Photo By John Hughel | A group of ROTC cadets from the University of Oregon works as a team together while...... read more read more
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Courtesy Story by U.S. Army Reserve Maj. Eric Haan, 364th Civil Affairs Brigade
In the pre-dawn darkness of a comfortably chilly autumn morning, 70 motivated Soldiers from nine Army units were making last-minute preparations at Bake Stewart Park, near Dorena, Oregon. They laced up their boots, had their rucksacks weighed, paused for a group picture at the starting line, and listened to instructions from Oregon Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Cooper, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the event. With a sunrise start time of 7:04 a.m., they were ready to embark on the American Legion-sponsored Norwegian Foot March along the Row River Trail.
Established by the Norwegian Army in 1915 during WWI, the Norwegian Foot March was created as a standard by which to test the ability of large numbers of Norwegian soldiers to move quickly with their essential gear and weapons over long distances and remain combat-ready at their objective. The 30 Kilometer (18.6-mile) long event entails participants fast marching, and even running, while packing an 11 Kilogram (24.3-pound) rucksack and wearing combat boots and a combat uniform.
This Norwegian Foot March took place on September 27, 2025, and was hosted by American Legion Calvin Funk Post #32 in Cottage Grove, Oregon. This event provided active-component Soldiers, Army National Guard members, Army Reservists, and Army ROTC cadets from Lane County and surrounding areas with the opportunity to participate in a Norwegian Embassy-approved NFM event and earn the NFM badge.
Since the Norwegian Embassy started approving NFMs without the previously required in-person oversight of Norwegian Army personnel, NFMs have become increasingly popular with American Soldiers and are the most accessible opportunity for most soldiers to earn a foreign military badge, which can be worn on the U.S. Army Service Uniform.
Oregon Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Seth Smith, of the Eugene Steelheads Army Recruiting Company, shared that his training didn’t go exactly as planned, but that didn’t stop him from crossing the finish line.
“Training is the key to success for rucking events like this. I wasn’t able to train as much as I should have, but still managed to complete it,” Smith said. “This NFM was an incredible experience that really tested my endurance from start to finish. I loved every moment of it and hope to do it again next year.”
Smith said he completed the full 18.6-mile route as a personal challenge. “I felt great for the first 14 miles, but after that, it became more of a mental battle than a physical one,” he admitted. “By the time I crossed the finish line, I was exhausted, but that sense of accomplishment made it all worth it.”
Despite the exhaustion, Smith said the event reminded him of the value of discipline and perseverance.
“It’s one of those experiences that humbles you but also motivates you,” he added. “Even when your body wants to quit, your mindset is moving forward.”
Army Reserve Maj. Eric Haan participated in his first NFM in June 2024 at Camp Rilea with his Army Reserve 364th Civil Affairs Brigade Headquarters, Headquarters Company, and was hooked. This year, the 13-year member and prior commander of Calvin Funk Post #32 proposed at the August meeting that they host an NFM on Row River Trail for members of his unit, local military personnel, and American Legion members.
Haan presented this as an opportunity to serve the current generation of military personnel and introduce the American Legion to potential members. The proposal was unanimously accepted. With approval from the Army Corps of Engineers to use Bake Stewart Park and the Bureau of Land Management to use Row River Trail, and assistance from the Oregon National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment, based in Springfield, the plan came together.
Among the 70 participants were Army ROTC cadets from both Oregon State University and the University of Oregon, who used the event to establish an early rhythm for the fall academic year. The military students made up over half of the participants, creating a spirited in-state rivalry between the Beaver and Duck cadets.
Gabriel Espinoza was one of the 36 OSU cadets who took part in the NFM. He had previously been part of the 11-cadet team, along with Cadet Boyd-Panguiton, that won the Brigade Ranger Challenge competition in 2024. His time for this event was 3 hours 21 minutes, which was 68 minutes under his 4 hours and 30 minutes criteria, and was the fastest time of the day.
“It was definitely tough. It was also a good time to do this with everybody from Oregon State…we’re like a big family,” Espinoza said, noting he didn’t have a set goal going into the event. “This was my first time, and to be completely honest, I kind of signed up and jumped into the event at the last minute with some persuasion from my teammates. Like (Cadet) Boyd, we take pride in ourselves for doing challenging stuff just like this.”
