2012 Gold Star Family’s Ruck March Published April 27, 2012 By Lt. Col. Elizabeth Clay 860th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Did you know that if you are currently serving in the military, your moms and dads are called Blue Star parents? Many Blue Star families hang a service banner in their home window signifying the number of children serving in the military by the number of blue stars on the banner. However, if you die while serving in the military, that blue-colored star turns to the color of gold and your family members are now designated as Gold Star moms and dads, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, grandmas and grandpas. There are more than 5,000 service members who have died during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the state of California has 690 of them. These Gold Star families have suffered the ultimate sacrifice and I believe we need to ensure that they are never forgotten. You're not alone if you didn't know this information. I just learned about Gold Star families a few years ago. Here's my story: In 2008, my husband and I were newly stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst N.J. We were sightseeing one day when we decided to go and check out the Jersey shore. It was recommended to us to visit Sea Girt National Guard Training Center. This is a popular place to go since it maintains one of the few free beaches on the N.J. coast. The critics were right. Sea Girt has beautiful beaches and camping facilities and definitely keeps you coming back. More importantly, something happened at Sea Girt that day that will change us forever. As my husband and I pulled into the gravel parking lot adjacent to the beach, we noticed the normal protocol signs for designated chief, colonel and general spots, but one parking sign caught our attention: it was one Gold Star. We had never seen this before and it stood out from all the other signs. We speculated about what we thought the one, lone Gold Star meant, but after realizing that we had no idea what it was, we went about our day at the beach. About a week after that, my first sergeant, Senior Master Sgt. Bubba Beason invited me to go with him to meet with a Gold Star mom named Kristine Koch at the Military Entrance Processing station at Fort Dix where they were dedicating the swearing-in room to her fallen son. I said "Sure, I'll go," but I asked him, "What's a Gold Star mom?" "It's a mom who has lost a son or daughter in service to this country," he said. "Being a Gold Star mom is a noble club of which nobody wants to become a member." That's when it hit me. I finally understood what that one, lone Gold Star parking sign at the beach stood for. I thought how neat that was for a military beach to put up a special sign to honor these special moms. At the same time, I also felt really embarrassed because I had let 37 years of my life pass before I ever knew what a Gold Star mom was. I was ashamed because there I was, a commander in the United States Air Force, and I had not yet learned about that special group of mothers. From that day on, my invitation from Beason became a life-changing moment that has motivated my husband and me to ensure that the memories of our fallen service members and their mothers and families are never forgotten. We have vowed to do everything we can to recognize these families, including attending memorial events for the fallen, participating in and creating runs for the fallen and to direct ruck marches at every base we get stationed. On May 19, the 860th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the Travis First Sergeant Council will sponsor the second Annual Gold Star Family's Ruck March at Travis. The purpose of the event is to bring awareness about Gold Star mothers and families to the base and community population. As we pay tribute to the valiant men and women in uniform lost in service to our country, we also recognize the deep loss and great strength of those who share in that ultimate sacrifice: America's Gold Star mothers and families. I feel that it is very fitting that we will be doing this march in honor of them on Armed Forces Day. The course will be a regular 10k (6.2 miles) that winds through Travis. There will be several divisions, including a military heavy class wearing a uniform and carrying a 30-pound backpack, military light, just wearing the uniform, and a civilian class. Participants may walk, run or crawl the course or any combination thereof. Teams will include four members; male, female or coed. Participants may sign up as an individual, but you will not be able to compete for the award trophies in any of the division categories. We expect approximately 300 people to participate in the ruck march. The day starts with a reception for the families and an opening ceremony. During the event, families will ride in military vehicles and cheer on the participants. At the end are the awards and a closing ceremony. Come and show support for these families. I hope that if something happens to me while I am serving in the military, my military family would recognize my parents the way we will recognize these families on this day. Whether you actually compete in the event, mingle with the Gold Star families, pass out water or be a road guard, you don't want to miss this. The event will start and end at the 615th Contingency Response Wing warehouse, Bldg. 924. Check in time is from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Opening ceremonies will start at 9:30 a.m. and the ruck will begin at 10:00 a.m. on the May 19. Contact your squadron first sergeant for more details. The cost is $60 per team and $15 per individual. The event is free for spouses and children of those deployed. To register for this event, email the names of team members, T-shirt sizes, and category division to Master Sgt. Elizabeth Crist at elizabeth.crist@us.af.mil. Sign up by May 4 to be guaranteed a T-shirt.