U.S. Air Force Summits Everest with Interesting Philosophy

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Jan

Mountain climber

Okinawa, Japan

Topic Author's Original Post - May 19, 2013 - 10:31pm PT

The U.S. Air Force is the first U.S. military team to summit Everest. They do so to honor fallen comrades, illustrating that there are many motives for climbing.

New post on USAF 7 Summits Challenge

Looking Back
by admin

The team has begun its descent from the summit of Mount Everest, and while the climb is far from over, we want to take a moment to reflect back on the long road to this achievement.

The USAF 7 Summits Challenge began eight years ago, at RAF Mildenhall. Then-Capt Rob Marshall, co-founder of the Challenge, had been working and living with one of the fallen crew members of Wrath 11, an Air Force Special Operations Command MC-130H ‘Talon II’ that crashed in Albania in March of 2005. Rob and the other co-founder, then-Capt Mark Uberuaga, had been planning a climb of Mount Elbrus in the Caucus Mountains of Russia, the highest point in Europe. They decided to dedicate their climb to their fallen comrades, and use the climb as a way to clear their heads and deal with the loss of their friends. As they progressed in their planning, they eventually decided to launch an effort to climb all of the Seven Summits, the highest peak on each continent. In addition to this symbolic first climb, the team also began raising funds and awareness for military charities that would support the families of the fallen airmen.

With the Seven Summits now squarely in their sights, they developed the vision for the newly formed USAF 7 Summits Challenge: “We climb to promote camaraderie and esprit d ’corps among US Airmen and to highlight the Air Force’s focus on personal fitness and growth.” Over the intervening years, others joined the effort for various climbs as the team ticked off summit after summit: Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mt. Aconcagua in South America, Mt. McKinley in Alaska, Mt. Vinson in Antarctica, and Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia. The intent was never for any single individual to climb the Seven Summits, but rather for an ever-changing team of USAF climbers to carry the USAF flag to each of these peaks. Managing these expeditions around conflicting TDY schedules and combat deployments wasn’t easy, but they kept at it.

The entire Challenge has unfolded during a period when the USAF, and the nation, has been at war. The idea of building resiliency, the ability to deal with adversity and loss and come back stronger, has shaped the team’s thinking more and more over the years. Everyone who has climbed as part of the team has shared the sentiment that the time spent in the mountains is good for the human spirit, and the idea of inviting Wounded Warriors to join them on the trek to Everest Base Camp was born out if that sentiment.

For the Everest climb, the team also seized on the opportunity to add another aspect to their mission: using their climbing to promote the Air Force vision of Risk Management, not just on the job, but off-duty as well. All of the USAF Everest climbers have been trained in Risk Management, and use it every day in their primary jobs. But they also live and breath RM in their mountaineering, and here was a chance to promote that mindset among all Airmen. The AF Safety Center has been a strong supporter of this effort, and you can expect to hear more about this climb in the future as they continue to promote the idea of “off-duty” RM.

Many people have asked about the future of the USAF 7 Summits Challenge. Will they make plans for other peaks, or a return to some of the Seven Summits? For now, it’s too early to tell. No single team member has climbed all seven summits, and no doubt a few of them still itch to finish their personal bucket list. Certainly the team hopes that others will set their sights on distant peaks just as the Challenge founders did, as a means of honoring their comrades, and staying strong in the face of adversity.

TGT

Social climber

So Cal

May 19, 2013 - 10:48pm PT

To quote one of my son's ex CO's

What we do is 100% deadly

100% of the time

Aircrew and climbing mindset is strikingly similar

LilaBiene

Trad climber

May 19, 2013 - 11:02pm PT

Great timing, Jan, and thanks so much for sharing.

Dolt's more comprehensive military service record arrived last week. He served in the USAF 1953 - 1957, primarily at Castle AFB in Merced, CA. (I have a nifty hat from the museum courtesy of Mouse & it's in heavy rotation!)

I'll try to post some of the most interesting material from the record when I can find a few minutes (Ha ha!).

Really enjoyed this.

