FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, Iraq - The "Year of the NCO" came to a close as Soldiers from both Task Force 296, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division and the 5th Iraqi Army Division faced their final set of challenges together before being inducted in the Non-Commissioned Officer Corps on Dec. 31, 2009.

"The NCOs went through a team building event, then the ‘Pit,' which is a rite of passage for new NCOs, and finally the official induction ceremony," said 1st Sgt. Shawn E. Romero, first sergeant for TF 296 medical company.

The team building event divided the soldiers into four separate elements, charged with completing tasks located at different points around the FOB. They were given a map and a simulated casualty litter to carry as they maneuvered through the exercises to test both their physical and mental skills and their ability to work as a team.

"Our first task was to carry a casualty over a shipping container, which had several layers to consider in order to keep everybody safe while we went from one side to the other," said Sgt. Matthew Ferguson, a Soldier from TF 296.

Another event required the Soldiers to move sandbags set in a flag design, through a winding path and place them correctly on the other side in the same pattern. The third station showcased the joint efforts of these new NCOs as they hauled an inoperable Gator vehicle filled with simulated radioactive material over a bridge and up a short yet steep hill using only ropes, pulleys and shovels.

"My favorite event was pulling the Gator up the hill," said Sgt. Howard K. Browning, a supply sergeant from TF 296. "It required us to use thought and strength to complete."

The final task required the teams to move sandbags into a humvee and then push the humvee around a traffic circle and then unload them again.

"The teams had four hours to complete their tasks and then get to ‘the pit' for the next part of the induction," said Romero.

‘The pit' is a time honored ritual that encompasses three different phases; first is fire, water is the second, and the final section is stones.

"The three stages of the pit are symbolic; the fire to burn away old bad habits, the water to cleanse their souls, and the stones to sharpen their skills as new NCOs," said Romero.

After the pit the new NCOs formally accepted the ‘duties and responsibilities' of a non-commissioned officer during a formal ceremony welcoming them into the NCO Corps.

"The events leading up to the ceremony are a great way get soldiers' motivation to another level before their official induction to the unit as new NCOs," said Romero.