Photo By Tish Williamson | Nearly 400 military and Civilian employees from across the Mission and Installation...... read more read more
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas — Nearly 400 military and Civilian employees from across the Mission and Installation Contracting Command logged hundreds of millions collective steps during the second-annual Golden Sneaker Strong Teams Challenge, promoting wellness, readiness and teamwork while celebrating the Army’s 251st birthday.
The 13-week wellness challenge, open from March 16 to June 14, encouraged five-person teams to collectively walk 251,000 steps each week, aligned with the Army’s yearlong celebration of 251 years of service to the nation.
The challenge expanded significantly from its inaugural year in 2025, when 366 participants on 65 teams representing 30 MICC locations logged more than 13,121 miles while striving to reach a collective goal of 12,500 miles in honor of the Army’s 250th birthday.
This year, more than 80 teams participated and collectively logged more than 228 million steps — equivalent to more than 100,000 miles walked and more than seven times the distance recorded during the inaugural challenge.
MICC Command Sgt. Maj. JennyAnne Bright assumed responsibility as the command sergeant major in December 2024. She initiated the MICC-wide walking challenge as a https://youtu.be/v1idlzyK16s?si=3k64UahAZcs7hKzu and said the event continues to strengthen the command while promoting healthy lifestyles and team cohesion.
“More than 222 million steps is an incredible achievement and a testament to the determination and teamwork found throughout the MICC,” Bright said. “Every participant contributed to something bigger than themselves, and together we created a culture of accountability, encouragement and wellness. I am excited to see how far we can go next year when even more teammates join the challenge and every step is counted.”
In addition to promoting wellness, the challenge recognized top performers across the command. The top individual and top team earn the coveted Golden Sneaker awards, while the organization with the highest cumulative total receives a certificate of achievement from the MICC command team.
The MICC Command Team, Brig. Gen. Freddy Adams, Clay Cole and Bright announced the top three steppers in each category during a https://youtu.be/RXCHsPvjegY?is=kD-yQKKAgaOZRVKc. They will also formally present the awards in San Antonio during the 2026 MICC Senior Contracting Officer and Directors Acquisition Training, or SDAT event in August.
THE FIRST-PLACE UNIT. Civilian employees assigned to MICC-Fort Knox, led by Director Lucy Vessels, earned top organizational honors with more than 28 million cumulative steps and will receive a certificate of accomplishment from the MICC command team.
“Our team showed extraordinary dedication during the walking competition, pushing ourselves with purpose and pride to surpass an incredible 28 million steps,” Vessels said. “Every team member contributed to this milestone, demonstrating commitment, consistency, and true team spirit. When they are given a challenge, they face it head on and work as a unit to exceed expectations.”
THE FIRST-PLACE TEAM. Lemon Pepper Steppers, consisting of five Department of the Army Civilians from MICC-Fort Eustis, secured the first-place overall team by logging more than 8.5 million steps to earn the MICC Golden Sneaker Team Award and a certificate of accomplishment. Team members included Curtis Arthur, Jennifer Baker, David Clark, Lindsey Nicolai and Jasmin Vitela. Arthur, Baker and Clark were also in the top 10 overall for all individual steppers in the competition.
“The Lemon Pepper Steppers proved that success isn’t reserved for those with extra hours in the day,” Baker said. “It belongs to those who remain committed, adaptable, and willing to support one another through life’s competing priorities. This victory stands as a celebration of teamwork, perseverance, and the belief that every step forward matters.”
THE FIRST-PLACE INDIVIDUAL. Galina Halterman, contract specialist at MICC-Fort Knox, the winning unit, earned the first-place MICC Golden Sneaker Individual Award after logging more than 3.4 million steps during the challenge. Her team of five, West is Best, finished second overall. Halterman, who was a member of the U.S. Navy Reserve for 22 years and has served at MICC-Fort Knox for more than nine years, also said consistency was the key to her success.
“I tracked every step through my fitness tracker and made walking a consistent part of my routine during work breaks, lunch hours, after work and on weekends,” Halterman said. “I also challenged myself by participating in the Kentucky Derby Festival MiniMarathon and the Fort Knox Nacho Average 5K. Having goals to work toward kept me motivated throughout the competition.”
Bright said the challenge continues to prove that wellness initiatives can improve readiness while strengthening relationships and overall camaraderie across the command.
“The millions of steps logged throughout this challenge reflect the strength, resilience and endurance that have defined our Army for 251 years,” Bright said.
“The growth of this event from one year to the next demonstrates what can happen when teammates encourage one another and commit to a common goal. When we invest in our health, support our teammates and challenge ourselves to improve, we strengthen each other, our readiness and our ability to accomplish the mission.”
By highlighting top achievers, Bright hopes to encourage anyone who did not join the challenge or did not meet their personal goals to step up their participation during next year’s challenge.
“The Golden Sneaker Strong Teams Challenge is designed to improve readiness, endurance and resiliency while fostering camaraderie across the MICC enterprise,” Bright said. “This challenge reinforces the command and the Army’s commitment to building healthy, resilient, strong teams capable of delivering innovative and timely contracting solutions in support of Soldiers and mission partners worldwide.”
Headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, the Mission and Installation Contracting Command consists of approximately 1,500 military and Civilian professionals responsible for contracting goods and services in support of Soldiers worldwide while preparing trained contracting units for operational and contingency missions.
Below is the full top 10 list in order of the steps they logged:
TOP 10 INDIVIDUAL STEPPERS: Galina Halterman (3,386,559) Maj. Dallas Abrams (3,095,720) Curtis Arthur (2,065,962) Leslie Marshall (2,039,676) Jennifer Baker (2,010,163) Bruce Graler (2,002,601) Sgt. 1st Class Kristoffer Poe (1,893,704) Charles Neuman (1,853,321) David Clark (1,847,475) Brandy Royer (1,720,130)
TOP 10 TEAMS: Lemon Pepper Steppers (8,510,707) West is the Best (7,132,890) FAR from Good (6,504,893) The SALTY's (6,405,374) Unauthorized Cardio (5,749,139) Ft. Bliss MICC/919th CBn (5,495,794) Team FAR Striders (5,358,787) Campbell - Road Walkers (4,868,661) Walkers Texas Rangers (4,864,072) Go Getters (4,828,964)
TOP 10 UNITS MICC-Fort Knox (28,276,335) 918th CBn MICC-Fort Carson (22,001,676) MICC Headquarters (20,272,356) 901st CBn MICC-Fort Hood (18,596,055) 900th CBn MICC-Fort Bragg (17,104,941) MICC-Fort Eustis (12,628,994) 922nd CBn MICC-Fort Campbell (11,316,945) MICC-Joint Base Lewis McChord (11,244,002) 923rd CBN MICC-Fort Riley (9,907,610) 904th CBN MICC-Fort Stewart (9,252,230)
Visit army.mil/micc to learn more about the Mission and Installation Contracting Command and future initiatives.
| Date Taken: | 06.17.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.17.2026 17:28 |
| Story ID: | 568077 |
| Location: | FORT SAM HOUSTON, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, MICC workforce logs more than 200 million steps during second annual Golden Sneaker Challenge, by Tish Williamson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
