HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Maj. Gen. Anthony Genatempo and Scott Hardiman joined nearly 200 other riders in participating in the 340-mile Air Force Heritage Memorial to Memorial Ride last month.
The annual cycling event, stretching across several states from the Wright Brothers National Memorial at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina to the Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, celebrates the legacy of the Department of the Air Force.
“When I looked at that first flight memorial, and I thought about what happened there in 1903, it really hit me,” said Hardiman, Air Force program executive officer for Nuclear Command, Control and Communications, and the director of the NC3 Integration Directorate, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center.
The M2M Ride is a tradition that highlights the service’s focus on physical fitness, service, and heritage. It offers an opportunity for participants to bond with others while commemorating the pioneers of flight and Air Force history.
Riders represented DAF as they traveled through small towns and rural areas, promoting the values of endurance, teamwork, and service to the public.
“There is something about 200 bike riders riding down the streets of North Carolina and rural Virginia that gets noticed,” said Hardiman.
The event featured support from Air Force Recruiting Service, flyovers, and a swearing-in ceremony, contributing to fitness promotion and recruitment efforts.
Genatempo, program executive officer for Cyber and Networks, who has a deep appreciation for Air Force heritage and history, spoke about the physical and mental challenges of the ride.
“To finish those amazing four days of consecutive riding; 93 miles then 106 miles followed by two days of lengthy hills … I found it was not as hard doing it together as it was when I was training for it alone,” said Genatempo.
The ride begins where the first controlled, powered flight took place in 1903, symbolizing the birth of modern aviation. Riders then travel to the Air Force Memorial in Arlington, which honors the service and sacrifices of the men and women who have served.
“It is so fascinating to bookend the ride between those two very visual symbols of Air Force heritage from the first flight to the contrails of the Air Force Memorial,” Hardiman said.
For many participants, including Genatempo and Hardiman, the ride offers a moment to reflect on their careers and the Air Force’s enduring legacy.
“The connection to our living Air Force history meant a lot to me,” said Genatempo. “I was able to take part in this event and become part of our Air Force legacy.”
Genatempo and Hardiman were among 24 participants awarded a commemorative coin for completing both the Memorial to Memorial Ride and the Marine Corps Marathon.
Riders included Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin; retired Gen. David Goldfein, the 21st CSAF; and retired Chief Master Sgt. James Roy, the 16th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force.
Allvin, who participated on the last day, led riders to the Air Force Memorial, where he acknowledged the importance of heritage, teamwork and fitness, and recognized the participants who trekked more than 340 miles together.
“Coming back here is a perfect end to this four-day ride,” Allvin said. “But (while riding) I saw more things when I think about celebrating our heritage and the things that make us who we are as an Air Force. I saw the teamwork that’s required for an Air Force to be successful. I didn’t see a lot of single riders by themselves. They were always with wingmen coaching them, helping them, sometimes mentoring them.”
The M2M bike ride, which was a brainchild of retired Brig. Gen. Robert Beletic, former vice commander of 1st Air Force (Air Forces Northern), and Goldfein, began in 2022 to celebrate the Air Force’s 75th anniversary.
The 2024 Memorial to Memorial raised more than $43,000 to support the Wounded Airmen and Guardians Program.