Edwards firefighters join in 104.8-mile run through Mojave desert

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Eric M. Grill
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Edwards Firefighters joined a former smokejumper June 2 on his quest to run 104.8 miles in under 25 hours for charity.

The 12 firefighters performed a relay to accompany Ken Perry, a Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management employee, throughout his 17-mile trek across Edwards - about one sixth of Mr. Perry's route, which began in Red Bluff, Calif., and took him through the Mojave Desert to Valencia, Calif.

Mr. Perry, who injured himself during a smokejumping mission a few years ago, made his attempt at the "Mega Run" to raise money for the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps injured firefighters and the families of firefighters killed in the line of duty. Last year, Mr. Perry ran two consecutive marathons in the same day raising more than $42,000.

"We're all part of a family in the fire department," said Chris Lindsay, a 95th Civil Engineer and Transportation Directorate firefighter. "It doesn't matter if you're federal, county, state ... we're all one family and these things are just an opportunity for us to show how much we support one another."

The ultra-marathon runner entered the base through the North Gate and was met by Senior Airman Joshua Mitchell, a 95th Security Forces patrolman, who provided traffic control throughout the base run for Mr. Perry and his support team entourage. This is also the point at which the Edwards firefighters started their relay over a 17-mile stretch of the base.

"Any little contribution we can make in his effort, we're all for it," said Tyson Cardenas, another volunteer runner from the Edwards fire department. "Anytime someone gets hurt on the job ... we're there for one another because we're all brothers in the same career field."

In all, the "Edwards crossing" took about three-and-a-half hours to complete.

During the run, Mr. Perry said he appreciated being able to come through the base.

"It made our route a lot easier not having to worry about so much traffic (off base)," he said. "The way the fire department and the (Security Forces) are helping us out here ... is nice and appreciated."

Lori Greeno, a recipient of assistance from the Wildland Firefighter's Association after her husband John was killed in the line of duty in March 2005, was part of Mr. Perry's team. While warning motorists driving by of runners ahead, a military member and his family pulled along side her and asked what was going on. After explaining the purpose of Mr. Perry's run to the family, Ms. Greeno said the military member asked if she would accept a donation.

"I don't know how much he gave me, but the individual basically emptied his wallet," she said. "Their comment was, 'gee it's not much,' but I said back to them 'it's ok, everything helps.' In my mind I'm thinking though that 'it doesn't matter how much you give, it matters that you're willing to give.'

"The spontaneous donation is special because I know there will be families in the future that will benefit from the donations, just like I did when I was in their position."

Edwards Firefighter Phillip Remley said his reasoning for supporting the run was because Mr. Perry is a member of the firefighting brotherhood.

"(The fire department) is a brotherhood because we spend more time at work with these guys then we do with our own families ...," Mr. Remley said. "So you really do become close with everybody. You look at them as brothers as time goes on. We fight, we bicker and we have fun and we laugh; it really is a brotherhood.

"Even though I've never met Ken before and I don't know much about him, just knowing that he is a firefighter and he is one of our kind (I'd say) it's great to be able to help him out and participate in an event like this."

As for the quest to run four consecutive marathons in under 25 hours, Mr. Perry was able to complete a little more than two of them before an injury to his right knee forced him to stop.

True to their form though, firefighters already scheduled to join Mr. Perry on his run through the Antelope Valley and the Angeles National Forrest continued carrying the "torch" and completed the remaining 47.8 miles in a spontaneous relay.

Debbie Santiago, the Department of Interior fire mitigation and education specialist for the Bureau of Land Management's Bakersfield office, summed up the final push.

"The brotherhood of hot-shot crews came together and picked up the pieces and did what they would do on the fire line -- finished the job."

So far, the "Mega Run" has brought in $31,800 in pledges.