Jan

Mountain climber

Okinawa, Japan

Topic Author's Reply - May 19, 2013 - 11:04pm PT

The airmen killed over Albania in whose memory this quest was started, were supporting our bombing of the Serbs in Bosnia. The Europeans wrung their hands and did nothing while civilians were slaughtered for several years. Our bombs stopped the slaughter of innocent civilians within a couple of weeks.Every situation is different and the Air Force doesn't make policy, our politicians do.

And thanks Lila, looking forward to your post.

Brokedownclimber

Trad climber

Douglas, WY

May 19, 2013 - 11:10pm PT

One of my former flight instructors in Broomfield, CO at Rocky Mountain Metro Airport had summited Everest for a similar reason. But mainly to "clear his head."

Evel

Trad climber

Nedsterdam CO

May 19, 2013 - 11:14pm PT

Semper Fi to the USAF

First I've heard of this. Good on them FlyBoys!

jabbas

Trad climber

New River, AZ

May 19, 2013 - 11:31pm PT

Me and a AF brother used to rap off of 80 ft guard towers at Kwang Ju air base, Korea. All of our non climbing buddies thought we were loco. We hunted down quarries and cliffs and honed our early "stonemaster "skills. We got to talk( er translate) to the team that climbed Baintha Brakk II. A very intimidating chunk of Earth !! Year was 1981

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

May 19, 2013 - 11:55pm PT

I have a very good Bosnian friend who fought in that horrid affair. Needless
to say, despite being a professional musician, some of the sweetest music to
his ears was that of US Air Force jets bombing Serb artillery.

Jan

Mountain climber

Okinawa, Japan

Topic Author's Reply - May 20, 2013 - 12:02am PT

The Air Force team is now safely back at the South Col and will continue descending to Camp 2.

Meanwhile, they have acomplished another amazing first on Everest. Here's from their latest report.

Those who have followed the USAF 7 Summits Challenge know that the team has a tradition of doing pushups on the summit of each peak they climb, and this was no exception. Rob Marshall knocked out an incredible 30 pushups in 30 seconds, at 29,000’, without oxygen! (That might just earn him a waiver from his annual PT test.)

Talk about hard core!

jabbas

Trad climber

New River, AZ

May 20, 2013 - 12:40am PT

This is cool news !! I'm interested in finding out how the "team" got the A-F to , shall we say, sponsor them for this endeavor? I used to present all kinds of "outdoor" type ideas to Air Force "brass" and got snuffed left and right. Times have certainly gotten better for athletes outta the norm !!

Jan

Mountain climber

Okinawa, Japan

Topic Author's Reply - May 20, 2013 - 12:44am PT

Indeed. I used to be the only person on an Air Force base riding a bicycle and carrying a small day pack. Now everyone does. What was once considered hippie has now become standard.

Jan

Mountain climber

Okinawa, Japan

Topic Author's Reply - May 22, 2013 - 08:19am PT

Three out of five team members made it to the top at 5:30 am on the same day 50 years later, that the first American team summited. Two team members turned back, and returned to the South Col. One had a respiratory infection that slowed him down and the other was getting frostbite in his toes.

They have all descended safely and are headed for the airfield at Lukla.

Don Paul

Big Wall climber

Colombia, South America

May 22, 2013 - 08:30am PT

If they wanted an honorable war to harken back to, I'd pick WWII. What the USAF does now is drop bombs on people in the thirld world.

orle

climber

May 22, 2013 - 08:33am PT

If they wanted an honorable war to harken back to, I'd pick WWII. What the USAF does now is drop bombs on people in the thirld world.

tradmanclimbs

Ice climber

Pomfert VT

May 22, 2013 - 08:50am PT

If we had not won WW11 AF general Clemay and many others would have hung in Nuremburge for the fire bombing of Dresden and Tokyo. Clemay spoke words to the effect to the presedint that the firebombings would make them war criminals if we did not win.. The firebombing of tokyo BBQed more than both nukes combined. war is an ugly buisness.

matty

Trad climber

under the sea

May 22, 2013 - 09:30am PT

Waste of tax $$.

