703rd Soldiers strive to run 703 miles

Photo By Capt. Constance Quinlan | Specialists Matt Williamson and Brenda Abbe, both from Company C, 703rd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, run at Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq. Abbe was the first Soldier to reach 703 miles of physical training since the unit deployed.  

ISKANDARIYAH, IRAQ

03.17.2008

Story by Capt. Constance Quinlan 

4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

By Capt. Constance Quinlan
4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs Officer

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – To ensure that the hectic pace of deployment wouldn't cause physical training to fall by the wayside, one Soldier came armed with a plan.

Command Sgt. Maj. Harry Jeffries, the command sergeant major for 703rd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, before starting his third rotation in Iraq, devised a system he calls "703 Desert Miles." The concept is simple: Soldiers in the 703rd BSB travel 703 miles before redeploying home to Fort Stewart, Ga.

"It's a challenging endeavor," Jeffries said. "If you want to eat an elephant you do it one bite at a time, and, if you want to complete this program, you do it one mile at a time."

Originally the plan specified outdoor running and walking only, but indoor gym events were soon added to combat the rainy season and safety concerns.

Soldiers in the Maintain Battalion earn Desert Miles by running or walking in addition to using the gym's cycling, elliptical and rowing machines. The latter three must be set to a specified level of difficulty for miles to qualify.

The first Soldier to reach the finish line, only three months after the program officially began at the beginning of December was Spc. Brenda Abbe from Royse City, Texas, a Company C medic. Abbe works at the FOB Kalsu Aid Station Command Post tracking Vanguard patients and facilitating medical evacuations.

"I'm a competitive person," said Abbe. "I knew I was getting close. I just wanted to beat the (Company C) commander. I can definitely do it again, but I'm not sure about three times."

Like all Maintainers who complete the program, Abbe will receive a Battalion certificate of achievement and a custom-made 703 Desert Miles T-shirt. Likewise, companies can earn either a gold, silver or bronze streamer, depending on the percentage of miles completed and the percentage of Soldiers who pass the Army physical fitness test.

"It helps to have a specific goal to work toward," said Spc. Channing Boger, an automations specialist who is among the leaders in miles for Headquarters and Headquarters Company. "It will be nice to go home at the end of the deployment and see how far we've gone."

The 703 Desert Miles Program is reminiscent of some programs developed at home. At Fort Stewart, friends and family of 3rd Infantry Division have been "Walking to Iraq," trying to cover a combined distance of 13,000 miles, the approximate distance from Fort Stewart to Iraq and back.

• Date Taken: 03.17.2008
• Date Posted: 03.17.2008 12:59
• Story ID: 17435
• Location: ISKANDARIYAH, IQ