoon.
Each group was required to cross a frigid swimming pool — without falling in — using only wooden planks and logs.
"They didn't give us any rope," wide receiver Terrell Turner said. "They were talking about using our shoelaces and our belts. Well, we weren't wearing belts — and I like having my shoes on."
Each obstacle had dozens of correct approaches. The key, players said, was devising a plan quickly and sticking to it.
Tailback Nic Grigsby was teamed with safeties Cam Nelson, Victor Yates and Adam Gottschalk, cornerback Marquis Hundley and linebacker R.J. Young. The group crossed its section of the pool by building bridges out of planks.
Yates stood on the back of one bridge so it wouldn't fall into the pool while his teammates ran across; he then darted to safety while his teammates held the planks in place.
Turner, meanwhile, left the decision-making to teammates Tyler Lyon and John Sanders.
"I had two quarterbacks, so I put them in charge," Turner said. "They lead on the field, so they have to lead on the battlefield, too."
The Wildcats' next challenge — a demonstration using the EST2000 shooting simulator — turned into a glorified turkey shoot.
Players were given unloaded weapons and told to aim for digital turkeys on a wall-sized video screen.
Wires hooked up to the weapons, the screen and a massive computer registered "kills" and misses.
Nelson operated an .50-caliber Browning machine gun capable of taking out cars, low-flying planes — and Thanksgiving dinner.
"I think I had more kills than Terrell Turner and Mike Thomas combined," Nelson said with a smile."It's not their fault. I was trained. When I was like 6, I was on the SWAT team. Instead, I decided to play football."
Nelson's teammates roared at his latest boast. On this team, everything's a competition — from poker and spades to pool, chess and checkers.
"There's going to be some arguing and trash-talking," Nelson said.
And, through all of it, team-building.
Arizona coaches were hoping that 72 hours at Fort Huachuca would give the team a glimpse into the work ethic, closeness and camaraderie of Army soldiers.
The Wildcats seem to understand.
"Trust the guy next to you," quarterback Willie Tuitama said. "That's how it's going to transfer over to the field."
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