Photo By Tech. Sgt. Heather Salazar | Volunteers jog on the running path overlooking Pearl Harbor during the 6th Annual...... read more read more
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii—Last week the 25th Air Support Operations Squadron organized the 6th Annual Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) Association’s 24-Hour Remembrance Run on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. Out of the dozens of participants who ran in the event, one Airman stood out.
While most participants ran in shifts, Staff Sgt. Eric McKinley, 647th Civil Engineering Squadron explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technician, ran and walked the entire 24 hours.
McKinley decided to participate in the event, for the second year in a row, to challenge himself while paying tribute to those who have lost their lives.
“I like a good challenge, but even more importantly, I saw the run as way to support the families of our fallen service members and also remember the individuals who have sacrificed their lives in the pursuit of our freedoms,” said McKinley.
Although many people would train for months or years before attempting a 24-hour run, McKinley relied primarily on his current physical training program and beat his previous record by 21 miles.
“As an EOD technician, we are required to be in peak physical shape at all times,” said McKinley. “I bought a new pair of running shoes, broke them in with three different eight mile runs, and showed up on the day of the 24-hour run.”
For McKinley, the toughest part of the 24-hour run was staying motivated.
“Whenever I wanted to quit, I reminded myself that I was running for those who can no longer run,” said McKinley. “In addition, a few friends came out to support me at key times when I was struggling most. Around midnight I was sore, exhausted and my body was telling me to take a break. That’s when Chief Master Sgt. Timothy Sterner and Master Sgt. Heidi Leon, from the Pacific Air Forces headquarters EOD staff, surprised me by showing up to run with me for a couple of hours.”
“Master Sgt. Leon and I spent a few hours with Staff Sgt. McKinley to encourage him towards his goal and because the cause hits close to home,” added Sterner. “We've seen families struggle through loss and financial difficulties and support efforts that assist them. I suppose we came out when we did because we saw the benefit of having support during the part of SSgt McKinley's journey that seemed most likely to be dark and lonely and fatigue would certainly be setting in.”
Through his dedication and perseverance, McKinley has collected 50 pledges and raised over $4,600 to support the TACP Association.
“Staff Sgt. McKinley put forth an incredible effort into the Remembrance Run soliciting pledges and donations for a couple very noble causes long before he took his first step,” said Sterner. “When it came time to start pounding the pavement, he was willing to put in the sweat and suck up the pain for the benefit of others...the families of fallen brothers. It's hard not to support someone who's willing to put forth that kind of effort for selfless reasons.”
| Date Taken: | 04.07.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 04.07.2017 19:42 |
| Story ID: | 229666 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 60 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Sixty-Nine miles to “Remember the Fallen”, by TSgt Heather Salazar, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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