35 LRS runs to remember POW’s/MIA’s

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Nathan Lipscomb
  • 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --  MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan - More than 190 airmen and some family members from the 35th Logistics Readiness Squadron here on Sept. 15 and 16, honored military prisoners of war and troops missing in action, by running the perimeter of the flightline for 24 hours.

Those participating in the event split into teams of up to ten people, pushing each other to complete the run as a team leaving no airman behind.

"The run was specifically about remembering the sacrifices of those past and present categorized as either POW/MIA but was really another way that we build a warrior ethos here in LRS," said Maj. Andrew Pate, 35 LRS commander. "It is about attitude and developing a warrior mind set, a will to fight no matter what the challenge and developing a will to never quit."

The 8.25 mile course may look like a piece of cake while driving around it in your car, but may surprise those who have not physically prepared to run it.

"It's a pretty brutal run if you're not used to it," said 2nd Lt. James Francis, 35 LRS. "But, remembering what POW's and MIA's have suffered, we were more than willing to suffer through minor pain and some blisters in order to honor them and their sacrifice."
While some ran the perimeter once others like Senior Master Sgt. Paul England, 35 LRS, decided to run the perimeter four times totaling 34.5 miles during the 24 hour POW/MIA run. This is something that he may not have considered less than one year ago.

"Back in December of last year I failed my PT [Physical Training] test and that's not the way a leader should lead," said England.

Disappointed with the failure, he started running the perimeter each week and invited his flight to join him in the morning jog. Since then he has lost 22 lbs. and scored his first 90 on a PT test.

"The whole goal of the run was to finish together and we did," said England. "I'm an old guy, Maj. Pate's 35 years old, our goal has been to show the younger guys that physical fitness is important. You never know when you'll be challenged beyond your limits and I think they get it. Fit to fight isn't just words on a projector screen here at the LRS."

It's that focus on physical and mental fitness that drove the squadron to not only run the perimeter for 24 hours, but to ensure its airmen are ready to deploy at all times.

According to Master Sgt. Marquis Travis, 35 LRS unit fitness program manager, the 35 LRS has developed a fitness program that combines aerobic and anaerobic workouts. The Program pushes members both physically and mentally; it's designed to strengthen mental toughness and teach everyone how to push through challenges.
Since December of last year when the new program began the average PT score in the squadron increased five points from 85 to 90.

This highly-deployable squadron has many airmen serving in positions that are regularly outside the wire in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

According to Maj. Pate, the physical and mental toughness developed at home station has better prepared his Airmen for the challenges they will face while deployed. Just as some may have doubted their ability to complete the 8.25 mile course, the mentality of the team being greater than the strength of any one individual enables all to finish.