Photo By Staff Sgt. Jameson Harris | Royal Air Force Flight Sgt. "Brucie" Brown completed a 533.5 mile run spread out over...... read more read more
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Soldiers walking to the dining facility for breakfast Aug. 30 may have noticed a peculiar sight: A firefighter running laps around the base in full gear and breathing apparatus.
Those in the Royal Air Force 121st Expeditionary Air Wing immediately recognized him as Flight Sgt. Brown. Over a span of 123 days, Brown challenged himself to run 533.5 miles, the distance between Constanta, Romania to Raduati-prut, a commune in Western Maldavia, Romania, to increase his physical health and ability.
Brown, 44 years old, came up with the challenge with some of his fellow students at a Tang So Do dojo (a Korean martial art) back in the U.K. They chose to dedicate the challenge to Kidscape, a London-based charity focused on child safety.
“Kidscape works directly with children and families experiencing bullying across the U.K.,” Brown said. “They provide workshops for children and their families, teaching confidence and assertiveness skills to tackle a bullying situation.”
For his efforts, Brown earned himself a team of followers, as many other Royal Air Force and U.S. Army service members ran with him to increase their own fitness levels and encourage him to keep racking up the miles. He still had to maintain his regular work schedule, so he would run anywhere between 5-10 miles at a time to keep pace with his challenge.
Brown has seen incredible results from the fitness challenge, losing over 25 pounds and increasing his overall physical ability. He hopes others feel inspired to push themselves beyond their limits.
“I set about this challenge to help myself and help push other people into making a change in our lifestyles, so we could improve our physical and mental wellbeing,” Brown said.
Running alongside Brown on his final run was U.S. Army Spc. Joshua Jones, a firefighter assigned to the 177th Fire Fighting Team, 206th Engineer Battalion, 104th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade.
“It has definitely pushed me harder to get after my own workouts,” Spc. Jones said. “For a man that has been in the military, and his age and to still be in great physical shape, he has inspired me to stay on top of my physical fitness as well.”
The run on Monday morning began at 6 a.m. and resulted in three separate laps around M.K. Air Base. Once they had returned to the fire station, they ended the session with a 50 meter hose drag, five tire flips, and a 50 meter carry of the Jaws of Life. Finally, as a group dragging the hose filled with water about 100 meters.
This is all part of the broader U.S. Army and Royal Air Force’s mission to work together as NATO allies. The RAF and U.S. Army have trained together to build relationships, expand interoperability, and develop a shared understanding that is essential for the combined readiness of the NATO nations.
Brown’s favorite part of working with the U.S. Army firefighters was showing them how the U.K. trucks operate and their firefighting procedures. Spc. Jones felt the exact same way. Together, they have conducted Typhoon (Eurofighter) aircraft training so they could support each other in the event of an aircraft crash.
“It’s a unique experience getting to see how their trucks operate compared to ours. Their mission is Airport Rescue Firefighting (ARFF), whereas our mission is structural,” Jones pointed out.
Because the RAF and U.S. Army work so well together, the bond between the different NATO nations served a critical role in building upon their partnership and promoting a stronger Europe in the face of foreign adversaries.
| Date Taken: | 08.30.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 09.09.2021 02:43 |
| Story ID: | 404751 |
| Location: | MK AIR BASE, RO |
| Web Views: | 133 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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