VAIL, Colo. — It’s been more than 80 years since the 10th Mountain Division was formed in the Rocky Mountains to help the Allies fight during World War II.
This weekend, the soldiers on skis made a return to Colorado, getting back to their alpine roots by testing their skills where it all began.
"People are coming up and asking, 'is there a 10th Mountain Division, still?' Yes! We are. And we're looking for mountain troopers. So it's great to be out here," 10th Mountain Division Deputy Commanding Gen. Matthew Braman said.
For the members of the 10th Mountain Division, Sunday's ski runs were just a warmup. They were wrapping up more than a week of activities paying tribute to the original 10th Mountain Division by competing against one another for the Ski Trooper Cup.
"One word – legacy. We're here because of our forefathers, where it began. So it's pretty awesome to be a part of that," Braman said.
Now based in New York, the soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division tested their endurance by rappelling, climbing and skiing just like the soldiers who started it all did in the 1940s.
"We got to kind of follow in that same path, do what they did 80 years later. And that's just super cool," Pfc. Rylan Parsons said.
"The Trooper Cup truly shows the physical capabilities and requirements of the mountain soldier," Braman said.
With every cross-country run, every pullup, every feat of strength put to the test, the connection to the division's past grows stronger for the soldiers on skis continuing that legacy today.
"To be here as part of this group is pretty phenomenal," Braman said.
"I feel connected," Parsons said. "It's such a cool experience."
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