Photo By Tech. Sgt. Donald Hudson | U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Josh Brown, Arctic Initiatives deputy, Eleventh Air Force,...... read more read more
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“The worst day for me was when I fell through the ice,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Joshua Brown, Arctic Initiatives deputy, Eleventh Air Force, recounting his experience competing in the 2024 Iditarod Trail Invitational 1,000.
“I ended up falling into chest deep overflow. I was trying to hold myself up with my left arm, reaching with my right to undo the bindings to get the skis out,” said Brown. “In the moment I wasn’t fearful, I knew what I had to do.”
Brown is an Arctic survivalist through gained experience in his personal life, and in his work at Eleventh Air Force helping to develop the foundation for the Arctic Resiliency Training course.
“I’m responsible for helping teach the ART course,” said Brown. “Ensuring we have medical support in the field overnight and teaching in the classroom.”
The ART course is part of the larger Arctic Initiatives spearheaded by the Eleventh Air Force. It was developed from a call to action by Lt. Gen. David Nahom, commander Alaskan Command, Alaskan NORAD Region and Eleventh Air Force, to prepare Air Force members operating in the Arctic, and better align military readiness with the National Strategy for the Arctic Region and Department of the U.S. Air Force Arctic Strategy.
“Lt. Col. Brown applies his experiences and lessons learned from the field directly to our Eleventh Air Force Arctic Resiliency Training,” said Col. Karen Hill, director, Arctic Initiatives. “He trekked a thousand miles in remote Alaska, which few people can claim. The medical proactiveness and prevention, communication limitations, mental health resiliency and more have priceless applications he can explain with first-hand context.”
The course is designed to develop a foundation of Arctic survival for Airmen who may have to do their jobs or recreate in extreme cold weather and harsh remote environments. Brown was brought onto the Arctic Initiative’s team not only because of his medical background, but for his personal accomplishments in outdoors adventures.
“I have a huge passion for the outdoors and minimalist survival,” said Brown. “I’ve been hunting and fishing since I was five years old, and I’ve been ultrarunning since about 2013.”
Beginning his military career as a combat medic in the U.S. Army with multiple deployments, Brown has a long history of emergency medical experience in challenging environments and a deep desire to serve his country.
“I joined in 2001, I was at Fort Benning, Georgia, in basic training for two weeks when 9/11 happened,” said Brown.
In 2007 Brown commissioned as an officer in the Army and in 2013 switched to the Air Force as surgical nurse. After being stationed in Alaska he naturally was drawn to the ITI 1,000 after completing various ultra-marathons across America since his introduction to the sport over 10 years ago.
The ITI 1,000 is an ultra-marathon that follows the roughly 1,000-mile-long Iditarod Trail starting at Knik Lake in Anchorage and going through the Alaskan wilderness, tundra, and over frozen sea ice to Nome. Contestants can either run, ski, or bike, and must qualify by first completing the ITI 350 and show mastery of the winter survival skills needed to survive alone in Alaska’s wilderness.
Brown trained for the ITI like any other ultra-marathon he participates in. He completed the Susitna 100 when he first arrived in Alaska without knowing it counted as one of the pre-qualifying requirements for the ITI 350. After learning more about the ITI through a friend and that he was already on his way to qualifying, he made a decision.
“I immediately knew that was something that I wanted to do, and I’ve been able to do it a total of three times once was the 350-mile race and then two 1,000 races now,” said Brown.
When training for ultra-marathons Brown says it comes down to the total volume someone can spend running, skiing or training, and requires a lifestyle of sacrificing to get as many training miles completed as possible.
“I try to sacrifice a little bit from each area, so I would sacrifice my sleep and maybe a little bit of time from my family,” said Brown. “But I would always make sure I would find time for my family, and my faith. So, you just get less sleep when you’re training for something like this.”
Brown trains either before or after work and on weekends he regularly has an overnight routine running or skiing 30 miles or more to a remote shelter or sets up his own minimal shelter, and sleeping for three to four hours before returning the 30 miles back home to spend time with his family.
Brown did the ITI 350 in 2021on foot and his first ITI 1,000 on foot in 2022. He decided to challenge himself further by attempting the race on skis during the 2024 ITI 1,000, but had never tried cross country skiing until he began training just over a year prior to the race.
“It’s much more challenging than on foot,” said Brown. “With waxes and the skins on our skis, temperature variation makes it much more difficult.”
Dragging 60 pounds of gear in a sled behind him, not including his food and water, Brown completed the nearly 1,000-mile race through the Arctic wilderness. He endured the tremendous physical and mental challenges, and was able to place third, becoming one of the first participants to complete the endurance feat on skis in under 30 days.
“You look at the history of this race and nobody has been able to complete it on skis until this year,” said Brown. “There were five of us that made it across the finish line even though it was an incredibly challenging year.”
The ITI 1,000 is known for its difficulty and according to the ITI is, “the world’s longest and toughest winter race.” And this statement proved true for Brown this year.
“We had temperatures down to as low as minus 50, and then we had temperatures of 45 degrees and pouring down rain as we were going across the sea ice,” Brown said. “You have to be prepared for all of those environmental conditions.”
While the race was grueling Brown kept an optimistic attitude and found enjoyment between times of pure struggle.
“My highest moments were interacting with racers that were sharing in the experience,” Brown said. “You tend to run into each other out on the trail and I think having human interaction when you’re by yourself most of the time is really where I found the most joy. It was experiencing this unique event with other people.”
After skiing between roughly 30 and 60 miles a day for 29 days, 2 hours, and 2 minutes Brown crossed the finish line and immediately called his family.
“Part of the reason like doing these things is to show my kids and people around me that resilience is the most important tool that we have,” said Brown. “Our ability to look at rough situations and say, ‘Am I really done or is this something that’s going to break me?,’ and the reality is too many times we quit way to early and we don’t get to realize the blessings that are coming because we quit before we should when things get hard.”
For Brown ultra distance sports are a way to push himself and practice resilience.
“It’s a great way to develop mental strength and resilience that translates well to our careers and to our lives in general,” said Brown. “When you’re faced with hard decisions and hard points in your life, it teaches you that you don’t have to give up when it’s hard. I have found that when I sign up for things where there’s a higher probability of failure than success, I grow more in those situations, and that’s what I would encourage everybody to do.”
Brown has completed the ITI on foot, and skis, and is planning to try something new and accomplish what no one has.
“Nobody has done all three methods, so I immediately signed up and I’ll be attempting it on bike this next year,” Brown said.
If he completes the 2024 ITI 1,000 on a bike Brown will be the first person in history to complete the Iditarod Trail via all three human powered methods on foot, skis, and bike.
“I think that’s the biggest thing, to push yourself,” said Brown. “Whatever that next thing is to keep striving and trying to do things that are hard.”
Whether it’s a 1,000-mile race though the Arctic or a local 5K, Brown has advice for those looking to start towards a challenge of their own.
“Start slow, make sure you can safely take care of yourself, make sure you know how to use your equipment,” Brown said. “Do it in a measured approach, start a planned fitness routine and then subject yourself slowly to the things you’re going to be dealing with in the race, and seek mentorship from people that are out there doing it.”
| Date Taken: | 05.17.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.17.2024 19:49 |
| Story ID: | 471636 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 184 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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