WASHINGTON- The Army's 10-Mile race opened with a fly-by of four UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters Sunday, but that would not be the last time Army Aviation was mentioned over the public address system, as Fort Rucker's Army 10-Miler team's name was called to come and accept first place honors again this year in the Open Mixed Team category.

Team Captain Chief Warrant Officer Three Norm Armstrong, an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior instructor pilot with 1st Battalion, 14th Aviation Regiment, said he was honored to capture the trophy again this year.

"We've worked hard to focus our training this year, and we really had a great cohesiveness about our team," he said. "I'm very honored to be associated with this team, and it's an honor to bring this trophy home again to Fort Rucker. I won't be here next year so it was a personal goal for me to win it two years in a row."

This particular category includes a mixed team of both male and female runners. The female runners, 2nd Lt. Lisa Becker and 2nd Lt. Liz Verardo, D Company, 1st Battalion, 145th Aviation Regiment joined their male counterparts Capt. Jesse Blanton, U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center; 2nd Lt. Jacob Rykken, 2nd Lt. Walter Thomas, Chief Warrant Officer One Su Li all of D Company, 1st Battalion, 145th Aviation Regiment and Tony Borowski, U.S. Army School of Aviation Medicine to give a loud Aviation cheer at the news of their repeat victory.

"Each year we have to work hard to build a team because unlike the Fort Bliss's (whose men's team took first place today) or Fort Bragg's of the world, we don't have the same people on the team year after year because we're a training base," Armstrong added. "This probably means more to us than to anyone else here."

Maj. Gen. James O. Barclay III, Fort Rucker commanding general, said the win is a great accomplishment considering the day-to-day operations going on around the world.

"This is a great day for Army Aviation," Barclay said. "Having those great Soldiers up there on the stage tells the rest of our great Army that we are right there with them both on the battlefield and back here at this great event."