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JBSA News
NEWS | Sept. 17, 2014

37th TRW honors POW/MIAs with vigil, run

By Gloria Kwizera JBSA-Lackland Public Affairs

Members of the 37th Training Wing, along with other organizations here, will honor Americans held as Prisoners of War and those still missing in action Sept. 18-19 with the sixth annual POW/MIA 24-hour remembrance run.

The event, which coincides with National POW/MIA Recognition Day, begins at 8 a.m., Sept. 18 and continues for 24 hours, with participants continuously running while carrying a baton on one of seven JBSA-Lackland tracks.

The batons will be presented to families of POW/MIA members during an annual social at the JBSA-Lackland Gateway Club.

"It's just a small piece of sacrifice to pay tribute and honor the thousands of former prisoners of war and individuals still missing in action," said Lt. Col Chad Gallagher, 323rd Training Squadron commander and event organizer. "The way we look at it is that POW/MIA individuals indulged great hardship over the years that they were in captivity. There is a certain amount of pain and effort that goes with running for even 30 minutes for some, and in some cases for three hours."

Those not able to participate in the run can still be part of the event by purchasing commemorative T-shirts, which will be worn by the runners. The T-shirts are available for sale throughout JBSA with proceeds going to the National League of POW/MIA Families fund through the Combined Federal Campaign.

"For the last five years, we have raised between $15,000 and $25,000," said Gallagher. "Just to know that money is going to help those individuals and those families, our goal is to raise even more money than we did last year."

Individuals wishing to order shirts can contact the 323rd TRS at 323.appointments@us.af.mil.  

Continuing coverage of the run will be found online here, on the JBSA-Lackland Facebook page and in the Sept. 26 issue of the Lackland Talespinner.