Veteran of four wars, four enlistments, four branches: Air Force, Army, Army Reserve, Army National Guard. I am both an AF (Air Force) veteran and as Veteran AF (As Fuck)
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Up Even Earlier!
Today I got up earlier than usual. Not by much. I got up at 3:48 a.m. instead of 4:07 a.m. But in the sad world of Zero-Dark-30, every minute counts. Today I was on the duty desk for 4:30 to 6:30 a.m. Some of my classmates were jealous. Being on duty on weekday mornings means you are not doing fitness training.
So while they did pushups, situps, pullups and the other morning exercises, I was checking my email and checking ID cards of everyone who went in and out of the building.
I am way behind on email so the time was kind of nice. We are not allowed to have any personal items on the desk, especially personal electronics, but I can check email on the Army computer.
At 6:30 a.m. I was released to go to class--which starts at 7:55 a.m. I went straight to the chow hall. Although the food here is not as lavish as the food in Iraq, breakfast is by far the best meal. Every morning the cook who makes the eggs, Anna, sees me and makes an omelet with ham, cheese and green peppers. Depending on the day, I get either a biscuit and bacon or a biscuit and sausage gravy. Sometimes home fries, sometimes grits, French toast when they have it, juice and coffee.
And for the environmental folks who read this, like my wife, we eat with metal silverware on plates and trays with cups and mugs. Everything gets washed, not tossed.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Weakly Working the Weekly Publishing Schedule
In 1979 I was a staff writer for the Wiesbaden Post newspaper, published by the Wiesbaden Military Community in Germany. In that era every base and fort had a weekly newspaper which went to press on Wednesday and had a publication date of Thursday.
The following two years I worked for the Elizabethtown (Pa.) Chronicle also a weekly newspaper that was published every Thursday.
Today, the Post, the Chronicle and many other weekly newspapers have disappeared, replaced by web sites. As late as the military is to all electronic and social media, base newspapers are disappearing faster than ice cubes in Algeria, but we are writing our news leads holding to the weekly publication calendar. As a teaching aid, I can understand it because it is a small puzzle to solve, and some of us may go to the half-dozen posts that still publish a weekly.
But it is strange to have this weekly calendar back in my head so long after I used it in as part of my daily work.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Weekend Off: Day 2
Today was a real day off. I was one of more than a thousand cyclists who rode 100 kilometers and around Lancaster County, Pa. Originally, my wife and I were supposed to be part of a group of math professors from here department doing the ride. One professor was injured, her husband stayed home with her, so our group was us.
We rode a steady pace of just over 16 mph and finished the ride close to noon. We rode to and from the event so the total ride for the day was 76 miles, a new distance record for my wife.
When we were two miles from home, Annalisa said "Let's run three miles when we get back." At first I said no way, but I knew she was right, we need to practice transitions. So when we got home, I changed clothes, she just changed shoes, and we ran. We only ran two miles, mostly because I was so sore.
After the run, I did one more load of laundry and headed back to school.
We rode a steady pace of just over 16 mph and finished the ride close to noon. We rode to and from the event so the total ride for the day was 76 miles, a new distance record for my wife.
When we were two miles from home, Annalisa said "Let's run three miles when we get back." At first I said no way, but I knew she was right, we need to practice transitions. So when we got home, I changed clothes, she just changed shoes, and we ran. We only ran two miles, mostly because I was so sore.
After the run, I did one more load of laundry and headed back to school.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Weekend Off: National Guard Style
I went home this weekend and had two very different days. Today, I took two of my kids and drove to Philadelphia. They saw the Liberty Bell, ate at the Bourse food court, and played on computers in my office. I stayed at my desk and caught up on work I did not finish before I left to play Army.
National Guard soldiers with civilian jobs in management get stretched trying to fulfill their obligations to their work and their unit, not to mention family and the rest of their lives. So a day off from the Army meant an afternoon at work for this soldier.
At the end of the day, I got a lot of work done and my kids were full of greasy food. Everbody wins!
Friday, August 16, 2013
Real Fitness Training at School
Not at the Defense Information School. We are up every day at 4 a.m. and do an hour of PT from 5 to 6 a.m. In that hour this week I have run 7 miles, done 240 pushups, 220 situps and five pullups in addition to the dozens of other exercises I don't keep track of.
