Photo By Senior Chief Petty Officer Joshua Treadwell | Army Spc. Juan Jackson, Staff Sgt. Johanna DeJesus and Sgt. 1st Class Jorge Moreira...... read more read more
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GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba— Six members of the 525th Military Police Battalion tested their endurance when they participated in the Bataan Memorial Death March at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., March 29.
Training for the 26.2-mile march began in February and lasted approximately six weeks.
"We trained as a group and progressively increased our distance by about four miles each Saturday until we reached 26 miles," said Army Sgt. 1st Class Jorge Moreira, non-commissioned officer-in-charge of the team. "We did 26 miles on the last two Saturdays, back-to-back."
Twice a week, each member was responsible for training on their own. For some members, this meant participating in physical fitness training with their unit three days a week, and then training on their own an additional two days.
"It was pretty much normal [physical training] except for the Saturdays when we marched all over U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay," said team member Army Staff Sgt. Johanna DeJesus. "It was pretty hard."
The team marched up and down many steep hills, including John Paul Jones Hill, which is known for its challenging climb.
For DeJesus, the biggest challenge was bonding with the rest of the team.
"I was the only female there and I didn't have a bond with the rest of the team," DeJesus said. "I was the only one from my unit, and there was a bit of a language barrier."
It wasn't until the last week of training that the entire team was able to come together to train at the same time. With two members off-island for the Soldier and NCO of the Year competition at U.S. Army South, and other members attending schools and training, it posed a small challenge when it was time to get everyone together and in step.
"We had a lot of support from the unit," Moreira said. "They were very accommodating to the Soldiers to help them participate in training."
With different work schedules, varying shifts and other important events that kept team members apart, the unit supported the team and helped them find time to come together and train.
"The real challenge was during the last week when we came together for the first time, with all our members," Moreira continued. "We had to train at the same speed, and make sure that we didn't discourage each other because everyone is at a different [athletic] level."
After training for weeks, the team began to form, providing support and cheering each other on.
"[During the race, Army] Spc. [Juan] Jackson talked to me the whole 26 miles. He'd cheer me on saying, 'Let's go sergeant, you can do it!' It started annoying everyone else," DeJesus said with a laugh. "It was good to have someone to support me. The whole team supported me a lot."
The Friday before the race, the team registered — along with nearly 6,000 other competitors — and had the opportunity to meet survivors of the Bataan Death March, which took place in the Philippines during World War II.
The Bataan Memorial Death March honors tens of thousands of American and Filipino Soldiers who were marched for days — enduring extreme heat through the Philippine jungles — after they surrendered to Japanese forces on April 9, 1942. These brave men, after fighting through deadly conditions, facing malaria and surviving on minimal rations with little or no medical help, faced incredible hardship in the prison camps, if they survived.
Many of the men who endured this brutal march were members of the New Mexico Army National Guard. In 1989, New Mexico State University's Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps began the memorial march as a tribute to the survivors and the families who lived in the state. Over the years, it has grown from a small university-sponsored event to one that is recognized worldwide.
"It was awesome to meet the survivors," DeJesus said. "To think this person was a prisoner of war for so many years, and he survived, and wants to tell his story ... is amazing."
The team competed in this event for many reasons. Whether it was for the challenge, or to honor those who served, or for the sake of camaraderie, each member trained hard, came together as a team and proved their mettle as one of 30 teams.
"We competed in the co-ed bracket with 29 other teams, and we were the last to depart the starting line," Moreira said. "Mile-by-mile, step-by-step, we passed 25 teams, which was a real challenge. By mile 20, we were in approximately fifth place, but then we hit the 'sand pit.'"
The sand pit was a four-to-five-mile stretch of soft sand that takes the participants mostly uphill.
"We really lost steam during this stretch," Moreira continued. "Our goal was to remain as a team and finish as a team."
The team, determined to finish together, helped each other through the mental roadblocks.
"DeJesus has a lot of will," said Army Sgt. Jonathan Vasquez. "When it got rough, she found it within herself to push through. We sang cadences to motivate everyone and before we knew it, she was out front, leading the way."
The team, comprised of Army Pfc. Chad Hostetler, Spc. Juan Jackson, Sgt. Jonathan Vasquez, DeJesus and Moreira, celebrated their achievement of completing the march, and finished in ninth place.
Another Soldier, Army Sgt. Steven Jones, competed in an individual category and placed 13th out of 401 competitors.
"The feeling was overwhelming when we crossed the finish line," DeJesus said.
"Completing it was painful, but very satisfying," Vasquez said. "I recommend it to anyone."
"We passed hundreds of people left behind along the way, blistered and bleeding. Some gave up because they were discouraged because they were left behind," Moreira said. "I was really proud because nobody gave up. We started together and we finished together, that's what matters."
For more information about Joint Task Force Guantanamo, visit the Web site www.jtfgtmo.southcom.mil.
| Date Taken: | 04.10.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 04.14.2009 13:25 |
| Story ID: | 32381 |
| Location: | GUANTANAMO BAY, CU |
| Web Views: | 257 |
| Downloads: | 193 |
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