Army ROTC Cadets Race In 28th Annual Army Ten-Miler

Prior to the 28th Annual Army Ten-Miler Oct. 21, cadets and cadre from the Royal Warrior Battalion toured the Pentagon with Colonel John Hashem ’88, senior military assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Affairs.

For the second consecutive year cadets and cadre from the Royal Warrior Battalion travelled to our nation’s capital to take part in one of the largest ten-mile races in the world. On Sunday, Oct. 21, eight cadets and two Cadre members from the Royal Warrior Battalion participated in the 28^th Annual Army Ten-Miler through the streets of Washington, D.C. The ten-mile run starts and ends at the Pentagon, winding its way through downtown Washington with more than 30,000 military and civilian personnel, as well as a number of Wounded Warriors from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, competing in the race. Representing the Royal Warrior Battalion in the race this year were University of Scranton cadets Jennifer Bullis, Sydney Carmody, Hope Oliver, Kelly Tracy, Kaitlin Reznick-Lipina, Neil Jayakar and Ryan Bair, as well as Marywood University cadet Ian Poska. Cadre members who ran in the event included Professor of Military Science Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Remley and Battalion Executive Officer Major Kris Thompson.

The race participants departed Scranton on Friday, Oct. 19, and, after securing their race packets early on Saturday morning, traveled to the Pentagon for a guided tour. At the Pentagon cadets and cadre met with Colonel John Hashem ’88, a commissionee of the Royal Warrior Battalion. For nearly two hours Col. Hashem guided the Royal Warriors through the halls of the Pentagon explaining many of the day-to-day operations and activities that take place throughout the building. Cadets had the opportunity to visit the corridors where the Secretary of Defense works, as well as the office areas of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Chief of Staff of the Army. While at the Pentagon, the group also had the opportunity to view the Sept. 11 memorial dedicated to those who perished in the attack on the Pentagon 11 years ago. Col. Hashem currently serves as the senior military assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Affairs.

Shortly after 8 a.m. on Sunday, all 10 members of the Royal Warrior Battalion were across the start line and making their way toward Washington, D.C., along a route which took them past sites such as the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, the Washington Monument, the World War II Memorial and many more landmarks throughout the city. Following the race, team members had the opportunity to meet and speak with Major General Michael Terry ’79, a University of Scranton commissionee, who also ran the 10-mile race. Major General Terry assumed command of the US Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command located in Lansing, Mich., in June 2012. Major General Terry shared his ROTC experiences with the cadets and thanked them for their participation in the Army Ten-Miler.

“The Army Ten-Miler was a great race and I was glad to be a part of it,” explained Military Science Level II Cadet Kelly Tracy. “Although I was nervous about running 10 miles, the high morale by all kept me calm and motivated from start to finish. The race route took us by multiple national monuments and memorials as well as along the Potomac River. This scenic route made the miles fly by and before I knew it I could see the finish line. This event was truly an enriching experience and the support by the thousands of people who came out for the race made this event even more special. I would definitely say this is an event I wish to be a part of in the future.”

Fellow MS II Cadet Neil Jayakar shared the following, "Army Ten-Miler was like nothing I've done before. In terms of the race it was rewarding while challenging. The training up to the event required many early mornings and many miles running in Scranton. On race day, the challenge became more daunting than I had anticipated, but the environment took away my fear. The energy and motivation of the 30,000 runners and numerous supporters was the motivation to run this race. In addition, this was my first trip to our nation's capital and seeing the memorials was breathtaking, just like running the 10 miles. Even though the actual race was tough I would never trade my experience of being there for that weekend.”

The team began training for the event right after Labor Day, coming together Tuesday and Thursday mornings for long distance runs as both a team and as buddy teams. 

Major General Michael Terry '79 (fourth from right) spoke to the cadets and cadre from the Royal Warrior Battalion following the Army Ten-Miler Oct. 21.