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There are 74,976 feet in 14.2 miles.
If that’s not daunting enough add in rough, twisting roads; slippery woodland areas and steep, treacherous hills littered with animal — footprints.
That’s what the Airmen of the 21st Operational Weather Squadron conquered as they ran their organizational guidon from their old office at Sembach Air Station to their new one on Kapaun Air Station April 20.
“This was a chance to do something new … something that not many people ever get a chance to do,” said Senior Airman Robert Pratt, 21st OWS weather forecaster. “My favorite part was running in formation at the end and completing a victory lap with my squadron. It was a great time.” Pratt’s team had one of the shortest legs of the run, but that only appeared to be an advantage for the quartet.
“I was happy about having the shortest distance,” said Pratt.
But little did Pratt know there was a monstrous hill awaiting him and his four-man team of runners. “It was a giant hill, and it looked fine at first, then it started getting harder and harder to see the path, eventually we couldn’t see it at all and were jumping over branches and ducking overgrown trees,” said Pratt. “It felt like forever.” He admitted there was a time he felt like giving up. “The hill just wouldn’t stop, we kept going further and further up and I thought it wasn’t going to end,” Pratt said. “But once we crested the hilltop, it was easy and all downhill from there. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we were relieved to reach the top.”
What started as a joke in a staff meeting, turned into weeks of preparation to pick the best and safest route to bring the Airmen to their final destination: their new home in Kapaun.
The 14.2-mile trek was broken into six different legs manned by four runners for each leg, which included a squadron formation run in the beginning and at the end of path. “We got 24 Airmen from the shop to help run the length of the route,” said Tech. Sgt. Michael Adcock, 21st OWS noncommissioned officer in charge of standardization and evaluation. “We all ran the beginning and the end, but the smaller teams of four took individual legs in the middle, about two miles each.”
The feat was finished in an unexpected and respectable two hours and five minutes.
“This is a momentous occasion in Air Force weather history,” said Senior Master Sgt. Bill Knight, 21st OWS operations superintendent. “As the Air Force’s first OWS, which started at Sembach 14 years ago, we couldn’t be more proud of this accomplishment and of all the Airmen involved in making this run a success.”
According to Knight, the move was necessary because of multiple, different factors. However, he said primarily, the Air Force is scheduled to close down operation on Sembach. “This new building is bigger, up-to-date and much more convenient for our Airmen,” said Knight. He added that Kapaun already housed the Airmen who live in the dormitories, so the trip to work was cut exponentially.
“Now we have a commissary, places to eat and gas station,” he said. “The quality of life for all of our Airmen is just better here and seemed like a more natural fit.”
For now and for years to come the guidon is placed in its holder at the 21st OWS, where it will await the next commander’s hands.