The out-and-back course began at Bake Stewart Park, at the south end of Dorena Reservoir. Competitors started out going 7.4 kilometers south (upstream) on the Row River Trail to the first turnaround point at the Culp Creek Trailhead, where the Army Guardsman volunteers from 2-162 recorded their times. The participants then headed 14.6 kilometers north to the Dorena Dam turnaround point, where their times were recorded again, before completing the final 8.0 kilometers back to Bake Stewart Park. The NFM requires at least three water stations along the route. Volunteers from the American Legion post and the Army National Guard manned seven points along the route where they handed out bottles of water and Gatorade while cheering on the marchers.
The Row River Trail was originally a logging railroad line, which was acquired by the Bureau of Land Management and converted to a bike trail in the 1990s. It parallels the northeast side of Dorena Reservoir and is surrounded by hills, small farms, and forest, making it an enjoyable scenic and flat route, which is ideal for a Norwegian Foot March. One of the unique features of the route is the discovery of authentic film locations marked by the Oregon Film Trail signs. At Culp Creek, a sign indicates the site of Buster Keaton's silent classic, The General. Also on the trail are additional filming locations from Emperor of the North Pole (1973) and Stand By Me (1986), along with Animal House (1978) in the downtown historic district of Cottage Grove, a block away from the start of the trail.
Additionally, the county boasts 20 covered bridges, 17 of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, making it the county with the most such bridges west of the Mississippi, revealing the state’s diverse splendor and culture.
While taking in the sights and leaving most of the competition in the distance, OSU Cadet Naomi Foster, a native of Boise, Idaho, was the first female competitor and finished third place overall with an impressive 3 hours and 35 minutes – a full 109 minutes under her 5 hours and 25 minute criteria for the 30-kilometer trek for age and gender standards. The sophomore, who was a multi-sport athlete in high school, used her experience in endurance sports to stay on pace early and then open up a lead.
“When I woke up this morning, I wasn’t sure how hard this might be, and I didn’t really have any expectations,” she said, attempting her first NFM. “I was with a group of people I normally train with, and we were out in front as we kept a jog going, but I ended up running pretty much the whole thing – kind of a ‘getter-done’ approach.”
Taking the team approach, a group of cadets from the University of Oregon marched and motivated each other for the entire route. Cadet Nicholas Walker, along with four other team members, finished in 4 hours and 25 minutes to earn the Norwegian Foot March Badge.
“Like a lot of us here today, we weren’t sure what to expect, but we worked together to keep each other moving…and we had some fun with it too, especially since we start classes in two days,” Walker said, now about to begin his third year as a business major.
He has already earned two distinguished U.S. military badges by completing Air Assault school in January of 2025 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and Airborne School this past June at Fort Benning, Georgia.
“The 12-mile ruck with a 35-pound pack at Air Assault School and the Norwegian Foot March are definitely mutually supportive. Being able to accomplish one will help with the other. Both make people realize what they are actually capable of if they have determination,” Walker said.
By the end of the morning, 54 of the 70 participants met the qualifying time standards to earn the Norwegian Foot March Badge. Most earned The Bronze Badge for a first successful completion, but nine earned The Silver Badge for a second successful completion. Even those who did not earn a badge still gained valuable rucking experience, and most are motivated to try again next year.
“Conducting this Norwegian Foot March with American Legion Post #32 and the 2-162nd volunteers, and the 70 participating soldiers, was a lot of fun and a great learning experience,” said Post Commander Mike Flint, a former Marine, and the officer in charge of this NFM. “We got a lot of positive feedback from the participants and the volunteers, learned valuable lessons, and we consider it a resounding success.”
At the post’s November meeting, members discussed how the event was conducted and unanimously voted an interest in conducting another NFM in September of next year, possibly turning this into an annual American Legion-sponsored event.
| Date Taken: | 10.01.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.17.2025 14:26 |
| Story ID: | 551401 |
| Location: | DORENA, OREGON, US |
| Web Views: | 39 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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