Braxton Bragg-sponsored East Carolina University
Army ROTC Army Ten Miler team finishes in 3rd place and raises $4340 for AWW

Members of the Braxton Bragg sponsored East Carolina University Army ROTC Ten Miler Team in the “recovery” zone outside the Braxton Bragg hospitality tent after the race.  Pictured from left to right are:  James Moore, MSG James Hunter, Omar Harris, Derek Vanino, Junior Matthews, Preston Shepard, Matthew Cheeseman, and Steven Barnes
_______________________________

The Braxton Bragg-sponsored East Carolina University Army ROTC Army Ten Miler team had a great showing at the 25th Annual AUSA Army Ten Miler.  Paced by newcomer freshman Taylor Bowen from Chesapeake, Virginia, the ECU Pirates (Gold) team fell just short of capturing the team crown in the ROTC division, finishing in 3rd place.  Bowen’s outstanding performance on the Gold team was nearly matched by the team’s co-captains, seniors Ted Brennis and Kyle Bowen, who both finished just over 1:30 behind Taylor’s top-time of 62:13.  Junior Lucas Week completed the scoring for the Gold team finishing in 66:44.

Kyle was visibly proud of the Gold team’s efforts and his younger brother’s performance.  “This is a tough race,” Kyle explained afterward, “and to have the mental toughness and physical endurance needed to run at a 6:13/mile pace for ten miles is really impressive.  Taylor has a ton of talent and the fortunes look bright for the future of the Pirate Battalion’s Army Ten Miler team.”

The fortunes for the ECU team’s future does indeed look bright as 29 Cadets and 5 cadre members from East Carolina competed in the race held on October 4th in Washington, D.C.  The Pirate Battalion had enough runners to field a second “Purple” team which notably finished 19th in the 56 team ROTC division.  Many of the top runners, including Taylor Bowen, will be back next year.

  All ECU runners completed the race and enjoyed the hospitality, food, and drinks provided in the Braxton Bragg tent in the “recovery” zone afterward.  ECU’s Professor of Military Science, LTC Steven Delvaux, noted that the sponsorship of AUSA’s Braxton Bragg Chapter was critical to the teams’ performances and so many Cadets being able to compete.  “There is no way we would have been able to take our Cadets to DC for this event without the Braxton Bragg Chapter’s financial support,” Delvaux commented.  “The Army Ten Miler turned out to be a great way of exposing these future officers to all the great ways that AUSA supports our Army and its Soldiers.  Twenty-four of our twenty-nine registered runners are now AUSA members as a result of the Braxton Bragg Chapter’s sponsorship of the Pirate Battalion team.”

In the true spirit of giving back, the ECU Cadets worked hard to match the Braxton Bragg Chapter’s spirit of service, charity, and support.  For the second year in a row, the Pirate Battalion’s Cadets used the Army Ten Miler as a fund-raising opportunity for Azalea Charities’ “Aid for Wounded Warriors” fund which seeks to “provide comfort and relief items for soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines sick, injured or wounded from service in Iraq and Afghanistan.”  This year’s efforts yielded $4,340 for the non-profit charity which is composed entirely of volunteers.

  LTC Delvaux stated that, “As proud as I am of the young men and women who worked so hard and ran so fast during the race, I’m even prouder of the great heart the battalion showed in supporting this worthy cause.  I think the Cadets’ fundraising efforts on behalf of our Nation’s Wounded Warriors speak very loudly about the type of leaders they will soon be for our Army.  They really get it.  They understand that leadership is ultimately about service and they are bound and determined to serve those who have served us and to ensure that those who have bled for us and our country will be taken care of and will not be forgotten.”

For more information on the fundraiser, please visit the ECU Army ROTC fundraising website at: http://www.active.com/donate/TeamAzalea2009/woundedwarrior