Volunteers make the Ten-Miler move

Photo By Brian Parker | Soldiers mark off the start line as participants await the signal to start the Army Ten-Miler Oct. 20, 2013. More than 900 soldiers and civilians volunteered to support this year’s Army Ten-Miler. (Joint Base Myer Henderson Hall PAO Photo by Julia LeDoux)  

JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, VA, UNITED STATES

10.21.2013

Courtesy Story

Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall

By Julia LeDoux
Pentagram Staff Writer

JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, Va. - Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall soldiers and volunteers were an integral part of the 29th Army Ten-Miler success Oct. 21.

From standing at the starting line in the shadow of the Pentagon encouraging runners as they began their 10-mile jaunt through Arlington, Va., and the District of Columbia, to handing out water and providing support along the race route, to motivating runners to finish the course Army Strong, joint base volunteers could be seen just about everywhere race day.

And the volunteers’ efforts did not go unnoticed. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno thanked the 600 soldiers and 900 volunteers in remarks before participants stepped off.

The Old Guard Continental Color Guard displayed the colors before “Pershing’s Own” soloist Master Sgt. Antonio Giuliano sang the national anthem prior to the race start. Runners knew it was to let their feet do the talking for them when they heard the report from a cannon belonging to the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment Presidential Salute Battery.

“We fire those for Presidential inaugurations and funerals for general officers retirement ceremonies and other events,” explained Sgt. 1st Class John McKennis of the Presidential Salute Battery.

Sgt. 1st Class Luke Kruger said the race also gave joint base Soldiers the opportunity to interact with the public and explain their mission.

“[We’re able] to make sure everybody knows what we do at Fort Myer, the ceremonial things that we conduct for fallen Soldiers,” he said.

“We don’t get to see people face to face very often,” he continued. “We don’t get to see how excited they are to see us.”

Odierno noted that 35,000 participants and 689 teams registered to run the race in the National Capital Region. At the same time the race was running here, shadow races with another 8,500 runners were taking place in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Kosovo, Pakistan and South Korea, he said.

• Date Taken: 10.21.2013
• Date Posted: 10.29.2013 11:58
• Story ID: 115889
• Location: JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, VA, US