USAF Marathon, Dayton OH

What an awesome USAF Marathon experience!! The weather at the start was a perfect 49 degrees. We had a B-2 Bomber flyover to start the race! If you have read my previous blogs on the marathons I have run I always include the funny costumes that people wear as they run. I only saw a few this race. A bumble bee...she really dressed the part. A ballerina...she dressed the part as well, just with running shoes...LOL. The race was well organized and the volunteers were outstanding! I am not just saying that because it was my services’ marathon. The water stations had plenty of water and Gatorade.

This race was also a bit unique as I traveled from Washington DC to Dayton Ohio on Friday for a Saturday race. I also had 3 other friends race as well. For two of them, it was their first marathon and for the other it was his third. I traveled with one of the guys and we arrived late in the afternoon Friday. The expo was excellent, a lot of vendors and spread-out. It was held at the Nutter Center (The basketball stadium for Wright-State University). After getting my BIB and some extras we headed to Fazzlios for our pasta dinner. After dinner it was hotel room bound to prepare. One of the guys (Josh) was not due to arrive in Dayton until 11pm so I picked up his BIB. Josh is an 18 yr old that is good friends with my son Hunter and was traveling from Oklahoma via a Greyhound bus…yep 30 hours in a bus! Hunter my son unfortunately could not make the run due to college commitments.

Now to the race, it started at 7:30 am. I was up at 5 am to eat as I always am. I had oatmeal, English muffin with Peanut Butter and pickle juice...my routine. I made sure I had my energy gels (Jello type), music and headphones before heading out. It took us about 20 mins to get to the base and park. Not too bad considering the amount of people. Again, let me say it was well organized. We had to walk for a bit to the starting line area. First stop for me...yep the porta-john (pre-race ritual). The four of us meet up again at the corral locations, took a picture and Josh and I headed for the 4 hr pace group. Right before the start we had a B-2 flyover...AWESOME!! Then the horn sounded and we were off. I really liked how the USAF split up the full and half-marathon runners. We started at 7:30 am and the half started at 8:30 am. This made the start much smoother and less crowded. Normally I have to run conservatively at the beginning with so many people around. This time I started out on the right stride.

In the first 2 miles I encountered a 300ft hill incline. I knew it was coming early in the race, so my strategy was to go slow and save the energy for later in the race. With the 2 miles behind me, I quickly got on pace. The next 7 miles moved quickly and before I knew it I was at Mile 10. Mile 10 took us through downtown Fairborn. It was good to see the downtown area again and everyone cheering us on. Back in the late 90’s we were stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB, so I was in familiar territory. One place I was specifically looking for and found was the Halloween store Foys. It is a popular store year round with famous Halloween props from Hollywood Motion Picture’s.

Soon enough we reached Mile 13...half-way home. I mentioned to Josh that we were making really good time and we both felt like we were in cruise-control! We crossed the half-way marker at 1:53. Mile 13-20 went quickly, keeping pace. At Mile 20 Josh had to slow down and walk but I kept going. I was very PROUD of him for keeping up through 20 miles. His personal best before this race was a 4:45 (He finished in 4:23). Then, at mile 22 it happened...I tried all day to go without having to stop at a porta john. Although making it to mile 22 without having to stop to relieve myself was good. I had never gone that far before mother natural called. It was a welcomed pit-stop LOL. Back on the race track I go. At mile 24 things started going downhill a bit for me. I felt my legs getting heavier and I actually walked for a bit. As I picked back up running, I noticed in front of me a woman wearing a pink shirt with “Running for Amy” on the back. As I ran up beside her I asked her about Amy and she said she had breast cancer. It reminded me of the 7 women I ran in honor of back in April 2012. What a horrible disease...CURE PLEASE!

As I reached the last 1000 meters, to my horror the 4:00 pacer had caught up with me UGH! She went by me like I was walking. I remember telling myself...COME ON, really!!?? Get it in gear and let’s push to the finish. If I finish in front of her or even close I will break the 4 hr mark (I came across the start line 1:10 after the official start). Well the mind says one thing but the legs and body said something completely different. Yes, the body let me finish so I should be happy with that right? LOL.

Two personal bests for me, Overall 4:00 and Half-Way point: 1:53.

Big shoutout to Jonathan Miller and Joe Deporter for completing their 1st Marathons! You guys did awesome! Congrats!

