CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait, Oct. 3, 2011 -- Camp Buehring, Kuwait, played host to the Army 10-Miler satellite run Oct. 2. Hundreds of deployed service members and civilians participated in the run.
Commands around the world often host satellite runs to complement the official Army 10-Miler, which will be run in Washington, D.C., Oct. 9.
The Camp Buehring 10-Miler was open to all service members deployed to various locations throughout Kuwait. Morale, Welfare and Recreation on Camp Buehring planned and coordinated this year's event.
"The bus left our camp at 3:30 a.m. to accommodate the start time and our drive time," said Staff Sgt. Margaret Schliesing. She rode an hour to participate from a camp in central Kuwait. "(I'm) glad I did it. It was an experience."
Schliesing is deployed with the 134 Brigade Support Battalion, 34th "Red Bulls" Infantry Division from Camp Ripley, Minn.
Registration began at 3 a.m. Runners from all branches of the service showed up, some in civilian running gear and some in military physical fitness uniforms.
Staff Sgt. Nicholas Kuffel, A Company, 2-135 Infantry Battalion, deployed to Camp Buehring, showed up to the 10-Miler with ruck, weapon and Army Combat Helmet.
"I wanted to represent my unit," Kuffel explained. He said he was surprised he was the only one with a ruck.
Force protection officers and provost marshals officers were out in full force. The figure 8 course took runners down and around Camp Buehring base. The roads were blocked and did not open to traffic until the three-hour run ended.
Units deployed to Camp Buehring manned water stations along the course. G Company, 700 Brigade Support Battalion, attached to 160th Field Artillery, from the Oklahoma National Guard maintained water point four and created a festive atmosphere handing out water. They cheered on runners and ran the cookout grills at the finish line.
Even the last person to cross the finish line completed the run within the three hours the streets were blocked. That runner was ruck-carrying Kuffel, who finished in 2 hours, 53 minutes.
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