From 23rd to 27th August 2021, the ninth year of the all-army Recon Patrol Competition will take place in the Libavá military district. The competition is organized by the 102nd Reconnaissance Battalion of General Karel Paleček. This year, two competition teams from the Slovak ISTAR battalion from Prešov and two observers from the British Household Cavalry Regiment from Bulford will also take part.

Picture: From the 23rd to the 27th of August 2021, the ninth year of the all-army Recon Patrol Competition will take place in the Libavá military district. | 102nd Reconnaissance Battalion Prostějov

The main goal of the competition is to test the abilities of members of recon units of combat, in-depth, artillery, chemical and engineering reconnaissance in the performance of the combat task, as well as their physical readiness, mental resilience, and alignment of teams.

Competitors will face a demanding day and night seven-stage race and twenty-three disciplines, which follow each other. Throughout the competition, patrols move with organic weapons and personal use equipment.

Picture: Competitors will face a demanding day and night seven-stage race and twenty-three disciplines, which follow each other. | 102nd Reconnaissance Battalion Prostějov

Eighteen teams will take part in the recon patrol competition. In addition to two teams from Slovakia and the teams of the organizing unit, four-member patrols from the 13th Artillery Regiment Jince, 31st Regiment of Radiological, Chemical and Biological Protection Liberec, 43rd Airborne Regiment and the new reconnaissance blood of the Army, a team of students from the reconnaissance direction of the University of Defense Brno, will also take part in the demanding competition.

Picture: The main goal of the competition is to test the abilities of members of reconnaissance units of combat, in-depth, artillery, chemical and engineering reconnaissance in the performance of the combat task, as well as their physical readiness, mental resilience, and alignment of teams. | 102nd Reconnaissance Battalion Prostějov

History of the Recon Patrol Competition

The idea to organize this versatile race arose in 2006 with the aim of comparing the level of readiness of individual recon teams of the 102nd Reconnaissance Battalion in Prostějov. The following year, the historically first year of the competition took place, then intended primarily to measure the strength of members of the combat units of the 102nd Reconnaissance Battalion. From 2008 to 2010, the competition continued in cooperation with the Airborne Veterans Club and the support of sponsors, already with the participation of patrols from other Czech Army units. Unfortunately, the years 2011 and 2012 were deprived of the Recon Patrol Competition, as soldiers of the 102nd Reconnaissance Battalion performed tasks within the 8th PRT Unit in Afghanistan, with the subsequent restoration of combat readiness. In 2013, however, the Recon Patrol Competition regained its traditional space in the last week of August.

Picture: Due to its difficulty, two thirds of the competitors usually finish the race, but this does not detract from the prestige of the competition itself. | 102nd Reconnaissance Battalion Prostějov

The recon patrol competition differs from other military competitions mainly by its professional profile focus on recon units, movement in demanding terrain with only carried material, focus on shooting and reconnaissance training. It should be noted that this event is not for everyone. Recon patrols mean three days and nights in the field, almost without sleep, fulfilling assigned tasks, overcoming an average of 100 kilometers through a wooded environment, strain, nervousness, exhaustion. Due to its complexity, the race is usually completed by two thirds of the competitors, which does not detract from the prestige of the competition itself.

The ranks of winners in recent years have almost always belonged to the teams of the 102nd Reconnaissance Battalion. An exception is the year 2013, when the team of the 42nd Mechanized Battalion from Tábor took first place and the Prostějov crew left the traveling cup for the first time in the history of the competition. During the following year, which took place in 2016, however, it returned to the hands of Prostějov, in which it remained in 2018.

Picture: The recon patrol competition differs from other military competitions mainly in its professional profile focus on reconnaissance units, movement in demanding terrain with only carried material, focus on shooting and reconnaissance training. | 102nd Reconnaissance Battalion Prostějov

Recon patrols have their winners, but no losers. Each of the participants who finished the race reached the bottom of their strength, could know themselves in coping with stressful situations, test their professional skills, theoretical and practical skills of reconnaissance, mental resilience and physical fitness. The aim of the competition is to test the abilities of recon patrols in their deployment in the reality of approaching simulated situations. Soldiers have tried disciplines in the past, such as military-practical climbing, small arms shooting, medical and chemical training, detection of traps, tracing and rescuing material dropped on a parachute, building engineering barriers, and improvising overcoming a water barrier.

Picture: Soldiers have tried disciplines in the past, such as military-practical climbing, small arms shooting, medical and chemical training, detection of a trap, retrieving and rescuing material dropped on a parachute, building engineering barriers, or improvising overcoming a water barrier. | 102nd Reconnaissance Battalion Prostějov

Difficulty and variety of tasks, perfect organization of the competition and valuable prizes for the winners, these were and are motivating factors that attract not only explorers from many units of the Czech Army, but also from the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic to the Libavá Military Area, where the competition takes place.

Picture: Difficulty and diversity of tasks performed, perfect organization of the competition and valuable prizes for the winners, these were and are motivating factors that attract not only explorers from many units of the Czech Army. | 102nd Reconnaissance Battalion Prostějov

Source: 102nd Reconnaissance Battalion Prostějov