From the Afghanistan mountains to the Oregon coast

News: From the Afghanistan mountains to the Oregon coast

1249th Engineer Battalion

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Story by Staff Sgt. Anna Rutherford Follow This Journalist

Staff Sgt. Anna Rutherford

Task Force Gridley, 1249th Engineer Battalion, Oregon Army National Guard soldiers Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Polley and son Spc. Alexander Polley pose for a quick photo during the last night of the Hood to Coast Satellite Run held on Forward Operating Base Sharana in the early morning hours of Aug. 28, 2011. Participating runners in the relay race included National Guard soldiers from Oregon and Nebraska, as well as engineers from the 18th Engineer Brigade and civilian contractors. The Hood to Coast is a relay race spanning a course of 197 miles from Mount Hood, Ore., to the Oregon coast. The satellite run was coordinated by members of the 1249th Engineer Battalion, Task Force Gridley, Oregon Army National Guard.

PAKTIKA PROVINCE, Afghanistan – It was an unusually cool evening on Forward Operating Base Sharana – perfect for a run. With the cool weather and a fresh rain, the Hood to Coast Satellite Run kicked off Aug. 26. The 12-person relay teams were comprised of soldiers from the 1249th Engineer Battalion, Task Force Gridley, the 18th Engineer Brigade, Task Force Sword and the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, Task Force Attack. The relay was run in conjunction with the Oregon Annual Hood to Coast 197-mile run, which extends from Mount Hood located in the northern region of Oregon, to the Pacific Ocean, specifically Seaside, Ore. Teams are comprised of 12 runners each, running three legs of varying distances. This year marked the 30th anniversary of the relay race, also known as “The Mother of All Relays.”

“We did this for the challenge and unique opportunity,” said Team Warrior’s captain, 2nd Lt. Ray Jones of Dallas, Ore. “This was a good way for us to connect to our home state while deployed to Afghanistan.” Teams comprised mainly of Oregon National Guard soldiers were Teams Warrior and Oregon, led by 2nd Lt. Ray Jones and Capt. Daniel Faust of Portland, Ore.

The Hood to Coast is the largest relay in the world and for the past four years, 360 Physical Therapy has sponsored deployed Oregon National Guardsmen with shirts and gear for the relay.

Maj. Russell Gibson of Salem, Ore., ran on a team comprised mainly of runners who ran the legs of the race in Oregon, while Gibson ran as a shadow runner in Afghanistan. There was a live hand-off via satellite phone to the runners in Oregon as Gibson finished his legs.

“This has been a great event,” said Maj. Gibson. “It’s pretty exciting to be able to run this event with the folks back home.”

The 1249th Engineer Battalion is headquartered in Salem, Ore. with soldiers from its headquarters and forward support companies currently deployed to Afghanistan.

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