Photo By Master Sgt. Gail Braymen | U.S. Army Capt. Eric Dunkley, left, the commander of Headquarters and Headquarters...... read more read more
FORT HOOD, Texas – Six Division West soldiers traded their baggy camouflage uniforms and bulky combat boots for skintight Spandex shorts and featherweight cycling shoes to ride in the Killeen-to-Waco leg of the Ride 2 Recovery – Texas Challenge April 11.
“It’s truly a great experience to have all these people together and to feel the camaraderie,” said Sgt. 1st Class Connie Burt, a member of Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, Division West, who regularly competes in triathlons and other athletic events. “It’s just a great ride to be on. It’s one of the best rides that I have.”
The Ride 2 Recovery program, which partners with the Military and Veterans Affairs Volunteer Service Office, uses cycling to help wounded military veterans overcome their mental and physical injuries.
More than 200 cyclists, including many veterans who started riding for therapy, participated in Thursday’s 66-mile ride. All together this year, the Texas Challenge stretched over six days and more than 300 miles, beginning in San Antonio Monday and ending in Fort Worth Saturday.
“I love cycling, and I’m here with my friend (and fellow soldier), Issie,” said Burt, who also rode in the Killeen-to-Waco leg last year. “I like to support her, because her husband is the one who got me into cycling in the first place. Sadly, he lost his life last year to a bicycle accident. I’m truly blessed to have her in my life, and to have known him, and to be able to do these things with everybody.”
After leaving Killeen, the riders wound northward through Fort Hood, where they were greeted along the streets by cheering, flag-waving soldiers, civilians and schoolchildren.
“It’s like refilling your motivation tank,” said Sgt. 1st Class Randall Copiskey, a member of 1st Battalion, 337th Aviation Regiment, 166th Aviation Brigade, Division West. “You come around a corner, and there’s a whole line of kids. It’s awesome. Going through Fort Hood and seeing my old unit and some of my old soldiers and my current leaders on the side of the road, cheering me on, that really makes you feel good.”
Copiskey is the only Division West soldier riding all six days of the Texas Challenge.
“I’ve been at Fort Hood since 2006, and I’ve seen them come through here every spring,” Copiskey said. “I just took up cycling recently and figured I wanted to take part in it. It’s a good cause, and I’m really enjoying myself doing it. I’m having a blast.”
Staff Sgt. Jimmie McCormack had just gotten off work at 4 a.m. and could have been at home sleeping instead of riding his bicycle.
“I’m here to support the R2R,” said McCormack, a trainer/mentor with 3rd Battalion, 395th Armored Regiment, 479th Field Artillery Brigade, Division West. “I’m going to do what I can and head back home, get a couple hours of sleep and be back at the range tonight.”
McCormack, who rode the Killeen-to-Waco leg last year, rides with two local cycling groups, Team Army and Team Roadkill. He said he has seen for himself cycling’s therapeutic benefits.
“We spend weekend rides with some of the wounded warriors,” McCormack said. “I enjoy riding with fellow soldiers and wounded warriors. You find out about people, where they come from, who they really are, what problems they have, what issues they’re having at home, on long rides. Sometimes, it’s just therapy. The rider’s riding, and he might be frustrated at work or at home, and you’re just talking about what happened and, at the end of the ride, you can tell he’s just more comfortable.”
Normally, Command Sgt. Maj. Ronald Orosz, Division West’s senior enlisted leader, simply rides his bike every weekend. The Ride 2 Recovery is one of the first cycling events in which he’s ever participated, he said.
“To support the wounded warriors is the biggest reason (I’m riding), and to show my support for them and all that they’ve done for our country. It was a great event,” Orosz said.
Some cyclists, such as Burt, participate in the Ride 2 Recovery to commemorate or support a particular person. But Chief Warrant Officer 3 Daniel Hodge, a trainer/mentor with 2nd Battalion, 291st Aviation Regiment, 166th Aviation Brigade, Division West, who has been in the Army 20 years and served three tours in Iraq, was riding for many people.
“I have a couple friends from (Operation Iraqi Freedom) who didn’t make it back, and a couple other friends who got hurt,” Hodge said. “So I guess, in a little way, it’s kind of like I have a lot of those guys in the back of my mind.”
Hodge, who started cycling seriously when he was 12 and has continued for 25 years, said he appreciates how the Ride 2 Recovery organization combines cycling and supporting veterans.
“I really like what they’re doing for the wounded warriors and the warrior transition units,” Hodge said. “It’s nice to see all the support from the local community, as well, for all of us doing what we do.”
Capt. Eric Dunkley, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, Division West, is also an avid cyclist, and he also wanted to support wounded warriors and the Ride 2 Recovery organization.
“I’m really into bicycling, so it was just kind of a perfect combination of reasons to participate in it. I’m really glad I did,” Dunkley said. “It’s really humbling to ride with … service members who have been wounded severely. Some of them have lost limbs and are out there participating in it, some are paralyzed. It was just a real humbling experience, and just a great way to show your support for them.”
Americans cannot forget about their war veterans, Dunkley said.
“After war ends, you’re still dealing with the repercussions of that war: injuries, both physical and mental,” Dunkley said. “This is a great way to continue to bring about awareness of something like that, and to make sure that we continue to provide the proper support for those soldiers.”
| Date Taken: | 04.12.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 04.12.2013 19:10 |
| Story ID: | 105134 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 120 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Division West soldiers participate in Ride 2 Recovery, by MSG Gail Braymen, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
