Running in Theatre

I'm always intrigued by stories of military personnel who meet their running goals while deployed in theatre. There are a lot of stories out there, and this one about a US Army officer is typical of the dedication and perseverance with which these folks meet their goals. If you have a running story from in theatre, leave a comment. MP+

Face of Defense: Captain Adapts Running Regimen
By Army Sgt. Matthew E. Jones
Special to American Forces Press Service

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq, Nov. 12, 2009 - Many soldiers find it difficult and inconvenient to conduct physical training in a field environment. Temperatures in Iraq can top out near 150 degrees, and running in a dust storm is no picnic.

But Army Capt. Alex Quintanilla, an automation officer in the 28th Combat Aviation Brigade, doesn't seem to mind. In fact, he began training for his first marathon while deployed to Iraq in 2005, and he hasn't stopped running since.



Army Capt. Alexander Quintinilla races in the Peachtree 10K at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq, July 4, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Matthew E. Jones

Quintanilla, a resident of Burtonsville, Md., recently ran the Marine Corps Marathon at Asad, Iraq, as one of 309 runners. His brother, Edwin, was among more than 21,000 runners participating in the primary Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C.

Running seems to run in the Quintanilla family. The captain's brothers -- Edwin, William and Wilbert -- ran with him last year in Washington, and they each finished the 26.2 mile race in less than four hours.

Quintanilla, a resident of Burtonsville, Md., recently ran the Marine Corps Marathon at Asad, Iraq, as one of 309 runners. His brother, Edwin, was among more than 21,000 runners participating in the primary Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C.

Read the whole piece here.