As you would expect, I ride everywhere, so I also rode 105 miles, much of it one mile at a time on the single speed bike. I managed to get to the pool for three workouts. Twice I swam a kilometer, once a quarter mile.
This weekend I won't be exercising at all on Saturday and riding about 70 miles on Sunday. And at this school, I will not be complaining about a lack of exercise.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Not My Job
When I went through job training as an armor (M60A1 tank) crewman, the drill sergeants who were responsible for our daily life also taught our classes. When we did fitness training, a tank commander was in front of us. When we learned how to align the sights of our 105mm cannon, it was a drill sergeant who was also an armor crewman who taught the class.
With academic courses like DINFOS, the cadre who are in charge of housing, food, fitness training and our lives outside the class are different than the instructors inside the class. If there is anything that will keep me from succeeding in a journalism course, it will be lack of sleep. We get up at 4 a.m. every day. We are in class from 7:55 a.m. to 4 p.m. We have a formation at 4:30 p.m., then we do homework until we go to bed.
Our instructors at the school made clear they have no influence on the detachment that is in charge of the rest of the schedule--and reminded us we better not fall asleep in class. They teach us, the detachment trains us. Neither group can tell the other what to do. And they don't.
So we struggle to stay awake in class, stay up late to finish our homework, and roll out of bed at 4 a.m. for fitness training. Both the detachment and the school say "Time management is the key to success." They are right. But it is clear that the two groups work independently. Could more students succeed if the detachment and the school worked together? We'll never know.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
My Army, My Military
Our group of 27 soldiers got divided into three classes on Monday. I am in a group of eight: two airmen, a Marine and five soldiers.
[NOTE: Marine is always capitalized. You can look up the fact in the AP Style Guide. You can look up the reason on line if you are curious.]
During the first class we had an "ice-breaker" exercise. During that exercise, I knew I was in the the part of the Army where I belong.
We each took a Post-It poster-size sheet, stuck it on the wall, and divided it in fours quadrants: Bio, Likes, Dislikes, Goals
Our class student leader is Ben. Here is some of his answers:
LIKES:
[NOTE: Marine is always capitalized. You can look up the fact in the AP Style Guide. You can look up the reason on line if you are curious.]
During the first class we had an "ice-breaker" exercise. During that exercise, I knew I was in the the part of the Army where I belong.
We each took a Post-It poster-size sheet, stuck it on the wall, and divided it in fours quadrants: Bio, Likes, Dislikes, Goals
Our class student leader is Ben. Here is some of his answers:
LIKES:
Norrin Radd
Clubber Lang
Vita Sackville West
The Saturn myth
DISLIKES:
Fox News
The Lord of the Rings movies
Crossfit (as religion)
Ideology, particularly American pragmatism
Wynton Marsalis as representing all of Jazz
BIO:
31
from Connecticut
Grad student at Trinity College
GOALS:
fulfilling employment
personal writing
learning to play the upright bass or speak a new languauge
develop more capacity empathy
Ben is a tall quiet staff sergeant who lifts weights and is a very fast runner.
I like being in the Army, but I like it a lot more in a room of soldiers like Ben.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Good at Grammar After All--and Learning More
It's official. I got the highest grade on the grammar test in my class at DINFOS. I got 93 of 100 right on the grammar test. Next best grade was 90. And I will be even better soon because we are spending the next week or so reviewing grammar. Tonight's homework is looking up 33 grammatical points in the AP Stylebook and then editing several press releases.
It's after 9 p.m., I have less than a third of my homework done and I have to get up at 0400 hours.
More later.
Monday, August 12, 2013
First Day of School--and a Bonus Class!!!
Today was the first day of school in our basic journalism course. As promised we began with the 100-question grammar test. We took the test online, so we thought that we would get the results immediately. Wrong. It turns out that the Army has to have paper for nearly everything so this online test is graded on paper at a different location. Even the parts of the Army that are automated often really have a "sneaker net" behind the automation.
Before and after the tests we were told that we must score at least 70 or we would be required to take a remedial grammar class. It turns out this requirement is not ironclad, at least not for guard and reserve soldiers. But after the test most of us were waiting rather nervously for the results to see if we would continue in the course or start over again later after two or three weeks of grammar class.
