DTRA colonel, Army buddies take Army flag atop Mount Kilimanjaro

Photo By Shadi May | Col. Mike Binetti, sixth from left, and his friends ascend the snowy part of Kilimanjaro.  

UNITED STATES

04.01.2020

Story by Shadi May 

Defense Threat Reduction Agency

Fitness is an integral part of the U.S. Service members’ lives, and keeping fit normally entails an hour or more of cardio and weightlifting a few times a week. But, for one Defense Threat Reduction Agency colonel and his friends, it was more than just stepping on a treadmill or running the Army Ten-Miler.

When Col. Mike Binetti’s long-time friend, Mike Jeffress visited, Jeffress suggested Binetti and four other of their friends, who all had served together, go to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Binetti wasn’t sure he wanted to take on the challenge.

“I was not that excited about it at first, because I do everything with my family,” said Binetti, who has been in the Army for 23 years and is the chief of future operations and integration at DTRA. “To my surprise, it was my wife who actually convinced me to be there for my friends and do it.”



The six met more than 20 years ago at Fort Bragg, N.C., when they were all lieutenants, and have kept their friendship going ever since.

Binetti and his wife, Heather Herbert, met while both active-duty captains and deployed in support of OIF. She is a lieutenant colonel in the Army Judge Advocate General Corps. Having served in the Army herself, Herbert understands the bond military members develop.

“I think males, and especially males in the military, have to be so focused on their careers and keeping their families intact as they deploy and move, that they forget to nurture their friendships,” said Herbert. “To me, it was not as much about climbing Kilimanjaro as it was about spending quality time with old friends. I was not worried. He was with his Army buddies, and I knew they would make it,” she said.

Jeffress, the trip organizer, said he reached out to his closest friends, told them he was going to climb the mountain, and that it would be great if they did it with him.

According to mountain-climbing experts, less experienced climbers climb Kilimanjaro between June and October, when the weather is more pleasant. Binetti’s group did it in early January, when everyone was available.

Kilimanjaro’s summit elevation is at 19,341 feet and gains quickly, making it challenging to climb.



“We did not do much out of ordinary to prepare for the climb, but we all made sure we maintained our fitness levels to face the altitude change,” Binetti said. “Our research showed you could be the fittest person in the world and not be able to do it, so, based on our shared military culture of looking out for one another, we were determined to help each other make it to the top.”

Their mountain climb took them 10 days. Climbers cannot climb Kilimanjaro on their own and must hire a professional guide. Binetti and his friends hired an outfitter whose guides and porters made the climb manageable by carrying all their tents, food, water and oxygen. He and his friends carried their backpacks for personal items, trekking poles and gaiters.

They observed several people who could not make the climb, mostly due to the altitude change. “We were lucky to have the guides,” said Tim Bigwood, another climber in Binett’s group. “The outfitter dedicated a 40-man team to do the climb with us. They were anywhere from 18 to 40 years old and rotated to take and bring back supplies. We had two permanent, medically-trained guides; a camp commander; and a chef who were with us during the whole 10 days.”

Their climbing schedule varied based on the day. On the last day, they had to wake up at 2 a.m. and climb for five and a half hours to reach the summit. “For us, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to get there, but for the outfitter crew, it was just another Tuesday,” said Bigwood.

Binetti carried the Army flag with him, and the first thing he did, was to hold it for a picture. “I wanted to have the Army flag, because it was the Army that brought the six of us together and afforded us the opportunity to form the bond we have,” he said. “It was a great feeling to make it to the top.”

One thing that surprised Binetti was the amount of trash they saw between base camp and the summit. “There were hand warmers, juice boxes, bottles and other trash all over the ground,” Binetti said. In concert with his outdoors-loving nature and a sense of caring for the planet, he used one of his waterproof bags and collected as much trash as he could fit in the bag to dispose properly.

The descent was the hardest part of the journey for all of them. Aside from adjusting to the altitude, it was particularly hard on knees, quadriceps and toes. After spending a couple of hours on the summit, they began their two-day descent.

Herbert said she hopes her husband’s story will inspire other people to reach out to their old friends and go on an adventure. While there may not be another major mountain climbing in their future, Binetti and friends agree there will be other adventures for the six of them. “We are not going up in altitude again; I can tell you that,” said Bigwood. “We are thinking of a domestic teamwork event, like white water rafting.”

For Binetti and his circle of Army friends, the trips was unforgettable and unique. “I would tell my children to not be afraid to take new opportunities; sometimes you will find life-long friends. As for my fellow Soldiers, I say that if a 45-year-old colonel can do it, so can you. Just because something seems to be a big goal, it is not far off.”

• Date Taken: 04.01.2020
• Date Posted: 04.07.2020 15:16
• Story ID: 366334
• Location: US