As the saying goes: “Walk a Mile in My Shoes”…
Ummm, no thanks — especially not “Run a Mile in My Shoes”…
But some crazy Air Force EOD guy (you gotta be nuts to tinker with multi-colored wires attached to a couple 155s anyway) decided he was going to darn well do it — and try for a record while he was at it.
Check this out:
The host says the record was broken at an airbase in Kirkuk, which is in the northern latitudes in Iraq and this being still April, not quite in the 120-degrees-in-the-shade territory. But still, the guy looks spent in the end…but he does manage to deliver a pretty snappy salute regardless.
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Awsum
What? No awareness?! Has this guy not seen the Hurt Locker? It won six oscars! Shit. How much more publicity do you want for EOD? Of course the film doesn’t reflect all the realities of EOD, but it does shed light on how dangerous it is.
I think this guy had good intentions, trying to raise money for the wounded eod warriors, but don’t get all egotistical and leave out other injured veterans who faithfully served as well.
Way to go
Man, this is a riot! By which I mean that speaking as a former Marine, going for a run in the scorching heat of Iraq at mid-day in 80 pounds of of body armor sounds like a decidedly Marine-like thing to do; I knew guys who used to run in boots, flak jackets, even gas masks just to be totally “hardcore.” Hence, it comes as no surprise that a Marine had been the record-holder. But to be bested by a “zoomie”? D’OH!! As I sit here typing, I suspect there’s a Marine somewhere seeing how far he can run in an EOD suit while carrying another Marine in an EOD suit on his back. :-)
Much respect for this guy, he’s got heart.
Rob: Relax, bud. I agree that EOD guys are practically celebrities in terms of public visibility (especially in science and engineering rags like “Popular Mechanic” and “IEEE Spectrum”) compared to a few years ago, no doubt due to the special demands and hazards of combat in Iraq. But I’d wager they are still fairly obscure to many in the public. And “egotistical”? Not seeing it, my friend. I think guys in *any* branch of service in *any* MOS are more apt to turn their attention to guys doing the same job.
Exactly we are all brothers in arms.Relying on eachother for everything we do. I'm in the Army myself and I think everyones job is important. Some people overlook the cooks, the mechanics, and hell even dentists. They are all important jobs and all those jobs work together. We are a team ensuring America's freedoms and interests. So lets talk like one
PVT. Roberto Miguel Lopez MOS: 11x Airborne Ranger
My favorite T-shirt: Front “I am an EOD specialist.”
Back: “If you see me running, try to keep up.”
@wombat: lol how true
Props for this guy. It takes some cojones to run a mile in an EOD suit… I once ran a mile in full combat gear, but I don't think that was anything compared to a run in an EOD suit… But for some reason, I wanna try this now… and probably end up passing out in the desert…
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