Are Spur Rides and "Prop-blasts," still something that should be on the training calendar?

COL Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 10:39:23 -0400

The "right of passage." Whether it's "earning your spurs," or surviving the "prop-blast," these traditions have been with us since the 70's and 80's. In today's Army, are these events still something that units should be doing and why? Why is this sort of thing no longer acceptable? Why is it important to maintain these as tradition? What problems have you seen?

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 22 at 2014 10:40 AM

COL Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 10:40:19 -0400

and...yes...as an Armor Officer and Cavalry Commander, this one is very relevant for me and the Squadron

Response by MSgt Keith Hebert made Apr 22 at 2014 10:56 AM

MSgt Keith Hebert — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 10:56:52 -0400

Yes
These are the traditions that she us who and what we are.
Traditions give us pride and sense of accomplishment.
Traditions are very important.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 22 at 2014 4:46 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 16:46:22 -0400

I believe they should still conduct these types of event. It
promotes Esprit De Corp and comradely throughout the ranks. I remember when I
was in a Cavalry unit we did a Spur Ride just before deployment and yes it
sucks but after it was all said and done. When I got on the home made horse and
had my 1SG and Squadron CSM place them sliver spurs on it was a automatic high.
It also felt good when it came to the end of the work week we could wear our Stetsons
and Spurs.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 22 at 2014 6:24 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 18:24:36 -0400

I honestly have seen no problems with the spur ride. I earned my spurs with 6-6 Cav at Ft. drum in 2010 and thought the spur ride was a fun and exciting, albeit grueling, way to integrate new members to the team. I'm not cav, but after being embraced by the cav and embracing the cav in return I think these sort of traditions should be held on to. It is of the utmost importance to make new team members feel like they belong and also to make them realize the full weight of what they are about to undertake. After experiencing the spur ride, I wish more units outside of the cav did something similar that was equally fun and rigorous.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 22 at 2014 7:20 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 19:20:44 -0400

The issue brought up at the last spur ride IPR I attended as 1SG was that they have become mostly hazing and gotten away from actually meaning anything of skill. In other words if you survived the hazing you made it. As opposed to say being actually complete tasks instead of shouting at a pet rock.

Response by SFC William Swartz Jr made Apr 22 at 2014 7:27 PM

SFC William Swartz Jr — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 19:27:20 -0400

Damn right they need to be maintained....I conducted my Spur Ride in Fulda, FRG in the 11th ACR in Sept '92 and assisted with another 6 over the remainder of my career; it is OUR (the Armor Community's) Excellence Program, while not an official award per ones ERB/ORB, it is no less important to us than the EIB and EFMB are to the Infantryman or Medic. It is up to the younger members of the Armor Community to maintain and improve this time-honored tradition as well as the Order of St. George program.

Response by SSG Trevor S. made Apr 22 at 2014 9:23 PM

SSG Trevor S. — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 21:23:15 -0400

I would say we definitely need to have rights of passage.
These ceremonies may be a bit corny when viewed from outside the organization
but they serve to establish higher than the base line esprit de corps. They
connect young Soldiers, and Leaders to the unit’s established traditions.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 23 at 2014 2:35 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 02:35:05 -0400

As a proud member of a Cavalry Squdaron, and Cavalry brigade during my first 10 years in the Army, hell yes this needs to be maintained.  As a military we have gotten so far away from so many of our traditions and "roots" that we have forgotten where we came from.  I earned my Spurs the first time in Korea, and then again twice in Iraq.  I still maintain my stetson to a high level despite not being authorized to wear it at my current unit.  Lets not allow this to fall to the wayside like so many other traditions!

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 23 at 2014 9:05 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 09:05:35 -0400

YES Sir!! I remember doing my Spur ride years ago while
serving in 1-4 Cav. It was physically and mentally challenging, but also very
rewarding. I found out a lot about myself as well as those that were doing the
spur ride along side of me. The spur dinner was the epitome of camaraderie and
welcoming of fellow NCOs. Having received my Spurs under the hand of then LTC
H.R. McMasters was a great honor for me and an event of my career that I will
never forget.

Response by CPT Jacob Swartout made May 16 at 2014 10:21 PM

CPT Jacob Swartout — Fri, 16 May 2014 22:21:51 -0400

Sir, I say continue the tradition. I did mine in 2000 with the 11th ACR. I was a spur holder for multiple lane events with 3-7 CAV in 2012. My wife went to the spouse's spur ride in 2012 too and got here certificate. Tomorrow, she is going on her second spur ride with 5-15 CAV. My daughter received her spur certificate too for the kids spur ride.

I wasn't able to do a spur ride with 3rd ACR when I was assigned with them 95-98 because they didn't allow E-4 and below in 3rd SQDN. I PCSd later and they changed it a few years later. Darn...I would have enjoyed their version.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 24 at 2015 10:34 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 10:34:48 -0500

Earned Airborne Wings as a 2LT in 1993, but never assigned to an Airborne unit
Earned spurs as a Tank Company Commander with 2-34 AR, 1st BDE, 1st ID-1999.
Earned Combat Spurs as a Squadron XO, S3 and Iraqi Army Advisor in Baghdad with 3-89 CAV, 4th BCT, 10th MTN Div-2007-09

The Spur Rides that I thought the most useful for esprit-de-corps were those that were stressful, physically and mentally challenging and, once complete, you felt as if you had truly earned them! Those that were not were either too easy, or the Spur Holders were sadistic to the point of stupidity.

Keep them, make them part of the unit's training plan and make it a truly meaningful training experience, both for the candidates and the holders.

Response by SSG Lon Watson made Apr 11 at 2018 10:27 AM

SSG Lon Watson — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 10:27:39 -0400

Prop blast and spur ride is a valuable time honored institution. Leave it be!

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made May 9 at 2018 10:18 AM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 09 May 2018 10:18:12 -0400

As are Crossing the Line (equator, Antarctic circle, prime meridian, etc) in the sea services, so too the spur rides and prop blasts. Don’t mess with em.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 7 at 2019 7:53 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 07 Apr 2019 07:53:00 -0400

My last active duty unit had to make it mandatory for 100% because nobody would come out and participate. When the spur ride started there was no motivation from the participants only the spur holders. Soldiers would give no effort and sometimes just quit mid task. Out of our whole troop 1 Soldier got his Spurs and it wasn't even a Scout it was a mechanic.