821st Transportation Battalion Norwegian Foot March

FORT Riley, Kansas—Select staff of the 821st Transportation Battalion, 561st Regional Support Group (RSG), 451st Expeditionary Sustainment Command (ESC) hosted a Norwegian Foot March in Camp Funston located on Fort Riley, Kansas, on April 6, to build Soldier cardiovascular endurance and unit cohesion.

The Norwegian Foot March is a military endurance test. The first march was held in 1915 to assess marching endurance for Norwegian Army personnel. A strategic goal was to be able to move larger units of troops over a great distance swiftly and in a manner that enabled them to efficiently be prepared for combat – even after the march by carrying their rucksack/weaponry of 11 kg (24 lbs.) for 30 km (18.6 miles). To earn the Norwegian Foot March Badge, participants must complete the ruck in four hours and thirty minutes for men, or four hours and fifty minutes for women, with varying times for different age groups.

451st ESC Commanding General, Brig. Gen. Brandi Peasley, attended the training event to engage with Soldiers and cheer participants like Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Stirling, the 451st ESC command sergeant major. He was one of 79 Soldiers from the Regular Army and Army Reserve that accepted the challenge. 49 completed the march and 42 qualified for the Norwegian Foot March Badge. The first participant to complete the ruck march for males was Capt. Jacob Yaniero of the Trial Defense Services out of Fort Sill, Oklahoma with a time of three hours and 18 minutes, and Capt. Kit Hammes of the same unit finished first for females with a time of three hours and 45 minutes.

Col. David Newman, commander of the 561st RSG said the event exemplifies one of the things he likes about being a Soldier.

“We do hard things together as a team,” he said.

It was a blistery day. Winds sustained a speed of 25 to 30 miles per hour throughout the event that started at 0830 and ended about 1400. Soldiers found themselves sometimes having to fight the wind to make it to the next turn where they could catch a break. United Service Organizations (USO) volunteers and Family members were out as well supporting the Soldiers by providing food, water and encouragement at key checkpoints.

“Today as we march shoulder to shoulder, we do so not as individuals but as a unified force, a reflection of the strength that comes from diversity and teamwork, and this event is a microcosm of the broader mission we undertake as members of the military,” said Lt. Col Adrian Christopher, commander of the 821st Transportation Battalion, “It highlights the importance of working with foreign militaries, of learning from one another, and forging alliances that extend beyond the battlefield and today’s interconnected world, our ability to collaborate, to understand each other and work towards common goals is more critical than ever.”

To be able to offer the badge, all of the planning had to be coordinated with the Norwegian Embassy.