Since this is a military school we listened to introductory lectures for the rest of the day. Several of them were welcome lectures by senior staff members who reminded us in various ways that we must attend class and obey all the rules. In the middle of the fourth or fifth of these lectures one of the instructors came in the class, read several names, and told those people to go to the hallway and bring their gear. They were headed for the remedial class. We won't see them again.
At the end of the day, we signed out and met in front of the building to get a short writing assignment from our class leader, due at 10pm tonight. We started to walk toward chow when one of the sergeants from the cadre said we had to sign back into the building. In 10 minutes the First Sergeant is going to teach a class in treating and identifying cold-weather injuries!
Really!
To be fair, we also heard about heat injuries, but that was only the last 10 minutes of the next hour. For forty minutes we learned how to identify frostbite, trench foot, chill blains and administer first aid for these and other injuries. The high temperature today was 87 degrees in case you were wondering.
After eight hours of tests and lectures in school, it was quite a challenge to sit in a windowless room for an Army Powerpoint presentation on cold weather injuries.
Hooah!!
Sunday, August 11, 2013
My School Barracks--NOT!!!!
Before I arrived at school, I heard from several people the barracks would be really nice. At summer camp this year, I thought the barracks was exceptional. I had almost 40 roommates, but we had air conditioning.
The junior officers and senior NCOs had their own rooms--with AC. I was happy for my roommates.
At Basic Journalism School, I heard we would have our own rooms, sharing a bathroom with one other guy. But when we got here, they did not have enough room for all of us. I had a moment of wondering if I would get a two-man room, a four-man room? Neither.
They took us to a IHG Hotel (Holiday Inn) office on post. The guard and reserve sergeants and specialists got rooms in one of the IHG buildings on post. This is nice! We have our own TV, microwave, refrigerator, and coffee pot! We have our own bathroom!
I am sitting at the desk next to the bed, drinking tea I made in the microwave. Waking up at 0400 every day won't be much fun, but so far everything else is great.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Two Terrifying Tests--Today and Monday
At dinner yesterday, most of the talk was about to the terrifying tests. We took one test this morning. We will take the second test Monday morning.
This morning's test is called height and weight. We line up in our PT uniforms, take off our shoes, step up on the scale and get weighed and measured. That height and weight measurement is compared with the chart. "Making height and weight" as it is called means you weigh less than the chart allows for your height. If you don't make height and weight you could be sent home. In most cases the soldiers who are just a few pounds overweight are allowed to stay because we do so much PT it is likely they will pass the next time. We take a fitness test followed by height and weight at the end of every month.
The height measurement put me at 71 inches and 186 pounds. My scale at home says 183 and my less calibrated tape measure says 72 inches. But even though the Army thinks I am shorter and fatter than I am at home I still was within the standard. At my advanced age I am allowed to weigh up to 197 pounds at 71 inches tall.
On Monday we take a grammar test. Soldiers who don't pass this test do not get sent home; they actually spend more time here. If you fail this test, the school puts you in a two-week, intensive, remedial grammar program and you start regular classes two weeks later. As with height and weight, I'm pretty sure I will do okay on this test, but most editors I have worked with would wish I was put in the remedial grammar program.
I just finished lunch with my classmates. Now I'm headed home for about 24 hours. I'll have to return tomorrow afternoon. I am bringing back three more bikes. I already have one of my racing bikes here. And I'm going to bring the others to loan to soldiers who flew here from far away and have no transportation. It really is a great group of soldiers that I'm in. I hope they all pass the grammar test and we stay together.
This morning when we were waiting for height and weight one of the students who has been here a month and a half told us when their group took the grammar tests all of the Army people passed, but six Marines and two Airmen failed. I am going to hope that all the soldiers pass and it is Navy, Marines, and Airmen who fail.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Hurry Up and Waaaaaait
Yesterday we reported to the orderly room to complete in
processing paperwork at 0845 hours. And
waited. At 0930 hours one of the cadre
sergeants started our initial briefing.
He said he did not want us to hurry up and wait. Then he had to go to a staff meeting. He said he would be back in 30 minutes.
At 1215 hours one of the sergeants in the student group
said, “I’m making a command decision.
