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Blackanthem Military News
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Last Updated:
May 22, 2012 - 5:37:21 PM |
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Blackanthem Military News
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| Staff Sgt. Randal Gifford and Spc. Michael Fulton pose with their award for Best time (2nd place) for the two-man team. |
CAMP BUEHRING, KUWAIT - On April 17, 2011, the Camp Buehring MWR held its annual 26.2 mile marathon. The race was opened to all Branches of the service, and to the Department of Defense civilians. The day started early for the fifty participants who, after registering, stretched and got ready for the run. The marathon route was four laps around the camp, and runners participated individually or in teams of two or four.
The 452nd Ordnance Company's two-man team consisted of Staff Sgt. Randal Gifford and Spc. Michael Fulton. 1Lt. Dala McNew, Staff Sgt. Michael Post, and Sgt. Keith Tate also participated in the event. "This is my first marathon, and I hope to complete the whole event," stated McNew, commander of the 452nd Ordnance Company. McNew shared that she prepared for this marathon by running different distances weekly and by reading about how professional runners prepare themselves for these types of events.
Running a 26.2 mile race in the Kuwaiti desert is an extraneous task even for avid runners. To combat the potentially extreme heat, the race began at 4:30 a.m.Six checkpoints were set up along the route offering water, energy drinks, and non-alcoholic beer to participants. Each water point was run by volunteers whom were competing for the "Runner's Choice Award for Best Water Station." 452nd was in charge of water point five. 452nd water point theme was "Red, White and You." Soldiers were dressed in costumes and helped runners stay motivated by cheering and encouraging them to continue running. Chief Warrant Officer 4 Paul Campbell, Ammunition Supply Point officer in charge, was responsible for water point five. He started that he starting preparing for this event months in advance when he had the idea of hanging a 20 by 30 foot American flag to make their water point visible from a distance. "The flag was purchased for one dollar from Embassy Flags, a company who always supports veterans," stated Campbell. All volunteers were extremely motivated and did not mind the long hours they had to dedicate to set up, operate, and brake down of the water point. Campbell said all Soldiers did their part in the event; some ran, some took care of the costumes, and others volunteered to be part of the cleanup crew. "You can't beat Superman", said Spc. Michael Homan, who was dressed in a Superman costume while offering water to the runners.
Overall, it was a successful day for the 452nd Soldiers who took home two awards. Their two-man team took 2nd place with an overall time of 3:38:48. McNew mentioned t running a marathon was in her to-do-list, and now she can say that she ran a marathon in the middle of the desert while deployed. Post said he ran the marathon for his grandson, along with his sister whom passed away due to cancer in 2006. Water point five received the "Runner's Choice Award for Best Water Station" by unanimous vote from the runners who voted at the end of the event. The water station victory is not the first for the 452nd. In the half marathon on February 12, 2011, they took 1st place with the theme, "Da Bomb Water."
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