FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- The Fort Bragg Women’s 10-Miler Team recently brought home the Com­mander’s Cup, a rotating trophy that goes to the winning active­ duty men’s, women’s, and master’s teams every year at the Army Ten-Miler in Washington, D.C.

This is the fourth consecutive victory for Fort Bragg’s women’s team. The team was specifically selected to train for the Army Ten-Miler and is comprised of soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, and U.S. Army Special Operations Com­mand.

The seven-member team was led by Capt. Amy Walters, group judge advocate for 3rd Special Forces Group, who for the first time was the captain and coach. Walters has competed with the team four times. The other members include Ashley Keller, platoon leader, 20th Engineer Brigade; Katie Baumann, platoon leader, 20th Engineer Brigade; Katie Durham, intel­ligence officer, 4th Brigade Com­bat Team, 82nd Abn. Div.; Kala Stahl, executive officer, 4th BCT, 82nd Abn. Div.; Krystal Schwartz, military police investigator, 16th Military Police Brigade; Nikki Smith, student, U.S. Army John F.

Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.

“I firmly believe that the Fort Bragg Women’s Team is so success­ful because of the depth of talent we’ve always been lucky to have here. Most installation teams have one or two runners who can run a ten miler in under 70 minutes,” Walters said.

“This year, we put all seven in under 70 minutes. That speaks both to our team’s hard work and dedication, and to the incredible talent pool that we’re so lucky to have here at Fort Bragg,” she said.

Keller, a native of Portland, Maine, is a world champion triath­lete (Ironman long-distance). Four, of seven runners on this year’s team ran in college. Durham had never run competitively before she started training for the Fort Bragg Army 10-Miler, said Walters.

The team’s success didn’t come without challenges. This year was especially tough as the team had to juggle their training with Army commitments, Walters said.

Along with their training sched­ules and work demands, five of the seven women on the team are dual-military couples.

“We deeply appreciate the sup­port of our families and spouses, who put up with injuries, early mornings and lots of weekend race travel,” Walters said.

None of the team members made it through the season without missing several weeks of practice due to Army training. Durham and Stahl went to the National Train­ing Center; Smith was in the field for the civil affairs pipeline, Keller went to Cultural Support Team se­lection and was selected; Schwartz attended military police inspector training, Warrior Leader Course and showed up to practice straight off the night shift; Baumann spent time in the field and jumped with her unit, while Walters missed three weeks for jumpmaster school. Walters said she is proud of the hard work and dedication of the team members.

“They are the reason there is an active-duty division at the Army Ten-Miler — to recognize the extraordinary commitment of soldier-athletes,” she said.

Schwartz said she looks forward to running again next year.

“This was an awesome experi­ence, both being on a team and representing Fort Bragg and is a huge accomplishment for myself,” she said.

“The team as a whole continues to meet and greet with one another every now and then.

“I am also grateful for each and every one of them. They helped me through the rough days, and I ap­preciate them all,” Schwartz added.

“I will always remember this team because of the bonds created by seemingly unending workouts, races in preparation for the Army Ten-Miler, deep conversations held on long runs, but most of all, the memories induced by the infamous Fort Bragg humidity,” Baumann said.