Time to go to chow.” We went to
chow, ate quickly and returned to the waiting area. At 1315 hours, the sergeant who left us in
the morning came back and said he had not had lunch yet and was going to
eat. He told us to go in process at
dental and medical and return at 1500 hours for finance and administrative
paperwork.
Most of us were rejected at medical because our orders were
not yet in the system. We tried to fix
this by going to the ID Card section, but the line was so long we could not get
the paperwork fixed and get back at 1500 hours.
So we left.
At 1500 hours we waited again then got our administrative
paperwork completed.
This morning several of us went back to the ID Card
building. We are getting a lot of the
paperwork done. In fact we may get the
paperwork completed this morning.
I am writing this partly to help me stay awake. We were up again at 0400 hours and will be up
every day at that time until we graduate.
This morning’s PT hour was warm-up exercises followed by a 2.25-mile run
then stretching. After the first
quarter-mile, the run was self paced. I
finished about 15th out of the 52 soldiers who ran. Another 20 or so left the formation because
they had medical profiles that excuse them from running.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
In Processing, Hurry Up and Wait
It's 8:15 AM. In
processing my new unit begins 30 minutes. I've already been up since 4 AM, I
did an hour of really hard training, rode my bike, took a nap, and I just
finished breakfast in this lovely dining facility. Whew!!
The alarm went off at 4 AM. I did not get ready as fast as I
could have and just made it to formation at 4:45 AM. At 5 AM fitness training
started with the usual warm-up exercises. Then we did push-ups and situps and
the instructor’s favorite exercise: lie on your back and lift your legs and
upper body together. By the time the hour session was over I had done 150
situps, 140 push-ups and I don't know how many other various exercises. I was tired. I went for a short ride on my
bicycle just to stretch out and was riding nine or 10 miles an hour.
When I got back to my room, I tried to read and then ended
up checking my eyelids for leaks. They did not admit any light for the next 30
minutes. After I showered and changed I
went to the Dining Facility (not called Chow Hall or Mess Haul anymore). This lovely place served a breakfast my sons
live for: Omelets, bacon, sausage,
biscuits and gravy, waffles, scrambled eggs, juice, coffee, bagels, toast,
grits, home fries, hot and cold cereal, and fresh fruit.
I ate like I did an hour of hard PT then started writing
this post in the Dining Facility. I am
at the in processing unit now. Real Army
here! We are sitting in rows of chairs
facing a TV waiting for someone to come out and tell us how to fill out their
particular Army forms.
More on in processing later.
I thought this was going to be nothing special, but we are almost at two
hours of waiting. In the active Army,
accountability is everything. What
matters is that the people in charge of us know where we are. Our time has no inherent value except in
accomplishing whatever mission our leaders have. So a dozen men and women are sitting in front
of a big screen TV watching the movie “300” probably for the tenth time. And we are here to learn to be writers.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Presumed to be a Sh*tbag!
Today is the first of 90 days on active duty with the Army. I am at
Fort Meade in Maryland attending the defense information school. This morning
my wife saw me looking anxious as I got ready to leave and asked what was bothering me. I thought for a
minute and then told her that I was thinking about going to a new unit and
having active duty soldiers presume I was a shitbag.
The Army and all military services are very competitive.
Everyone is sizing everyone else up based upon their appearance or how they
speak or how they carry themselves. So I know that when active duty soldiers
see someone who is my age and my rank they assume I am some kind of hold over
National Guard failure. At my age I should be a general or a Sgt. Major or a
warrant officer five. They don't assume I started over after a quarter-century break in service.
When I reported to school today they sent me to the
billeting office to get quarters. I walked in the company responsible for
quarters and told them I was reporting for school. There were four young
soldiers at two desks in that room. One of them got up to ask the Sgt. in
charge where I should be assigned a room. The soldier who was walking turned
and asked one of the soldiers who is sitting down which group I should be in.
One of the soldiers who is sitting down said with an obvious
sneer “He’s a reclass, look at him.”
The soldiers who attend Army schools are either straight
from basic training or they are being reclassified. I am obviously not straight
from basic training.
At 5 AM tomorrow morning I will start to undo one assumption
that young active duty soldiers make about old National Guard sergeants. Students have physical training every morning at 5 AM. They will expect me to have a profile or waiver and not participate.
