Photo By Tech. Sgt. Joseph Pick | Col. James Johnson, the commander of the 720th Special Tactics Group, is scheduled to...... read more read more
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Since then, he has run more than 10 marathons, including two Marine Corps, two Pensacola’s, two Air Force, one in San Antonio, Texas, two Full Iron Man races and a 50-mile run.
Johnson, the commander of the 720th Special Tactics Group, is set to participate in the 20th Annual Air Force Marathon, at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Sept. 17, as a member of the Air Force Special Operations Command team.
"It's kind of coinciding with the end of my career, I hand the 720th off a couple weeks later and then retire a couple weeks after that," Johnson said. "It's going to be like finishing my time up with the Air Force.”
Originally commissioning into the Air Force as an aircraft maintenance officer, three years into his career, Johnson decided to cross-train to become a special tactics officer.
As a STO, Johnson works directly for AFSOC and is tasked to lead and manage some of the most dedicated professionals in the Air Force special operations community.
While running serves as an energy release and time to reflect for Johnson, it also serves as an opportunity to set an example for the next generation of Air Commandos.
“[Johnson] is a physical fitness legend,” said Lt. Col. Spencer Cocanour, the deputy commander of the 720th STG. “There is nothing better [Johnson] likes to do than workout with the next generation operators who are in the pipeline. He isn't just showing he's fit; he is making them dig deep to match him.”
Though replaying music in his mind keeps his attention off the run, Johnson also utilizes other techniques to stay motivated.
"I think about past failures that I wish I would've done better and use it as a form of motivation,” Johnson said. “Usually in longer races, early on in the race I think, 'Just keep your pace, don't get too anxious, don't go too fast and get out of what you trained for, make sure you hydrate early on, and don't skip any stations just because you don't think you're thirsty.'"
Johnson is proud of being a part of AFSOC, and says it’s his pride that keeps him going toward the end of the race.
"Later in the race, when it starts getting hard, I always think about all my AFSOC brethren who don't get to run anymore because they either gave their life on the battlefield, or they're too broken to run," he said. "I think about them, and it makes the hard part easier."
Johnson is scheduled to retire Jan. 1, 2017, after more than 26 years of service.
"This race, my thoughts are really going to be on the culmination of my career," he said. "It's going to be like finishing my time up with the Air Force."
| Date Taken: | 09.13.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 09.19.2016 11:00 |
| Story ID: | 209491 |
| Location: | HURLBURT FIELD, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 106 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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