SFS claims top team at Dover Ruck March

  • Published
  • By Mark Wyatt
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
Four members of the Hanscom 66th Security Forces Squadron participated recently in a ruck march competition at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. The 15th Annual 436th Security Forces Ruck March held at the Dover Air Mobility Command Museum commemorated the Korean War Battle of Chosin Reservoir.

Capt. Phillip Zencey, Senior Master Sgt. Joseph Barden, Master Sgt. Jason Sawicki and Senior Airman Paul Cardona took home the distinction of 'top team' among the 41 competing teams, beating out a team that had won the previous three years.

"Attending any event that honors our nation's greatest generation is always a privilege," said Zencey, 66 SFS operations officer. "They sacrificed their lives so that we may live ours free. The pain felt during a ruck run serves as a small symbol of our gratitude and our commitment to carry on their tradition of service to the American people."

Members of each four-person team were required to carry a 30 pound rucksack for 6.2 miles. Medals were awarded to first, second and third place teams as well as a plaque to the overall fastest runner.

Organizers used the event to remember an important battle during the Korean War.

"The Battle of Chosin Reservoir was an incredible example of the American military's endurance under the harshest of circumstances and against overwhelming odds," said Sawicki, 66 SFS resources advisor. "Surrounded by the enemy, the 1st Marine Division and 31st Regimental Combat Team fought their way back to friendly lines for two weeks, enduring wave after wave of attacks from the People's Liberation Army and fighting through the blistering cold."

In the end, the Marines inflicted staggering casualties on the enemy, killing an estimated 35,000 enemy soldiers while sustaining only 836 deaths, Sawicki said.

Each year, the 436 SFS of Dover AFB hosts this ruck march to honor veterans who served during the Korean War.

To prepare for the event, 66 SFS personnel participated in training runs twice a week- training through some of the coldest temperatures of any base represented, the result of the team's northern proximity. Moreover, the team traveled the furthest distance; traveling permissive TDY at their own expense to participate.

"I really consider it a unit win," said Barden, who the team agreed was the driving force behind the team's competitive training and success. "From security forces supply who issued our gear, the 12 members who practiced and pushed our team, to the commander's support staff putting in extra hours to get our travel approvals processed quickly, I appreciate the support we received."

Barden went on to liken the success to the Air Force itself, saying "the win would not have been possible without all the work behind the scenes."

The team's youngest member said participating in the event was an enlightening experience. During the team's training, Cardona, a night shift worker, learned about the sacrifices made by those who fought in Chosin and the memorial ruck march took on a greater meaning for him.

"These events help ensure that our next generation of leaders understand the tradition of sacrifice that we are challenged to uphold," he said.