When I reenlisted six years ago I knew this would happen. At
the time I didn't think I'd still be here past age 60. Tomorrow I will process into the school and do what ever other paperwork and medical tests they
require.
And tomorrow night I will let you know how things go with fitness
training. It should be fun.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
On active duty in two weeks!!!
It's time to start posting again. I will be on active duty for three months beginning Wednesday, August 7. So in just two weeks I will be a full-time soldier. I am not going overseas and I'm only going someplace dangerous in the sense that I will be writing my bicycle in suburban Washington traffic.
I will be in Army journalism school at Fort Meade Maryland until November 5 of this year. You might wonder why the Army would send a 60 year old soldier to school. I have been trying to get into this school since I got back from Iraq in 2010. Last year I got the chance to possibly deploy with a Stryker brigade. That deployment would have started in November of this year. To get ready for the deployment I needed to be an Army trained public affairs Sgt. So the plan was that I would go to the school and then joined by deploying unit with the correct MOS or military occupational specialty.
President Obama announced in his State of the Union address that the United States would be leaving Afghanistan faster than the current schedule. This meant the deployment was canceled. But I had changed jobs in my unit and I needed this new MOS. So I am going to school at age 60 to learn how to do the job I have been doing as a civilian since 1978.
It may sound silly for me to do this but I am looking forward to this school. The military combines the training of all five services in public affairs so I will be in school with soldiers from the Marines, the Air Force, the Army, Navy, and even the Coast Guard. As you can imagine the military has the best crisis management training available. Crisis management has not been one of my specialties so I'm looking forward to learning from the best.
Anyway, I will write every day on active duty about what it's like to be in training with 20-year-olds from all five services. Or at least I will do my best to write every day. Homework first!!
Monday, July 1, 2013
Finished Tough Mudder--Report Overdue
My apologies for being off line for so long. I ran the Pennsylvania Tough Mudder on Sunday June 2 in the last wave of starters. One of my bicycle riding buddies and a body builder, Lois Olney, joined me for the event. It took three and a half hours for us to run almost 11 miles and clear 23 obstacles.
I went into the race thinking the Ice Enema would be the toughest obstacle. For that one, you run up a ladder, jump into a 6-foot deep, 20-foot long dumpster full of water and ice, swim under and obstacle in the middle and climb out the other side.
FREEEEEEEEEEZING!!!!!
But that was not the worst. Two miles up the road we crawled under barbed wire with shock wires hanging from it. I got zapped in the head three times, saw flashes behind my eyes and got disoriented. I managed to shake it off and keep going, but the shocks were worse than the ice. In comparison to them, climbing walls, horizontal ladders and mud pits were a snap.
Lois and I rode to and from the event on single-speed mountain bikes.
We were WIPED out on the way home on the 50-mile car ride from where we parked.
About 10 miles into the drive, we saw an Arbys and both decided we needed meat. NOW!!!
When we stopped we looked at each other and sniffed. "Is that us?" The Tough Mudder was on a farm and we smelled like fertilizer. We both ordered food then went to our respective rest rooms for a quick change of clothes.
Six days later, Army summer camp began.
Tough Mudder vs. Ironman, Part 3
Tough Mudder vs. Ironman, Part 2
Tough Mudder vs. Ironman is Here
Second Tough Mudder Report
First Tough Mudder Finish
First Tough Mudder Photos
First Tough Mudder Entry
Ironman Plans
Ironman Training
Ironman Bucket List
Ironman Idea
Ironman Danger
Ironman Friendship
Monday, June 24, 2013
Back from Summer Camp--Best Pictures
For those of you, like my lovely wife, who are not on Facebook, here are some of the best pictures from Summer Camp 2013:
More soon!!!
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Latrine Queen--So Out of Date Sarge
In 1972 when I first enlisted in the Air Force, on my father's advice I volunteered for latrine duty. Back then, the guy with that job was called the Latrine Queen.
Yesterday was my day for barracks cleaning duty along with one of the medics. I cleaned the latrine, he swept the barracks and took out the trash. I told one of my 20-year-old roommates that I was Latrine Queen for a day. He said Latrine Queen was so out of date. No one says that anymore.
