Published: May 3, 2026
By Sgt. 1st Class Ashley Ellison
CAMP WILLIAMS, Utah – The Utah National Guard’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Program hosted its second annual Survivor Strive on May 2, 2026, at Camp Williams. More than 40 service members from across the Utah National Guard, including the 300th Military Intelligence Brigade (Linguist), 204th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, 97th Aviation Troop Command, and the 65th Field Artillery Brigade, took part in the hands-on event focused on resilience, awareness, and support.
Eight teams of five UTNG service members moved through a 5K course, stopping at four stations designed to challenge their physical endurance and emotional awareness. What started as a team ruck quickly turned into something more, highlighting the weight service members carry every day, both seen and unseen.
Teams began with empty rucks, symbolizing a clean slate. At the first station, they added weighted sandbags into their ruck sacks labeled with different types of life stressors and experiences, including bullying, suicide, divorce, and substance abuse, symbolizing the burdens individuals carry but are not always seen.
Jessica Siwik, the northern Utah SARC with the UTNG SAPR Program, told teams that not all stressors are bad, but they can still carry weight. Even positive life changes, such as a new baby or a new job, can add pressure, reinforcing the idea that everyone carries something, even if it is not immediately visible.
At the second checkpoint, teams carried a weighted log on a litter, with four members supporting the load as they moved forward. The station focused on trauma, emphasizing that it is not defined by the event itself, but by how it is experienced. Participants learned that trauma could have lasting psychological and physical effects and may manifest in different ways, reinforcing that there is no single “right” way to respond or heal.
As the course progressed, the strain became more noticeable. Movements slowed, communication between teammates became more deliberate, and the weight, both literal and symbolic, began to wear down on teams. What could not be seen from the outside became impossible to ignore as teams hiked up hills and winding trails to get to their next checkpoint.
The third station focused on enablers, people or influences that can drag units and cohesion down, while also emphasizing the importance of accountability within UTNG formations and supporting victims. That weight was represented as cement blocks with a chain that participants dragged to the next checkpoint.
Maj. Michael Resendiz, operations officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 300th Military Intelligence Brigade (Linguist), said the physical challenges were already taking a toll after the log carry and weighted ruck. Still, the message was beginning to sink in.
“It’s starting to wake us up,” he said. “A lot of it resonates, especially hearing about types of traumas, I didn’t really anticipate.”
The fourth and final checkpoint brought the message home. Without warning, one participant was removed from the team, representing a suicide, causing the remaining team members to redistribute the weight and continue the course without them.
“Trauma doesn’t just affect individuals; it affects the entire formation,” said Justin Smith, the Victim Advocate for Southern Utah with the UTNG’s SAPR Program.
The checkpoint’s message reinforced that these losses are deeply personal within military units, where bonds are built through shared hardship. It also highlighted how the loss of a service member affects not only the emotional well-being of the team but also unit cohesion, experience, and mission capability.
The moment forced teams to adjust quickly, carrying not only their own burdens, but the weight left behind from the loss of a service member. It highlighted how loss impacts morale, trust, and mission readiness, and how often those struggles remain unseen until they begin to affect the whole team.
“It’s translating a lot of the emotional pain into physical pain,” said Maj. Darren Harden, judge advocate for HHC, 300th MIB (Linguist). “When you’re missing a teammate, now it’s even more for everybody else to carry.”
That reaction was exactly what the UTNG SAPR Program hoped participants would take away from the event.
“We wanted to find a way to get more people engaged while also talking about the impact that traumas like sexual violence have on people,” said Siwik. “This gives people a way to experience it, instead of just hearing about it.”
This event goes beyond just one type of trauma.
“The Survivor Strive is an awareness of trauma as a whole,” said Andrew Kalinen, Principal SARC for the UTNG’s SAPR Program. “Whether it’s sexual assault, suicide, divorce, PTSD, or deployments, the event helps people understand trauma in general. And that’s why prevention matters.”
For some, the impact hit even closer to home, reinforcing the responsibility leaders have to recognize what may not be visible.
“You never know what someone else is carrying,” said Lt. Col. Joseph Brandt, operations officer for the 300th MIB (Linguist). “It makes you step back as a leader and ask if you’re really paying attention to what your people are going through.”
Participants said the event also strengthened cohesion and trust within their teams; something that can be difficult to build in a traditional training environment.
“It’s a great team-building event,” said Lt. Col. Roger Mulholland, executive officer for HHC, 300th MIB (Linguist). “You don’t always get that outside of the office. This gives us a chance to do something challenging together while also learning more about the SAPR Program.”
At the end of the course, teams completed a written assessment to test what they learned before being awarded medals for their participation.
Now in its second year, Survivor Strive continues to grow as a way to bring service members together, not just to complete a course, but to understand each other better. The event reinforces that while trauma is not always visible, its effects are real, and supporting one another is critical to both individual well-being and mission readiness.
In the end, the message is simple: everyone carries something. And no one should have to carry it alone.
The Utah National Guard’s SAPR Program provides confidential advocacy and support to service members, dependents 18 and older, and UTNG civilian employees. That support can include reporting options, medical and mental health care, legal resources, and ongoing assistance throughout the recovery process. The program also works closely with community partners to make sure individuals get connected to the care they need.
For immediate support, the UTNG SAPR Program offers a 24-hour hotline at 801-716-9254. For suicide prevention and crisis support, individuals can contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or by chatting online.
