Rough Riders prepare for Red Button Run

by Airman 1st Class Apryl Hall
Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs

8/5/2014 - MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- It started with ridicule from a certain late-night talk show comedian. During his rant, the comedian poked fun at the missile community, mocking morale issues and "not pushing this big, beautiful, shiny, jolly red button."

Now, Airmen from the 91st Missile Wing are preparing to disprove all the negative rumors regarding their discipline and dedication, with a 395-mile relay race.

"Over the last two years we've had a lot of negative publicity," said Senior Master Sgt. Jason Focht, 91st Missile Security Forces Squadron operations superintendent and a Red Button Run coordinator. "With this relay, we're trying to bring the missile wing together as a whole and show everyone what we can do if we put our minds to it."

The race covers the entire 8,500 square-foot missile complex, hitting all 15 Missile Alert Facilities, and runs through several surrounding towns. It ends at Minot Air Force Base's main gate. The runners consist of 39 teams of four people, each running 10-mile legs.

"You can't do something like this with a small group of people," Focht said. "It's going to take the whole wing to accomplish this. It's a heroic undertaking."

The three-day relay will not only demonstrate the resiliency of the runners, but will also show the vastness of the 91st MW operations, Focht said.

"Our area of responsibility is 8,500 square miles," Focht said. "That's huge, and a lot of people don't realize that. It highlights our unique mission."

In order to include the entire base in the event, the 5th Bomb Wing is hosting the Bomber Run, a half marathon held on base as the Red Button Run comes to an end. Participants have the option of running the 13.1 miles or doing a ruck march. After both events, there will be a party at Bud Ebert Park to celebrate the accomplishments of everyone involved.

"We wanted a Team Minot event, so that's why we added the half marathon at the end," Focht said. "The whole base is going to come together."

Although the run was originally created for missile wing Airmen, others are benefiting from the event as well. Funds raised from the Bomber Run will create scholarships for local communities in the missile complex.

"It gives us an opportunity to give them a little bit of a thank you," said Capt. Kyle Yates, 91st MSFS operations officer and another Red Button Run coordinator. "The relay puts us out there in front of the communities that have supported us for the past 50 years. We really appreciate what they do for us."

When all is said and done, the Red Button Run is not really about proving something to a snarky comedian. It is about coming together as a team and successfully completing a challenging mission, which is precisely what the nuclear enterprise stands for.

"When teams go through hardship, like a 395-mile run, that's what brings them together and allows them to work better as a team," Yates said. "Minot has two legs of the nuclear triad. Let's come together and show what we're all about."