The job is the same. And he did not seem to know what replaced the royal title, but he knew that the old title was as gone as the Army Jeep.
My informant must be current on language. He occasionally drives his squad leader nuts by answering in the affirmative with a sound he said is "Yerrrrp." The foster son who lived with us last summer made a similar sound when he wanted to say yes and piss his mother off at the same moment. When he left, our other two boys fell under the strictest instructions never to make that sound/answer again.
Life does have a way of circling back.
My New Home
Here is a quick look at Home, Sweet, Home for the next week. My bunk is on the right out of the frame. There are two open bays, one for our company, one for Fox company. In the middle are the latrines. There are four showers, with doors!!! It's very odd to have any kind of built-in privacy in a barracks. This morning after breakfast all four stalls in the latrine were taken. That led to jokes about warm seats and people wishing aloud they had a gas mask.
Because the officers and senior enlisted are in another barracks, we have lots of room. Everyone has a lower bunk, for example.
The food is pretty good too. We have a real dining facility to eat in and for the cooks to use, not a field kitchen. Over the weekend we have a 48-hour training exercise, so we will get very tired, then drive home.
Later today will be a Humvee driving obstacle course. That should be serious fun!
Monday, June 10, 2013
Chinook Pilot Qualifies for All Guard Marathon Team
CW2 Amanda Nesbitt and her son Dathan
Photo by Beth Cardwell Photography
CW2 Amanda Nesbitt
The Chinook is the fastest helicopter in service in the United States Army. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Amanda Nesbitt, a Chinook pilot with Bravo Company, 2-104th General Support Aviation Battalion, recently showed she is among the fastest soldiers on the ground also.
Nesbitt qualified for the All Guard Marathon Team at the Lincoln Nebraska Marathon held May 5, 2013.
“The top 15 women and the top 40 men qualified for the team,” said Nesbitt. “There was no qualifying time. The fastest runners made the team.”
Nesbitt ran the marathon in three hours and 43 minutes. She was 14th among the 15 women who qualified for the team.
“I just made it,” she said.
A feat she accomplished in with just six months of training that began less than a year after the birth of her son, Dathan.
Nesbitt is 29 years old and has been in the Army for 12 years. She enlisted in high school, first serving in a communications unit in Allentown. She earned a bachelor's degree from East Stroudsburg University in 2008. Nesbitt ran in college but did not run marathons.
After college came a succession of big events. She went to flight school in 2009 and became a Chinook pilot in November 2010. Just over a year later in February of 2012, her son was born.
“I had a baby last year so I knew it was not going to be easy to make the team,” Nesbitt said. “Sometimes I ran alone at night with my pepper spray, 18 miles around and around our neighborhood, but I was determined to make it. And the team was rooting for me.”
Her husband, Drew, also an avid runner, supported Amanda’s marathon ambition.
“Drew made it possible for me to put in the time to train,” Nesbitt said. “He supported me the whole way.”
“I tried to make the (marathon) team five years ago, but Pennsylvania did not have the running base it does now,” Nesbitt said.
Her first marathon humbled her.
“At mile 18 I was hurting,” she said.
She finished with a 4-hour, 17-minute time and put away her marathon goals until late 2012.
She signed up for the event even before she knew if Pennsylvania could take her.
“I figured I would go by myself if I had to,” Nesbitt said.
The All Guard Team includes the Army and Air Guard and represents all 50 states plus Guam, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.
Nesbitt said the top overall female qualifier was Senior Airman Emily Shertzer of Pennsylvania who ran the 26.2-mile distance in three hours and one minute.
“Emily has been to the Olympic Trials,” Nesbitt said.
Three of the 15 women and four of the 40 men who qualified for the All Guard Marathon Team are from Pennsylvania. With seven of the 55 runners from the Keystone State, Pennsylvania has the largest team of all the states.
“Pennsylvania was also the first place team at the qualifying race,” she said.
“I went into the race wanting a 3:40 (time),” she said. “I knew it would not be easy 'post baby.' I ran a 3:43 this time. I'm OK with that. Next year I want to run in the 3:20s.”
Now that she is on the team, Nesbitt will be able to choose races she will compete in during the coming year.
“The Army Ten-Miler and Boston are on the list,” she said.