Stewart Johnson

climber

lake forest

May 22, 2013 - 09:32am PT

Great news! but i cant hold back ...
All the critisism over the big E and what a sh#t show it is
until some mericans summitt then you love it.
It took alot of SHERPA manpower to get the Airforce team up the big E.
Anyone who thinks different has something wrong with brain.

survival

Big Wall climber

Terrapin Station

May 22, 2013 - 01:07pm PT

Go Air Force!

Hooo Yahh!!

FrankZappa

Trad climber

Hankster's crew

May 22, 2013 - 01:31pm PT

Does the Air Force finance this?
It's pretty special, but I am not happy if my tax $$ is paying for this, or bombing the $hit out of some poor people on the other side of the planet for that matter.

survival

Big Wall climber

Terrapin Station

May 22, 2013 - 02:41pm PT

FrankZappa

Trad climber

Hankster's crew

May 22, 2013 - 02:46pm PT

Oh I get the waste. I spent 6 years in the military and got to see it first-hand.
I feel a little traumatized myself; maybe I could get the military to finance my next climbing trip?

survival

Big Wall climber

Terrapin Station

May 22, 2013 - 02:49pm PT

Always have, always will..

Fukkin' AAAA

TGT

Social climber

So Cal

May 22, 2013 - 02:58pm PT

No taxpayer funds involved.

The USAF 7 Summits Challenge is an independent Air Force team whose vision since its creation in 2005 has been to reach seven famed summits and plant the American and Air Force flags. They climb to promote camaraderie and espirit de corps among Airmen, highlight personal fitness and growth and honor friends and colleagues who have died in the line of service since 9/11.

The group also supports the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, a charity that provides full scholarship grants as well as educational and family counseling to the surviving children of special operations personnel who have died. The organization also provides financial assistance to those severely wounded and their families.

"My primary motivation was the foundation," said Merrin. "Climbing Everest has become a great way to support them as well as the team."

http://www.schriever.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123332639

http://www.usaf7summits.com/blog/sponsors/

*Note: the USAF 7 Summits Challenge is not officially sponsored by the US Department of Defense or the US Air Force. It is a team of military members acting unofficially, and with no DoD financial assistance, to spread goodwill about the US Air Force.

FrankZappa

Trad climber

Hankster's crew

May 22, 2013 - 03:37pm PT

^^^ OK, then WOO HOO!

(....but I still detest the military.)

Elcapinyoazz

Social climber

Joshua Tree

May 22, 2013 - 03:45pm PT

Interesting thing to me, this isn't really being publicized very heavily within the Air Force (don't ask, I have a way of knowing these things). It got a small writeup on the AF news site:

"5/22/2013 - MOUNT EVEREST CAMP 2, Nepal -- A group of Airmen with the Air Force Seven Summits team reached the highest point of the world, Mount Everest (29,035 ft.) just after 5 a.m. local time May 19.

The success marks the first time a team of military members from any nation has reached the highest point on all seven continents: Mount Elbrus Europe; Mount Kilimanjaro Africa; Mount Aconcagua South America; Mount McKinley North America; Mount Vinson Antarctica; Mount Kosciuszko Australia and Mount Everest Asia.

The team included:

•Maj. Rob Marshall, a CV-22 Osprey acceptance pilot from Mercer Island, Wash., currently stationed at Bell Helicopter in Amarillo, Texas.
•Capt. Andrew Ackles, a TH-1N instructor pilot from Ashland, Ore., and stationed at Fort Rucker, Ala.
•Capt. Marshall Klitzke, a KC-135R pilot from Lemmon, S.D., currently an instructor pilot at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.
•Capt. Colin Merrin, a GPS satellite operations mission commander from Santee, Calif., stationed at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.
•Capt. Kyle Martin, a T-38/F-16 pilot from Manhattan, Kan., currently stationed at Langley AFB, Va.
•Staff Sgt. Nick Gibson, a reserve pararescueman and physician-assistant student from Gulf Breeze, Fla., stationed at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla.
"Fifty years after the first American boots stood on top of the world, the first American military team has followed in those footsteps," said retired Col. Rob Suminsby, who has regularly posted updates about the team's progress on their blog at www.usaf7summits.com. "The team unfurled the stars and stripes and the Air Force flag on the summit right after 5 a.m. in Nepal."

