Rescue group Airmen brave heat during fun run

  • Published
  • By Tech Sgt. Carlos J. Treviño
  • 943rd Rescue Group Public Affairs
DAVIS MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Early Saturday morning before the start of the July drill weekend, a small group of runners braved the heat and humidity to participate in the 943rd Rescue Group's Top Three 5K Fun Run on the fittingly named Sunglow Road.

Running in Arizona during July is difficult enough, however for Lt. Col. Conley Titus, a clinical nurse with the 943rd Aerospace Medical Squadron, feels these runs tighten the bonds between her and fellow nurses.

"We need to lead by example," said Titus. "Fun runs improve the esprit de corps, and it lets everyone know that old ladies can indeed still move," she said.

She completed the last fun run in December and wanted to build on that experience.

"During the last race, I was the very last female to cross the finish line," said Titus, "But, I love this; we need to do this more than two times a year. It's extremely hot out here right now, but I'm enjoying it."

Staff Sgt. Adam Bañuelos a medical technician with the 943rd AMDS was among a trio of medical noncommissioned officers that ran the race as a group, after they finished, each ran back to pace other medical group members who were struggling to finish.

"It's fun to get out here and run with our medical squadron, Conditions are 100 percent different than in California. I run the beach, it's a lot dryer here," said Bañuelos, who lives in San Diego, Calif.

The trio felt it was important to help their colleagues.

"We're here as a section representing the medical squadron; we finished our race, and we wanted to double back and encourage the rest of our team to push themselves to finish," said Bañuelos. "Fitness and health are our personal responsibilities, if we can do it with our section, that makes it even better."

Despite the hot and sticky conditions, Staff Sgt. Brett Wessels a medical technician with the 943rd AMDS ran wearing a 25 pound weighted vest on his upper body.

"It helps me prepare for deployment activities," he said of his simulated battle rattle. "It gets me ready to do combat based stuff and show that we can still hump litters and move with our packs just like we are supposed to do in peacetime and wartime. We have to be able to operate in those conditions."

He also led the way running back on the race course and find the last runners to pace and encourage them.

"That was part of a unity exercise making sure our medical team finished together. It's important to go back and make sure everyone is good to go, make sure everyone is safe and that we all finish together," Wessels said.

A newcomer to any type of road race was Lt. Col. Sigrid Ahlmark who is retiring on August first after 36 years of military service.

"I did it because of the nurses, and I had never done a 5K race," said Ahlmark. "I was so excited to get my first race t-shirt yesterday. I wanted to kiss off my career with a 5K run and have bragging rights."

"This is my second family, I love that the two enlisted guys came back for me and paced with me," she said.

Another newbie runner was Master Sgt. Antonio Green. He is, like Ahlmark, about to retire after over three decades of service.

"I'm going to retire soon after 33 years, and this is my first fun run," he said. "I run on the treadmill every day, I thought it might be tough, but it was really fun. It was great to run with the folks that I work with. I had a good time supporting the troops and running with some of my young troops that will be taking over for me when I leave the Air Force."

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