Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Courtney Rorick | Maj. Heath Huffman, director of inspections with the 157th Inspector General Office,...... read more read more
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An Airman rounds the final corner of 18.6 miles with a strong pace and a smile. The next group of Guardsmen are two minutes behind when he crosses the finish line at 3 hours 29 minutes.
Maj. Heath Huffman, director of inspections with the 157th Inspector General Office, finished first in the New Hampshire Norwegian Foot March May 4, 2024 in Concord, New Hampshire.
"I couldn't slow down because I knew the other Huffman was coming to get me," Huffman laughed, nodding to Senior Master Sgt. Timm Huffman, the superintendent for the 157th Public Affairs Office.
The pair clinched two of the top five finishing spots and earned the coveted Marsjmerket badge.
"They made it look easy," laughed Sgt. 1st Class Courtney Rorick, NCO in charge of the 114th Public Affairs Detachment.
In total 39 of the 61 New Hampshire Guardsmen who braved the course emerged victorious, including Maj. Gen. David Mikolaities, Adjutant General, New Hampshire National Guard.
“It was a great event, and the weather was perfect,” said Mikolaities. “The ruck march allowed the participants to challenge themselves physically in an endurance event while simultaneously building camaraderie and esprit de corps amongst their fellow service members.”
The event began as a test of marching endurance for soldiers in the Norwegian Army; a strategic exercise to swiftly move large units of troops over a great distance and enable them to efficiently be prepared for combat, even after carrying their packs and weapons.
Today, each Norwegian Foot March follows the same guidelines and honors the origins of the event from 1915. The participants complete a 30 kilometer march or run with a pack that weighs at least 11 kilograms from start to finish.
As the NH Soldiers and Airmen faced physical exhaustion and mental fatigue, they fueled one another to accomplish an extraordinary feat together.
"It might sound cheesy but it was truly an honor to participate," said Huffman. "There was such great camaraderie with everyone pushing each other, relying on each other, you couldn’t have asked for a better event. We’re looking forward to next year.”
| Date Taken: | 05.09.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.09.2024 10:21 |
| Story ID: | 470772 |
| Location: | CONCORD, NH, US |
| Web Views: | 60 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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