Though unable to make the journey themselves, Suminsby and Maj. Mark Uberuaga, co-founder of the Seven Summits project, supported the team at home by keeping the blog updated and relaying key messages to friends and family members of the team.

"We were all on this journey with them. The day they took off for the summit we received 12,000 hits to the website." Uberuaga said. "(Chief of Staff) Gen. (Mark) Welsh himself commented on one of the blogs a couple days prior to the summit attempt. The team knew the entire Air Force was rooting for them. I know they carried that with them to the top."

In a blog update posted May 22, the team recounted the physical toll of the climb.

"Rob is still battling a bad chest infection and hacking cough, and many on the team have sunburn, bloodshot eyes and cracked or bleeding toes," according to the blog. "As Rob put it, 'The mountain put up a good fight.' Everyone made an effort to pack on some pounds before this trip, and most have lost 11 to 17 percent of their body weight -- 40 pounds in Kyle Martin's case."

The Seven Summits Challenge began eight years ago when Wrath 11, an Air Force Special Operations Command MC-130H 'Talon II' crashed in Albania in March, 2005.

"Rob and I had been planning a climb of Mount Elbrus in Russia, which is the highest point in Europe, before the crash," Uberuaga said. "We decided to dedicate the climb to our fallen friends. It was something we could do to honor them and it helped us deal with the loss."

As the planning continued, Marshall and Uberuaga decided to launch an effort to climb all of the seven summits to raise funds and awareness for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, a charity that provides full scholarship grants, as well as educational and family counseling, to the surviving children of special operations personnel who lose their lives in operational or training missions.

Two of the climbers, Capt. Colin Merrin and Staff Sgt Nick Gibson, turned back before the summit due to illness and concerns over frostbite.

"These guys deserve a huge amount of credit, as they made one of the toughest decisions a climber can make, turning around short of the summit," Suminsby said. "Both made a good decision to turn back. The team was committed to safety throughout the process, and their actions are shining examples of how to do the right thing even when it's disappointing and not easy. A lot of people have been willing to sacrifice fingers or toes to reach the summit, but this team defined success from the outset as bringing everyone back in one piece."

A secondary mission for the team was promoting the Air Force's vision of risk management, on or off duty. All members of the team were trained in Risk Management and used the principles in their day jobs and while mountaineering.

"The Air Force Safety Center has been a strong supporter of this effort," Suminsby said. "They recognized early on that this is an opportunity to promote a risk management mindset in all Airmen."

goatboy smellz

climber

Nederland-GulfBreeze

May 22, 2013 - 03:53pm PT

It's good to see the AF upping their game no matter how antiquated the goal might be. When I worked S&R at Barr Camp on Pike's peak they would have teams from the Academy hike up in the summer FULLY loaded down with the most bassackward gear I've ever seen, full on external frames castiron pots and pans plus snowshoes that looked like leftovers from the 10th division.

survival

Big Wall climber

Terrapin Station

May 22, 2013 - 04:02pm PT

When I worked S&E at Barr Camp on Pike's peak they would have teams from the Academy hike up in the summer FULLY loaded down with the most bassackward gear I've ever seen, full on external frames castiron pots and pans plus snowshoes that looked like leftovers from the 10th division.

As it should be. How fast would you like our money to hit every single guy in the service with the kind of gear we want SEALS and PJ's to have?

pyro

Big Wall climber

Calabasas

May 22, 2013 - 05:22pm PT

go Chair-force!

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

May 22, 2013 - 05:38pm PT

I'm surprised the AF boys flew in or out of Lukla. That's kind of a short
strip for those guys! I bet they wuz wubbin their wabbit feets! ;-)

goatboy smellz

climber

Nederland-GulfBreeze

May 22, 2013 - 05:58pm PT

Survival, I didn't mean that in a negative way, I was thoroughly impressed with their badassery in hauling all that old gear up the mountain.

survival

Big Wall climber

Terrapin Station

May 22, 2013 - 06:51pm PT

Gotcha.

