Syracuse University Army ROTC Cadets' to Ruck Boston Marathon

[nousdefions]

On 15 April 2013, a group of Syracuse University Army ROTC cadets will ruck march the Boston Marathon again in order to help raise money for a non-profit organization. The team consists of MS I (Freshmen) through MS IV (Senior) cadets. Each cadet must prepare and qualify for the team. The cadets will complete several timed ruck marches with 35lbs or more from January to beginning of April. Distances trained will cover 4, 12, 15 and 20 miles. We hope to break last years time of 6.5 hours.

We are excited to take part in this event again and will be raising awareness and donations for the Green Beret Foundation. The Green Beret Foundation is a non-profit, 501(c) 3 foundation that provides financial resources, immediate need supplies, caregiver assistance, and educational scholarships to wounded or ill Army Special Forces warriors and their families. Thank you for your support!

Good on them!
Help them out at : https://www.firstgiving.com/fundrais...oston-Marathon

Back in the day, about 15 ROTC cadets (mostly freshman) in our Pershing Rifle Co took on JFK's Challenge (50 mile hike) and marched along the back roads of Oklahoma. We wore web gear and carried our state-of-art 8-1/2 pound M1903 Springfield rifles . We were the first group anywhere to do it carrying rifles. Training marches!!! We didn't do no stinking training marches, after all, those were the "good old days"!! It turned out we hiked more than 57 miles. We got a letter from the President.

[medic&commo]

Alright!
My alma mater. Go Orangemen.
ROTC - 1973.
m&c

[The Reaper]

Hope they are okay.

Prayers out.

TR

[Gypsy]

Same thought here, TR.

[ECUPirate09]

From Twitter:

GreenBeretFoundation ‏@GreenBeretFound
We got confirmation that all the Syracuse University Army ROTC folks that were rucking at the #BostonMarathon are safe and sound.

Thoughts with those less fortunate.

[orion5]

A little more detail...LINK


By Glenn Coin
updated April 15, 2013 at 7:25 PM

Syracuse, N.Y. -- A squad of Syracuse University ROTC cadets who marched the Boston Marathon with 40-pound backpacks are safe, the father of one of the cadets said.

Robert Hartwig, whose son, Jordan, is one of the cadets, said the group of about 10 cadets had finished the race at 1:15 p.m., more than an hour before the explosions. They were several blocks away eating when the explosions occurred, Hartwig said.

"We managed to get a text to (Jordan) 20 minutes after the bombing, and he said they were fine," Robert Hartwig said. "He said they couldn’t even hear it from where they were."

Hartwig said he hasn't heard from the group since then because cell phone service has been shut off in Boston.

Hartwig said that during the race he and his wife, Laura, had stood 50 to 100 feet away from where one of the explosions occurred. The Hartwigs left that area long before the explosions, he said.

Boston police said at least two explosions went off near the marathon finish line, killing two people and injuring two dozen more.

The Hartwigs are from Westchester County. Robert Hartwig is president of the Insurance Information Institute. Jordan Hartwig is a sophomore chemistry major at SU.

The group of about a dozen cadets were "ruck marching" the race with backpacks. They had been training since January, carrying packs of 35 pounds or more as they increased their distance from four to 20 miles.

The group raised $1,845 for the Green Beret Foundation.