CAMP SMITH TRAINING SITE, Cortlandt Manor, N.Y. — Two hundred and eleven New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen tackled the rugged trails of the Hudson Highlands Aug. 28 to earn the Royal Danish Air Force March ribbon.
The event, hosted by the 53rd Troop Command, required participants to carry a 23-pound pack on a 20-kilometer, or 12.4-mile, course.
The march was sanctioned by the Royal Danish Air Force’s A7 Training and Exercises Office as a decentralized host site for its annual endurance trial, known as the Flyver March.
According to the Danish Air Force, more than 45,000 American service members took part in the event in 47 states and 27 counties, Stars and Stripes newspaper reported.
First established in 2021 at Karup Air Base in Denmark as an initiative to build camaraderie across military branches, the march has since expanded to host sites at international partner militaries. Under Danish regulations, remote host installations must field at least 50 military participants to conduct an official iteration.
The New York turnout of 211 actively serving Army and Air National Guard members far exceeded that standard. A smaller contingent of New York service members completed the march the following day at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse.
Camp Smith Training Site serves as the New York National Guard’s primary military training installation in the Hudson Valley. Its firing ranges and tactical facilities support combat marksmanship, officer candidate schooling and pre-mobilization exercises year-round. This event used the post’s steep road and trail network to test operational stamina under load.
Marchers reported for initial weigh-ins at 6 a.m., verifying each rucksack met the mandatory 10-kilogram, or 23-pound, dry baseline. Completing the 12.4-mile course with the certified weight qualifies personnel to wear the Danish Flyver March medal and ribbon on Army and Air Force service uniforms, in accordance with Army Regulation 600-8-22.
The formation stepped off shortly after 7 a.m. Brig. Gen. Jason Lefton, commander of the 53rd Troop Command and the senior officer participating, was among the ranks. He completed the march alongside his brother, Lt. Col. Aaron Lefton, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 106th Regiment, Regional Training Institute.
While the Danish endurance trial has no official completion-time cutoff, several service members used the event to gauge their individual fitness against Camp Smith’s demanding elevation.
Maj. Dennis Tierney, an operations officer with the 53rd Troop Command, was the first across the finish line with an estimated time in the low two-hour and 20-minute range. Tierney credited recurring training runs up local Hudson Valley landmarks, including Anthony’s Nose, for preparing him to navigate the terrain.
“I knew the field would be full of strong, competitive participants,” Tierney said. “The event reinforced that when you put in the grueling trail miles ahead of time, your body and mindset will hold strong when it counts.”
Finishing next after Tierney was Spc. Quintin Bowman, a petroleum supply specialist with the 204th Engineer Battalion, who logged an official time of two hours and 39 minutes. Bowman, who previously earned two Norwegian Foot March badges, completed the Camp Smith course for the first time.
“Finishing reminded me that pain is temporary and that I’m capable of doing things that my mind might try to convince me that I can’t,” Bowman said.
Bowman said he maintained his pace with Tierney for most of the march.
“Surrounding yourself with people who have positive outlooks in difficult situations builds a type of resiliency like no other,” Bowman said
Sgt. 1st Class Leon Mabra III, an automated logistics sergeant with Camp Smith Training Site garrison, finished third in just under three hours.
“I learned that despite my age, my mind and body will continue to perform as long as I listen to it,” Mabra said. “I am most proud of the fact that I finished third and under three hours with this difficult terrain.”
The Camp Smith iteration was organized by a multi-unit committee headed by Lt. Col. Nicholas Whaley, commander of the 204th Engineer Battalion. Whaley, an experienced endurance athlete who has completed international rucking competitions, said the open-ended format encouraged widespread participation across the ranks while reinforcing joint readiness.
“The fact that there was no time standard made it a lot more accessible to a larger group,” Whaley said. “Starting everyone out together for a lap around the parade field allowed everyone to see just how big this was.”
Most participants crossed the finish line around noon, immediately re-weighing their packs before attending a post-event barbecue.
“You could see throughout the ruck everyone was one unified team,” Tierney said.
“Afterward we had a barbecue and good laughs about the heartbreak every time you hit a turnaround and had to go back up a steep hill, which made the experience unforgettable,” he said.