Eat our dust: T-Bolts compete in Ragnar Published Nov. 18, 2014 By Capt. Christopher Behrens 56th Operations Support Squadron LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Three teams from the 56th Operations Group made a big showing at this year's Ragnar Trail Relay Race. Out of 430 teams, the 309th Fighter Squadron Mad Mallards placed 4th. Also finishing strong were the 61st FS Top Dogs and the 309th FS Wild Ducks. The race began Nov. 7 and continued to Saturday morning. Teams of eight runners covered 120 miles through McDowell Mountain Park in a relay that tested their endurance and mental strength individually as runners, but most importantly as a team. "This year the Ragnar Relay just happened to line up with Wingman Day, both of which celebrate the momentum, morale and strength the team adds to the individual," said Maj. William McKibban, 309th FS commander. "There's an obvious correlation between how dominant the Duck and Top Dog teams turned out to be and the cohesiveness of the folks they sent to compete." Ragnar Trail Relays are overnight running and camping adventures that make testing each runner's limits a team sport. The Mad Mallards covered the distance in 17 hours and 33 minutes, earning them 4th place. The Wild Ducks worked hard together to finish in 20 hours and 15 min. The Top Dogs from the 61st FS finished in 22 hours and 40 min. The teams trained together in the early mornings before work doing speed workouts on the base track and on weekends running trails in the White Tank Mountain Regional Park. "It was an awesome, humbling race that tested even the best runners," said Maj. Ryan Ley, 56th OG. "Running 15 miles on rugged trails by head lamp in the middle of the night after getting only an hour of sleep will test anyone's mental and physical strength. We all pulled together as a team, got it done and ran pretty darn well." While the three teams competed and had a great time running, they also ran to raise money for the Knights of Heroes. "The Ragnar Trail Relay was a great opportunity to compete in a challenging race, raise money for the Knights of Heroes and improve our fitness at the same time," said Maj. Joshua Arki, 61st FS. The Knights of Heroes Foundation empowers children who have lost a parent while serving in the military by providing positive adult mentorship, character development and lasting friendships forged during an annual wilderness adventure camp. KOH hosts families with common losses allowing them to share experiences and build relationships while increasing public awareness and ensuring that families with losses are not forgotten with the passage of time. The 61st and 309th FSs raised $2,052 for the organization. For more information on KOH, visit www.knightsofheroes.org. Mad Mallards Maj. Ryan Ley Capt. Chris Behrens Capt. Brandon Roth Maj. Ruben Amezaga 1st Lt. John Welch Maj. William Wisehart 1st Lt. Aaron Young Maj. Jason Oates Wild Ducks Maj. William McKibban Maj. Chris High Lt. Col. Jason Hughes Capt. Nathan Mondul 1st Lt. Thomas Hainline 1st Lt. Ted Adams 1st Lt. David Apsey Capt. Marcus Landrum Top Dogs Maj. Paul Jelinek Maj. John Wilson Cheyenne Wilson Maj. Justin Robinson Perry Puth Maj. Matt Olson Mrs. Allyson Olson Maj. Josh Arki