Troops at Bagram Airbase remember 9-11
The AP and Stars & Stripes report that the folks at Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan remembered 9-11-2001 with a 9.11 km run today;
About 1,000 service members ran 9.11 kilometers (5.5 miles) at the main U.S. base, both to commemorate the anniversary and remember troops who have died in nearly eight years of fighting.
The U.S. and its allies first invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 to oust the Taliban regime for sheltering al-Qaida leaders who planned the attacks. The Taliban were quickly routed, but the militants regrouped and have mounted an increasingly strong insurgency over the past three years.
Organizers of Friday’s race, which also was held at two other bases, called it an act of defiance against insurgents who have killed more American troops this year than in any other since the beginning of the conflict. August was the deadliest month for U.S. troops so far, with 51 killed.
Now, if we only had an administration which found value in acts of defiance.
There’s more on remembering 9-11 at Blackfive; one post by Mr. Blackfive and another by Uncle Jimbo. More from Mr. Greyhawk and Mrs. Greyhawk.
ADDED: El Marko has a really excellent photo essay of 9-11-2001 at Looking at the Left.
Category: Bloggers, Military issues, Support the troops, Terror War
I have a memory of celebrating South Korean Independence Day or something of that nature with a 10 K “Fun Run” around Bagram with TSO. I think it started with TSO indicating an attractive Marine Captain (female this time) that he wanted to watch throughout the race, then after she smoked us like we were standing still in the first 200m settled into both of us calling the other “Whatever you want SPC Spear” whenever someone suggested “we can just walk for a few seconds, then start running again, it’d be fine…”
Needless to say, we finished without resorting to walking like a common…um…SPC Spear…and we greeted at the finish line narrowly edged out by the commander of Korean forces (who had technically only joined the race about 150m back from the finish line and was flanked by two sweaty looking Majors holding a big flag behind him as he crossed the finish line) I think we got a free Kimchi lunch in their chow hall or something.
Good times, eh TSO?
Even overseas, in a time of crisis, they stop to pay respects… I remember Camp Doha had a heart-wrenching ceremony back in ’03. It was something.
Not to seem picky, or throw stones on a “witty” name.
But 9.11 kilometers…..is 10.1K
Can’t have .11 of a K. I realize it is symbolic, but it is also stupid to name it so.
Why not run 9.11 MILES instead? Bagram has plenty of fenceline to accomodate that.
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SSG M,
You might want to brush up on your math skillz. 9.11k = 9,110 meters. I know crazy, eh, since the metric system is based on units of ten.
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