Photo By Master Sgt. Jeffrey Grossi | Steel Airmen assigned to the 911th Airlift Wing pose for a group photo before...... read more read more
Steel Airmen of the 911th Airlift Wing raided their kitchen cabinets and laced up their boots to pay homage to the soldiers who endured World War II’s harrowing Bataan Death March while also supporting their local community through a food drive and ruck on March 10, 2024. On day one of this week-long 26.2-mile challenge, eight participants met up on the Montour Trail to log their first five miles.
Organized by Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station’s Fitness Center, the memorial ruck attracted participants from the 911th Aeromedical Staging Squadron, Aircraft Structural Maintenance, Base Command Post, and the Communications Squadron—all guided by Jeff T. Stearns, the lead exercise physiologist assigned to the 911th AW Fitness Center.
The event had boots on the ground and packs on backs by 11 a.m., with some participants donning rucksacks filled with non-perishable food items to be donated to a local community food bank.
“I recommended 40 to 45 pounds to mimic the weight you’d see in a pack at a formal school or training that has a specific gear list,” said Stearns. “...the idea is that you pick several local trails and get out into nature. No issue knocking out miles on the street or a track, but ideally, you’ll be out in the late winter woods that are getting ready for the spring. No other rules. The distance is self-monitored. There is no prize or certificate. The spirit of the event is twofold. First, is to get outside, enjoy nature and discover/rediscover some local nature trails. Second, is to, at some point, take into consideration the name of this event and educate yourself on what happened before, during and after the Bataan Death March.”
The Bataan Death March was a brutal event during World War II that took place in April 1942 in the Philippines. After the surrender of the American and Filipino forces to the Japanese following the Battle of Bataan, approximately 75,000 Filipino and American prisoners of war were forced to march more than 60 miles to prison camps. The march, characterized by extreme heat, lack of food and water, and relentless abuse by Japanese captors, resulted in the deaths of thousands due to exhaustion, starvation, and outright brutality. It stands as one of the most infamous episodes of the war, symbolizing the inhumane treatment endured by prisoners of war and civilians in the Pacific theater.
Pittsburgh IAP ARS’s Bataan Memorial March, now in its second year, recognizes that significance and remembers those who performed the initial march more than eight decades ago. Having an appreciation for historical education and fitness, Stearns saw the opportunity to bring the two together, taking inspiration from the official Bataan Memorial March in New Mexico.
“The official challenge is 26.2 miles in one day at the White Sands Missile Range,” said Stearns. “That is an enormous physical feat most people are not capable of completing, let alone even considering. I wanted to take their idea and change it up into more of an introduction to rucking that might draw someone who has considered this type of a physical challenge.”
For anyone interested in participating this year or getting into rucking in general, Stearns advises looking into how to wear a rucksack, how to disperse the weight inside and urges the use of proper footwear. For any not quite ready for the challenge but willing to make food donations, the Fitness Center’s lobby will act as a collection area for all non-perishable food items until Friday, March 15.
| Date Taken: | 03.12.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 03.12.2024 15:35 |
| Story ID: | 465998 |
| Location: | PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AIR RESERVE STATION, PA, US |
| Hometown: | PITTSBURGH, PA, US |
| Web Views: | 96 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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