September 11, 2001….A Service Member Perspective

Where were you on that faithful morning? I was in the Deployment Control Center at Barksdale AFB in Louisiana. We had just kicked off one of our yearly military deployment exercises. We were rolling along and my transportation officer came into the control center and told me an airplane had hit one of the Twin Towers. My first reaction was…oh a “Little Cessna”; it might have been cloudy at the higher floors. Soon after he came back into the center and told me; Hey, we have two now! At that point we turned on the TV and saw what was happening. We were all in shock. I had all kinds of emotions running through my mind. I soon received a phone call from my Wing Commander (Big boss on the base) telling me he was on his way down to the Center to see me…we need to have a discussion. He arrived and of course we stopped the Exercise and went into a Real World situation. The base was in lockdown and we were monitoring everything. Then the call came in that the President was on his way….WOW!!  If the attacks were not enough, now the President was arriving. All of this before NOON--Thus changing my military career forever. We had an enemy that attacked us on the home land. Anger was at the top of the list for all of the military. We were all ready to get on a plane and come face to face with the enemy.   I could not call my wife immediately and once I could, the only thing I could tell her was I was safe and not sure when I would be home. Deployment was certainly a possibility. I remember thinking…am I ready? Imagine if you could only call and tell your spouse/significant other you were leaving for an undetermined amount of time? That is what happens with our Special Operations military members every day. They go into work each morning not sure if they will deploy or not. 

We all paused (or did we……that is a different blog posting) on September 11^th 2012 to remember the attacks. TV stations played the entire morning over again. Was that really necessary? Showing the Memorials and the respect I thought was the more honorable thing to do. During the day I reflected on changed lives. Not just the families that lost loved ones, but the military members that have been called to the fight the last 11 years. Those that went to Afghanistan and later Iraq who did not return or returned completely changed either mentally or physically. My family certainly changed. I was now a military member of a country at WAR. My family now had a father/son/nephew/grandson serving in a WAR. Now, let me take you to what my eyes have seen and my ears have heard these last 11 years.

As many of you know, one of my responsibilities is deploying forces to locations worldwide. I have seen my fair share of Airmen leaving for the fight through the years. I have processed them through deployment readiness lines, watched them step on the plane, turn and look at their family member (s). They stand tall and proud, but at the same time with a look of sadness. I then look out at the spouse and child they are leaving behind. Both have tears streaming down their face. I hear a faint “I Love You” shouted out for the family member to hear (Not knowing if it is the last time). The wife/husband who is now responsible for everything at home, their mate has left for months. The child in her/his arms waving with tears…DADDY or MOMMY is leaving. For the younger ones, they could not completely comprehend the situation. In the early stages of the deployments we were not sure how long they would be gone. Could be a couple of months or maybe a year, depending on what the requirement was. The celebration of the homecoming is a delight. I have seen over and over again men and women returning to open arms, smiles, tears of joy and children just running into their parents arms. That is the happy times.     

My first turn at deploying was in February of 2005. I was going to Afghanistan. My turn at the good bys. My turn to see the tears. My turn to stand tall. My turn to wave and blow the kiss. My turn to say “I Love You”.  I would do it again in April of 2007 (I had a month of combat training before going to Iraq) But, I do it proudly for our country. I have been blessed.

My Afghanistan deployment brought sights of joy and devastation. Joy was the times I would pack a C-17 full of Army soldiers, heading home from a year deployment. They were so excited to be able to see their families again. Some had been in Afghanistan multiple times already. Some had children that were going to kindergarten but had not enjoyed the embrace of their father or mother for 3 or less of those years. I saw the soldiers getting off the same C-17 for their year stay. Proud and standing tall, ready for what was ahead. Devastation was the sight of caskets with American Flag’s draped over them. In one incident we had an entire C-17 lined with them. You can now see what I saw. There was an honored and dignified ceremony as we lifted and walked them into the plane, gently placing them in place for their final flight home. We did this several times during my deployment just not to this number. They PROUDLY served and defended OUR FREEDOM.

My Iraq deployment brought again sights of joy and devastation. Joy was the hard work we were doing to repair and start new Electrical Grids that provided up to 8 hours of electricity for the Iraqi people, when they were getting much less. The establishment of Sewer Treatment Plants for cleaner water.  We provided huge supply routes to get supplies to many locations throughout the country. Devastation was the rocket attacks we were hit with both day and night. I heard them coming in and the crackle of the explosions. The day and night arrival of medical helicopters at the combat hospital on base….when they came in we knew what was arriving and when they left we knew what the cargo was going to be. Through it all we Stood Proud, knowing the good we were doing even though it was being portrayed in a different way through the media.

Yes, serving in the military is a sacrifice and I PROUDLY accept the way of life!

This is just a small snap shot through my eyes of the last 11 years. I could go on but I think you know what sacrifices and what the PROUD Men and Women of the Armed Forces have done and are currently doing for this great Nation.

Shall WE Never Forget!