whale gap.

Earlier this year, I completed the Army's Advanced Officers Course at Ft. Knox, Kentucky. The training centered around Company and Battalion level tactics. Interestingly enough, the terrain and maps we used for the course were none other than the National Training Center, here in California.

For a month, our class analyzed the terrain, with one of our larger operations being centered around a ridge nicknamed "the whale." The learning point from the whale was simple, and our instructor repeated it to us often. "You never maneuver around the tip of the whale, ever. It's suicide." Everytime our class attempted to maneuver around the tip of the whale (in the scenario, it was the only option) and through the whale gap, we got slaughtered. I always thought it would be neat to see the whale someday, and to see if it was as I had pictured. I finally had the opportunity today, and was amazed at how familiar it looked. Pictures are above. the first picture shows the whale, disregard the mountains behind it. The second picture is me standing at the tip.

Also, I do intend to email my instructor some pictures from today to prove that you can indeed go through the whale gap...and live to tell about it.