Unit runs for breast
cancer awareness
HUNTER ARMY AIRFIELD, Ga. Busses pulled into a packed parking lot near Wilson Gate at Hunter Army Airfield, packed with the Soldiers and leadership of the 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, during the early morning hours, Oct. 27. Police cars and motorcycles were parked at the edge of the parking lot. The grassy field in front of the parking lot was filled from left to right with around 200 Soldiers, stretching and mentally preparing themselves for what was about to take place. They were getting ready to do battle with a vicious enemy, one who has already claimed the lives of thousands of people. The enemy: breast cancer.
The 260th Quartermaster Bn., 3rd Sustainment Bde., participated in the second Paint the Town Pink run, in partnership with the St. Josephs/Candler Nancy and J.C. Lewis Cancer and Research Pavilion. The run took them out of Wilson Gate and down Habersham Street, all the way to the hospital. After completed the run, around 50 Soldiers went up to either side of the stage and dedicated the run to past and present breast cancer patients. Many of the dedications were made to 1st Lt. Andrea Graham, executive officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 260th Quartermaster Bn., who was diagnosed with breast cancer last August.
"I dedicated the run to Karen Iacino," said Spc. Ryan David, A Co., 3rd Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade. "It was kind of emotional to run for someone who had the disease. It made me feel proud."
Sergeant Terry Webb, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 260th Quartermaster Bn., also stood up in front of the crowd to make a dedication. Sergeant Webb dedicated his run to Patricia DeLoach.
"This is someone who is going through a tough spot," said Sgt. Webb. "Even though I don't personally know her, [running for her] makes me feel like I'm really supporting somebody."
After the dedications were complete, several speakers made their way to the podium to speak about breast cancer awareness. Colonel Shawn Morrissey, 3rd Sustainment Bde. commander, from his podium at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, also brought these issues to light.
"I can almost guarantee that every single individual standing here today, and everyone you know, has been impacted by [breast] cancer," said Col. Morrissey to the nearly 1,500 runners at Joint Base Balad. "I pray for those who have had [breast cancer, and] I pray for those organizations who help the cause of trying to defeat this terrible disease."
Paul Hinchey, president and CEO of St. Joseph's/Candler, emphasized during his speech that with the help of pledges and other fund-raising methods, mammograms and examinations are viable and available options for those who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford such procedures. "We've taken that out of the equation."
"It's not just because of your patriotism or your courage and selflessness in defending our country, but because of the heroic acts like today's run that will go a very long way in protecting this community from another enemy, which is breast cancer," said Hinchey.
"Early detection, which is what this [event] is all about, is the key. For those with early detection, the survival rate is 97 percent."
Colonel Paul Cordts, commander of Winn Army Community Hospital, came out to run for the cause as well. He dedicated his run to 1st Lt. Graham. He expressed a great deal of concern about the number of individuals who do not get screened until it is too late.
"We still have women who [come into] to our clinics with late-stage breast cancer," he said. "We cannot rest until we get women to come in early, and we're all living for the day that breast cancer will be 100 percent prevented."
Colonel Cordts also recommended that women at age 40 should begin going to hospitals more mammograms, along with monthly, self-exams and attention by their primary care providers.
Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Brown, commander of the 260th Quartermaster Battalion, reminded all of the Soldiers standing at the pavilion that breast cancer can and has hit home within the unit.
"More than a year ago, one of our own was diagnosed with breast cancer," said Lt. Col. Brown.
First Lieutenant Graham shared her experience with the crowd for a second year.
"It was devastating at first, and I thought it was a joke," she told WTOC-TV reporters. "I couldn't deal with it at the time, but as I became educated about what was [going to] take place, I accepted it and had a positive attitude about it."
The message behind the run still resides in all of the Soldiers of the 3rd Sustainment Bde., for they know that they ran for a good cause.
"It was a great [run]," said Sgt. First 1st Class Ronald McCoy, 473rd Quartermaster Co.
When Sgt. First Class McCoy was stationed at Fort Lee, he knew a Soldier who was diagnosed with breast cancer.
"I thought very much of her while I ran," he said.
"It was nice that we were running for someone," said Sgt. First Class Jamie Vaughan, 396th Transportation Co. "Breast cancer awareness is a really good cause."
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women and the second leading cause of cancer-related death among women. In 2006, close to 192,000 women have been diagnosed with the disease, and about 41,000 women have died. According to a cancer Web site, less than one percent of all breast cancer cases are found in males, usually around the ages of 60 and 70. To learn more about breast cancer, visit www.cdc.gov and www.cancer.gov.
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