Challenge Accepted

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Story by Staff Sgt. Justin Hardin
U.S. Army Central

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait  “Fall in!” Col. Jason Wood, commander, 368th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group (EASOG), calls airmen of the Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) to attention.
It is 7:53 p.m. and the TACP community across the globe is preparing to start their 8th Annual 24-hour challenge. The purpose of the 24-hour challenge is to remember the airmen and women killed in combat, honor those still serving and support the families of both.
“All TACP units and associates throughout the globe are participating, we started here at 8 p.m. Kuwaiti time and there are other units starting [at] similar times all throughout the world,” Wood said.
This year the event featured six categories of competition: overall mile, average miles, ultra run two-person team, ultra run individual, ultra ruck two-person team and ultra ruck individual.
“Every year I try to push myself,” said 1st Lt. Josh Martinez, TACP officer, 82nd EASOS. “It brings out the competition in everyone and that’s what I love.”
For the 2019 challenge, TACP set an overall financial goal of $250,000 and to log 50,000 miles. Participants at the Camp Buehring location did not collect monetary donations, they only logged miles and directed all donors to the TACP fundraising website.

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