OLD GEAR ROOLZZ!!!

tradmanclimbs

Ice climber

Pomfert VT

May 22, 2013 - 07:30pm PT

Did not mean any disrespect with my little history lesson. just pointing out that even though our WWll involvement was as just of a cause as there will ever be it was still ugly.

canyoncat

Social climber

SoCal

May 22, 2013 - 09:52pm PT

My kid is Special Ops flight crew in a C130. Go Air Force!!! And to the as#@&%es who think he should be ashamed of being in the Air Force, go f*#k yourself.

Stewart Johnson

climber

lake forest

May 22, 2013 - 09:58pm PT

One minute yer saying Everest should be somehow "fixed"
and the next yer congradulating a team that relied on the system
that you say is broken.

TGT

Social climber

So Cal

May 22, 2013 - 10:34pm PT

Canyoncat, my kid is a C130 instructor (loadmaster)

Small world.

Ken M

Mountain climber

Los Angeles, Ca

May 22, 2013 - 10:56pm PT

I'm a little puzzled.

It is not clear at all, to me, that these guys are what would be called traditional mountaineers. More like Dick Bass.

And yet, despite them being that, all the accolades? Don't get that.

Second point, I am quite positive that other military teams have summitted. I believe Krakauer even wrote about that in "Into Thin Air".

Jan

Mountain climber

Okinawa, Japan

Topic Author's Reply - May 22, 2013 - 11:11pm PT

The British and the Indians have had successful military teams but I don't know about the U.S. Of course it is the same as with the Olympics, other countries fund their athletes (with tax dollars and are happy to do so) while we make them raise money privately. I think that' why we have fewer military teams climbing.

TGT

Social climber

So Cal

May 22, 2013 - 11:16pm PT

It is not clear at all, to me, that these guys are what would be called traditional mountaineers. More like Dick Bass.

That's one of the more idiotic statements, (on several levels)I've seen in a while.

What's a "traditional" mountaineer anyway?

Hawkeye

climber

State of Mine

May 22, 2013 - 11:28pm PT

What's a "traditional" mountaineer anyway?

prolly one that wants to get to the top versus failing part way up and wanting to down play the lack of a summit and naming it as a route anyway.

BuddhaStalin

climber

Truckee, CA

May 23, 2013 - 05:19am PT

If they wanted an honorable war to harken back to, I'd pick WWII. What the USAF does now is drop bombs on people in the thirld world.

Go f*#k yourself with a frozen, uneducated turd. You don't have the slightest idea what the USAF does, and if you did, you would thank them. So goddamn sick of people thinking they know what they're talking about bashing the military. War is hell, yet part of human nature and civilization...like it or hate it, its true and it is what it is. Be thankful for the people who are out biting the proverbial bullet so we, and stupid f*#ks like yourself, can have our freedom and our way of life. Sick of people belittling and trash talking the military as a knee-jerk.

Big thanks to all of our troops, officers, airmen, and seamen et al for doing the service for all. We couldn't live the lives we live without them.

In a perfect world, we wouldn't have war or need a military at all, but the world is an imperfect place, it is what it is. I'd like to think that we do more good than harm. A lot goes on in the military of all branches that we don't know about, not just bad, plenty of good.

That said, rant over, big ups to the USAF team. Nitpicking of details not necessary.

Stewart Johnson

climber

lake forest

May 23, 2013 - 09:16am PT

Good job to the Air Force team ! And a screw you to the hypocrites who
bagged on Everest before their heros topped out!

Ken M

Mountain climber

Los Angeles, Ca

May 23, 2013 - 12:35pm PT

It is not clear at all, to me, that these guys are what would be called traditional mountaineers. More like Dick Bass.

That's one of the more idiotic statements, (on several levels)I've seen in a while.

What's a "traditional" mountaineer anyway?

TGT, as usual, you simply whine and spew, but don't make a coherent argument (or ANY argument)

I'm not for attacking people who hire guides to climb a mountain, as long as they have put in the skill and experience training that is needed.

Others feel that they need to be more "pure", with a life-long resume, and anybody else are just tourists and not to be taken seriously.

But they don't attack amateur climbers, if they are Air Force. Hmmmm.