49th Military Police Brigade Soldiers 'Run for the Fallen'

Photo By 1st Lt. William Marquez | On Nov. 14, at Camp Slayer in Baghdad, Iraq, Soldiers of the headquarters company, 49th Military Police Brigade, of Fairfield, California, pose for a group photo after finishing the "Run for the Fallen." The run commemorates veterans who were killed or wounded in combat.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

11.22.2009

Story by 1st Lt. William Marquez 

49th Military Police Brigade

BAGHDAD, Iraq — On Nov. 14, at Camp Slayer in Baghdad, Iraq, Soldiers of the headquarters company, 49th Military Police Brigade, of Fairfield, Calif. ran in the 5K "Run for the Fallen." They ran in memory of veterans who lost their lives, or were wounded, while serving their country in combat.

According to the "Run for the Fallen" website, the mission of the organization is to "raise awareness about the lives of those who fought, to support organizations that help wounded veterans and the families of those killed, and to aid the healing process of those Americans whose lives have been affected by the war."

Sgt. Maj. Brad Schneier of Multi-National Corps — Iraq was instrumental in bringing the "Run for the Fallen" to Camp Slayer, and his goal for the Camp Slayer run mirrors the purpose of the "Run for the Fallen" organization. "This run is a great way to commemorate Veterans Day. Every runner runs for a wounded or deceased veteran; and Americans back home, in different parts of the country, show their support by running at the same time we are running," said Schneier.

Soldiers of the headquarters company of the 49th, responsible for supervising the training of Iraqi police in all regions of Iraq, showed their support for veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice. Capt. Jacquelyn Atkinson, who helped bring together her 49th colleagues to participate in the run, is an endurance athlete and runs as often as she can; but for her, this run is different than the other runs. "This is the run that helps me remember the veterans who we lost. Every year, I run and I write their names down. I will never forget," said Atkinson.

During the run, Atkinson, and other Soldiers of the 49th, wore a runner's bib with the name of a deceased veteran. Most of the 49th soldiers running in this event ran for Sgt. 1st Class Isaac Lawson. Lawson was a soldier in the 49th who was killed by an improvised explosive device while serving as an Iraqi Police trainer in 2005 and 2006. Ben Jandreau, the 1st Sgt. for the headquarters company of the 49th, ran to remember Lawson. "This run helped me remember the sacrifice of Sgt. Lawson. It also helped me remember the man. He brought people together. He never allowed personal issues get in the way of the mission," said Jandreau.

The 49th started and finished the race together, carrying their guidon throughout the run. At the end of the run, the Soldiers of the 49th took a group photo to remember the day, and they signed a "Run for the Fallen" poster to remember the veteran.

• Date Taken: 11.22.2009
• Date Posted: 11.24.2009 09:24
• Story ID: 41949
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