YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea -- The Eighth Army 10-miler Team capped a 7th place finish out of 52 teams at the 2014 Army 10-Miler race in Washington, D.C, on Oct. 12.
After months of preparation and a 13 hour flight, the team finally arrived in D.C. on Oct. 10.
"Our schedule was fairly relaxed. We all wanted to quickly overcome our jetlag and keep our legs fresh for the race," Capt. Allyson Peetz, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate (OSJA) Claims Chief and Legal Assistance Attorney said.
The race began at 8 a.m. at the Pentagon in Arlington, VA, and ran through the National Mall in D.C.
Even with over 26,000 participants, the Eighth Army team reached an outstanding result of winning 7th place out of 52 mixed divisions.
"Considering our team did not train together, and a few of us battled with injuries over the summer, I am incredibly proud of finishing 7th," Peetz said. "I personally would not have reached my goal of breaking 70 minutes, without the advice of the team members," Peetz said.
The team testified to not only its strength and teamwork, but also to the ROK-U.S. alliance.
Eighth Army chose a KATUSA Soldier--Pfc. Pahng Seong-ho--as one of the representatives in D.C. for the first time. KATUSA stands for Korean Augmentation to the United States Army. They are qualified Korean draftees who demonstrate a high level of English fluency and aptitude via a standardized written exam. By assigning ROK Soldiers within an U.S. Army garrison, the program allows greater military functionality and maneuverability throughout the Korean peninsula.
"We finally have both U.S. Soldiers and a KATUSA Soldier that are representing all of us in the race…and it really strengthens our partnership and the alliance," said Eighth Army Command Sgt. Maj. Ray Devens.
It was Lavon Washburn, one of the organizers of the event, who decided to send Pahng to D.C. as a member of Eighth Army 10-Miler Team.
"It is a good news story for everyone involved," Washburn said. "We had to jump over a few hurdles to get him approved to go, but KATUSAs serve along with U.S. Soldiers, so why would we not allow them to compete along side of U.S. Soldiers?"
Pahng passed the finishing line with his overwhelming record of 56 minutes, making a strong contribution to the team's result.
"Looking back, I think it was the roaring crowds alongside the finishing stretch that did the trick. After all, it is the support from our families, friends, and countries that empowers us to Soldier on," Pahng said. "I was in cloud nine this past weekend. I got to fly over to the States, made friends with Soldiers around the world, and ran the best race in my life. I am also honored that I experienced this as a KATUSA Soldier."
Through this opportunity, Eighth Army continues to solidify the partnership between U.S. and ROK military, and continues to grow stronger due to the hard work and successes of our Soldiers and units.
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