Deployed soldiers join family members in marathon

Photo By Master Sgt. Thomas Duval | Soldiers from the 25th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, gather on Kandahar Airfield for a group photo before completing their own version of the Fairbanks Equinox marathon. The 1/25 SBCT soldiers are currently deployed to Kandahar Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom 2011-12.  

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, AFGHANISTAN

09.17.2011

Story by Sgt. Thomas Duval  

1st Brigade, 11th Airborne Division

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan — On a clear and slightly chilled Sept. 17 morning, the wives of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division gathered at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, to run the Fairbanks Equinox marathon, known to many as one of the toughest races in North America. The equinox marathon is an annual event in Alaska that takes runners up a 2,000 feet climb to the top of Alaska’s Ester Dome.

“Our hats are off to those wonderful ladies back home and we hope that our shared efforts helped bring us together half a world away,” said Lt. Col. John McMurray, commander 25th Brigade Support Battalion, 1/25 SBCT.

Half way around the world, and in a much more extreme climate, the deployed "Arctic Wolves" soldiers came together on Kandahar Airfield to run in their own version of the marathon.

McMurray said that although the Kandahar run may not have matched the Fairbanks run for difficulty, the soldiers came out with unmatched enthusiasm and support for a worthy cause.

For the Fort Wainwright Army wives the run was another way for them to show their support for their husbands currently serving a year-long deployment in Afghanistan.

On the other side of the globe, the Alaska-based soldiers used the run to build Esprit de corps in addition to supporting their hard working and dedicated wives.

"It was really quite nice to see the whole battalion turn out in support. We recaptured a sense of esprit-de-corps that sometimes gets lost in the routine of day-to-day operations," said Capt. Travis Neddersen, commander headquarters and headquarters company, 25th BSB.

• Date Taken: 09.17.2011
• Date Posted: 10.05.2011 06:08
• Story ID: 78035
• Location: KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, AF