Hello my name is SGT Russell Rollins and I am a US soldier on a deployment named "Operation Iraq'i Freedom." I just want to introduce myself to everone as a runner as well as a soldier. I wrote an essay when we finally arrived at the Iraq'i airport to express the situation and feelings I was having and how me and my running mate coped with the situation through the means of our ability to run. So here it is, at the time it was untitled but I have now named it "Where the Army has taken my Running Career." This was also written around April or beginning of May timeframe.

My days begin at not so early a time as they used to, but still early all the same. 0656 hundred hours I wake usually before my watch alarm clock that I use due to the lack of electricity in our very large tent. I awaken to the realization that for the next year or so I wont have any days off, no time spent with my family, or anything normal. I am a soldier in the US Army on a deployment called Iraqi Freedom. But let me back track for a bit. I began running in basic training in Oklahoma and it was ok but my lungs usually hurt. During my time in the Army I have traveled quite a bit and had the opportunity to run in Texas, Georgia, Nevada, Florida, and Washington. During my tenure in the Army I also had the opportunity to travel in Europe as well being stationed in Germany. I had the opportunity’s to run in Germany, France, Spain, Denmark, and Switzerland. Running in these countries proved to be a lot of fun with some great memories.

But now the Army has taken my running career to the middle East. The concept of everyday life here has many unwritten rules that have to be followed or else danger or injury could occur. I have a running mate here who I run with religiously. We understand that you have to run before 0800 in the morning or deal with such intense sunlight and heat that it gives you a headache for the rest of the day no matter how muc! h water and nutrients you intake. We understand that because we are runners and given the amount and distance of running we do here we have to carry water with us while we run to drink, and then hydrate the rest of the day. The usual 8-10 glasses of water a day rule doesn’t cut it here. We also understand that you never ever run in the dirt, do to the fact of unexploded ordinance that is hidden or forgotten about. During our time here, we have seen many exciting places and have had the opportunity to take many photos of things that most people will never see in their whole entire life.

My mate and I have developed a bond between each other with our running here that I have never had or known could develop with any other running mate I have ever had. We talk while we run, or at times we have to try to be silent for fear of being caught for exploring places we shouldn’t be. We’ve looked into underground tunnels, dodged HMMWV’s and 5 ton trucks. We have invited people to run with ! us just to test ourselves and our abilities and try to run them into the dirt so to speak, and they usually won’t run with us anymore after that. So now we have a reputation of being speed demon’s. But we prefer to call ourselves Desert Warrior’s. We have the motivation and ability to run and fight in any climate, any terrain, and any country anywhere in the world because we serve the armed forces of the greatest country known to mankind. But now I have to go because my platoon is have an Army Physical Fitness Test this morning and I want to try and run a 12 minute 2 mile in Iraq just so I can say I did it.

By the way I ran an 11:30 2 mile that day.