Nesbitt last competed in the Army Ten-Miler in 2011 when she was six-months pregnant.
“I was not that fast, but my time was good enough to help the Pennsylvania team win the National Guard category,” she said. “It was cool to get the trophy from a general.”
The All Guard Marathon Team goes to marathons and half-marathons around the country and represents the National Guard Recruiting Command.
“I have heard we also march in parades and run relays,” she said. “And we go to the Expos before events.”
“We have red and white running uniforms and bright yellow warm-up outfits. No one is going to miss us,” Nesbitt said.
Bravo Company, 2-104th GSAB, is currently deployed to Afghanistan. Nesbitt is a reserve pilot serving on rear detachment. She could be activated and join her unit at any time, and she is ready for that marathon, if she is called.
Nesbitt qualified for the All Guard Marathon Team at the Lincoln Nebraska Marathon held May 5, 2013.
“The top 15 women and the top 40 men qualified for the team,” said Nesbitt. “There was no qualifying time. The fastest runners made the team.”
Nesbitt ran the marathon in three hours and 43 minutes. She was 14th among the 15 women who qualified for the team.
“I just made it,” she said.
A feat she accomplished in with just six months of training that began less than a year after the birth of her son, Dathan.
Nesbitt is 29 years old and has been in the Army for 12 years. She enlisted in high school, first serving in a communications unit in Allentown. She earned a bachelor's degree from East Stroudsburg University in 2008. Nesbitt ran in college but did not run marathons.
After college came a succession of big events. She went to flight school in 2009 and became a Chinook pilot in November 2010. Just over a year later in February of 2012, her son was born.
“I had a baby last year so I knew it was not going to be easy to make the team,” Nesbitt said. “Sometimes I ran alone at night with my pepper spray, 18 miles around and around our neighborhood, but I was determined to make it. And the team was rooting for me.”
Her husband, Drew, also an avid runner, supported Amanda’s marathon ambition.
“Drew made it possible for me to put in the time to train,” Nesbitt said. “He supported me the whole way.”
“I tried to make the (marathon) team five years ago, but Pennsylvania did not have the running base it does now,” Nesbitt said.
Her first marathon humbled her.
“At mile 18 I was hurting,” she said.
She finished with a 4-hour, 17-minute time and put away her marathon goals until late 2012.
She signed up for the event even before she knew if Pennsylvania could take her.
“I figured I would go by myself if I had to,” Nesbitt said.
The All Guard Team includes the Army and Air Guard and represents all 50 states plus Guam, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.
Nesbitt said the top overall female qualifier was Senior Airman Emily Shertzer of Pennsylvania who ran the 26.2-mile distance in three hours and one minute.
“Emily has been to the Olympic Trials,” Nesbitt said.
Three of the 15 women and four of the 40 men who qualified for the All Guard Marathon Team are from Pennsylvania. With seven of the 55 runners from the Keystone State, Pennsylvania has the largest team of all the states.
“Pennsylvania was also the first place team at the qualifying race,” she said.
“I went into the race wanting a 3:40 (time),” she said. “I knew it would not be easy 'post baby.' I ran a 3:43 this time. I'm OK with that. Next year I want to run in the 3:20s.”
Now that she is on the team, Nesbitt will be able to choose races she will compete in during the coming year.
“The Army Ten-Miler and Boston are on the list,” she said.
Nesbitt last competed in the Army Ten-Miler in 2011 when she was six-months pregnant.
“I was not that fast, but my time was good enough to help the Pennsylvania team win the National Guard category,” she said. “It was cool to get the trophy from a general.”
The All Guard Marathon Team goes to marathons and half-marathons around the country and represents the National Guard Recruiting Command.
“I have heard we also march in parades and run relays,” she said. “And we go to the Expos before events.”
“We have red and white running uniforms and bright yellow warm-up outfits. No one is going to miss us,” Nesbitt said.
Bravo Company, 2-104th GSAB, is currently deployed to Afghanistan. Nesbitt is a reserve pilot serving on rear detachment. She could be activated and join her unit at any time, and she is ready for that marathon, if she is called.
Read more: http://www.dvidshub.net/news/108339/chinook-pilot-makes-all-guard-marathon-team#.UbUZh_aUu3A#ixzz2VqMDCqCl
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