A Run to Remember returns to Vandenberg

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Steve Bauer
  • 30th Space Wing Public Affairs
Team Vandenberg is scheduled to honor fallen servicemembers with the base's second A Run to Remember event since 2009 beginning at 6 a.m. Oct. 20 at the Vandenberg track.

The purpose of A Run to Remember is to honor all servicemembers who lost their lives in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn.

"I'm incredibly honored to be involved in this year's A Run to Remember," said 2nd Lt. Theron Berry, a 2nd Range Operations Squadron mission flight control officer. "The families I have met that have lost loved ones during Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom have made this event and its purpose extremely personal for me. I'm humbly looking forward to this opportunity to formally honor and remember our fallen heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation."

The event allows active-duty military members, civilians, contractors, retirees and anyone with base access to run or walk a mile for the fallen servicemembers.

"A Run to Remember is our way of honoring U.S. servicemembers who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving this great nation," said Capt. Andrew Ferguson, a 30th Security Forces Squadron logistics officer and the base's A Run to Remember event coordinator. "We honor them by remembering them. All of us have unfortunately been directly and (or) indirectly impacted by the deaths of more than 6,250 people. Many of us at Vandenberg and the local community have lost loved ones and (or) comrades. Regardless, it is our duty as Americans to honor the fallen. A Run to Remember unites all of us in remembrance."

Groups and individuals from Team Vandenberg and neighboring communities will run or walk in remembrance of the fallen servicemembers Monday through Friday for more than three weeks. The event will conclude during a closing ceremony Nov. 11.

"My committee has set a goal of honoring each of the fallen with at least one mile," said Ferguson. "I hope we surpass this goal, but we need people to participate. It's the least we can do. It's not so much about doing physical training as it is about devoting the time and energy to make a small sacrifice in honor of someone else. I want to facilitate the means for participants to honor and give thanks to those who have fallen, but are not forgotten."

Vandenberg personnel may sign up to participate with their unit's A Run to Remember points of contact or by simply showing up to the base track during the hours of operation. The hours of operation are as follows:

A Run to Remember hours of operation at the base track:
Oct. 20 - 21:  24-hour operations (6 a.m. to 6 a.m.)
Oct. 21 - Nov. 9:  (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Nov. 10 - 11:  24-hour operations (6 a.m. to 6 a.m.)
Nov. 11:  Closing ceremony (6 a.m.)

"Unit contacts can help to facilitate special requests to honor someone specific, or to conduct and dedicate a unit physical training session," said Ferguson.

For more information regarding the A Run to Remember event, call 2nd Lt. Theron Berry at 606-2773 or Capt. Andrew Ferguson at 606-0861.