LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
The Lackland family will have the chance to participate in a nationwide running event Aug. 24 that honors our nation's fallen warriors.
At 7 a.m., a 5-mile run/walk will begin at the start/finish line located at the intersection of Connally and Walker streets. Participants are not limited to the 5-mile route.
T-shirts will be available at the Warhawk Gym for those who request one in advance.
Run for the Fallen began on June 14 when a group of dedicated runners started their journey to run across the country in honor of those who had given their lives during the Global War on Terrorism.
This group of runners has been running across the country and stopping at every mile to place a mark of remembrance. An American flag is planted in the ground, along with a personalized card to a specific fallen servicemember.
The team's goal is to run one mile for every servicemember killed while on duty trying to make our world a better place.
The final day of the event is Aug. 24. On this day, everyone has the chance to run in memory of someone who has died in the war.
Master Sgt. Chad Bickley from the 322nd Training Squadron, who is the powerhouse behind setting up this run for Lackland, expects a big turnout on Aug. 24.
"I knew that anytime you start talking about doing something in remembrance of (those) who have given their lives to this country, the military's going to go all out to support it; do what they can to make sure that the individuals that we're supporting are remembered right, and that we do the right thing to let them know that we'll never forget about them."
Sergeant Bickley will be running in memory of his friend, Staff Sgt. Travis Griffin. Sergeant Griffin was killed in Iraq. Sergeants Bickley and Griffin served together in the 820th Security Forces Group out of Moody AFB, Ga.
"This is a great opportunity to honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice - their lives - to this country," Sergeant Bickley states.
"I think everybody is looking forward to it. Not only are you running for yourself, but you're running with somebody's name on your chest, so I think that makes it even more special".
To register for a fallen troop, log onto
www.runforthefallen.org. For more information, call 671-3904.