Air Commando Ruckers finish strong

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jeff Parkinson
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  Sixteen Air Commandos finished a 450-mile ruck march at the air park here April 4.

The 3rd Annual Air Commando Ruck March began at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., which is home of the U.S. Special Operations Command.

Each step taken was to honor and remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, said Maj. Jared Brupbacher, 1st Special Operations Group standards and tactics.

"We do it first and foremost to memorialize our brothers and sisters we have lost over the years," said Brupbacher. "Since 9/11, we've lost 31 Air Commandos. And for us all being Air Commandos, it's very near and dear to our hearts that we do this to remember those individuals appropriately."

Walking 450 miles can take a toll on almost anyone, even some of these Air Commandos.

Master Sgt. John Trostle, AFSOC command functional manager, said he was about 70 miles into the ruck march when his knee gave out.

"I was a little disheartened because I wanted to keep rucking and pushing myself," Trostle said.

Despite the blistered feet and knee injury, it didn't stop the team from completing what they set out to do.

"You got a family of special operators here," said Staff Sgt. Joe Scobey, 18th Flight Test Squadron special mission aviator. "Unfortunately, I've been on missions where we lost our own guys, and this is a way we can honor them."

The ruckers said the support they received from the local community helped them significantly.

"We had great logistical support from fire departments letting us stay over-night, to getting police escorts through counties," said Brupbacher. "Also, locals from the communities meet up with us to show their support, and some even gave us cookies."