TOWER BARRACKS, Germany – From supporting Gold Star families to hosting Memorial Day ceremonies, the U.S. military has a tradition of honoring men and women who gave their lives in service. For Tactical Air Control Party Airmen with the U.S. Air Force’s 2nd Air Support Operations Squadron (2nd ASOS), paying tribute to fallen service members took on a noteworthy significance last week.
On July 25 and 26, TACPs assigned to the 2nd ASOS gathered to conduct the annual TACP Association 24-Hour Challenge at Tower Barracks, Germany. Over a two-day period, the unit occupied a mile-long trail near the Tower Barracks Physical Fitness Center, circling the track, recording their miles and raising funds and awareness for their fallen brethren as they went. A parking lot along the route served as the main hub for the event, where volunteers collected donations and tracked miles, all while providing music and refreshments to the event goers. Though the challenge’s participants consisted mostly of TACPs, Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) service members, civilians, spouses and children also recorded mileage, with some families even camping overnight at the softball fields in support of their service members.
The event was coordinated through the TACP Association, a nonprofit organization that supports the TACP community through various services and programs. The 24-Hour Challenge, which serves as the organization’s biggest and most relevant event, is typically held around the same time every year by different TACP units stationed all over the world. All proceeds the organization receives are donated to those within the TACP community, including disabled veterans and Gold Star families.
“This is a chance to remember those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice,” said Alberto Reyes, a combat arms instructor with the 2nd ASOS. “Even if you don’t donate to the TACP Association, taking a minute out of your day to remember somebody who has fallen or look into someone who has fallen, TACP or not, is a service on its own.”
An integral part of U.S. Air Force Special Warfare, Airmen serving as Tactical Air Control Party members are few and far between, making up only a minuscule percentage of the total Air Force. A small and specialized group, TACP Airmen integrate both surface and air fires, operating in demanding and hostile environments all over the world. TACP Airmen with the 2nd Air Support Operations Squadron fall under the 4th Air Support Operations Group out of Ramstein Air Base, Germany, which provides direct support to U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) and V Corps.
Fighting through blisters, sore muscles and at times, hours of darkness, the group moved continuously for the full 24 hours, completing mile after mile as they looped around the Tower Barracks softball fields. In the final stretch of each lap, participants traveled a path surrounded by fourteen individual memorials, each honoring a named fallen Airman and serving as a grave reminder of the ultimate sacrifices made by the TACP community. Because this specific military community is so small, many of the Airmen taking part in the run knew the fallen Airmen personally, giving the event an elevated level of significance and emotion.
“There is a whole spectrum of emotions during the 24-Hour Challenge,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Jeffrey M. Mack, commander of the 4th Air Support Operations Group. “I’ve known a lot of the people that we’re honoring personally, so there is always a feeling of loss, but there is also teamwork and joy because we’re such a close knit group of people and we take care of families.”
As the clock ticked towards the 24-hour mark, all runners completed the final mile as a cohesive group, with Mack leading the formation all the way through the finish line. In a culminating act of remembrance, the group completed a series of push-ups at the conclusion of the last mile, each repetition honoring a fallen member of the TACP community. In total, participants completed over 1,800 miles, surpassing the expectations of the event’s organizers. While fundraising was one of the primary purposes of the event, the most important reason – remembering fallen TACP Airmen – was not lost on anyone for the entirety of the 24 hours.
“What goes through my mind as I’m running is all the service members we’ve lost – if they had a choice, they’d be out there with us and they don’t have that option,” said Senior Master Sgt. Gary Demmons, who is currently assigned to the 2nd ASOS. “There is pain and a little bit of being uncomfortable, but it’s nothing compared to what our fallen service members gave.”
By Capt Sara Berner