Air Force Captain Finds Resilience Through Endurance Running

Oct. 5, 2026 | By Air Force Staff Sgt. Cheyenne Lewis Roberts, Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs |

Military service demands sustained physical and mental resilience. Air Force Capt. John Blasingame put that standard to the test in the Bigfoot 200, a 200-mile ultramarathon marked by steep elevation changes, unforgiving terrain and up to 107 hours of sleep deprivation.

As the Headquarters Air Force A2 Directorate for Intelligence Analysis, Partnerships and Engagement executive officer, Blasingame is no stranger to demanding operations. More than a distance event, the race tests endurance, judgment and recovery under prolonged stress; it profoundly evaluates how the human mind and body function when pushed past the threshold of complete exhaustion. 

His path to ultra-running was born out of personal crisis, not athletic ambition. In 2022, while stationed at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, he faced severe mental health struggles that led to hospitalization. 

"There were a lot of things in my life that I was trying to fix on my own power ... that I just couldn't fix," Blasingame recalled. "I decided I need to go back to the basics. I need to just try to find peace." 

Seeking that peace, he began waking up before dawn to listen to worship music and run on the Hickam track. 

What began as a coping outlet developed into a disciplined commitment to endurance running. In 2023, he completed his first marathon. By 2025, he ran 12 ultra-marathons in 12 months. In 2026, he won five races outright, set two course records and ranked in the top 100 nationally. 

Bigfoot was a steppingstone toward his ultimate objective of winning the Grand Slam of 200-Mile Ultra-Marathons, a feat few can achieve, even among the world's most resilient athletes.

For Blasingame, ultra-running is more than a physical challenge. The sport builds the physical endurance, mental discipline and resilience that support combat readiness. 

"A warrior, as I understand the concept, is just someone who is willing to be broken and is willing to engage with his or her own weakness," he said. "You don't get strength apart from weakness, and in the same way, I think ultra-running reveals that to me in a very tangible way. No one ever finishes without these really dark moments where you think, 'this sucks,' but you make the decision to take another step forward." 

But just as no solo operator wins on the battlefield, no ultra-runner conquers 200 miles alone. Behind the captain is his father, Don, his ultimate support system, who came to Hawaii during his darkest hours and continues to support him on the trail.

"Running became an expression of the healing, discipline and sense of purpose that were already developing in him," his father reflected. "Over time, running gave John another way to challenge himself and discover what he was capable of. As John's father, I'm incredibly proud of the runner he has become, but I'm much prouder of the man he continues to become. I've watched him grow in discipline, resilience, humility and faith." 

When the race commenced Aug. 14, Blasingame's discipline and his father's support were put to the test. The Cascade Mountains presented a relentless obstacle course of steep climbs, spotty satellite tracking and zero cell coverage — forcing Blasingame's crew to drive nearly 1,000 miles along winding mountain passes to meet him at remote aid stations. 

The physical and emotional toll was immediate. At his lowest points, huddled alone in the dark at mile 37, and again at miles 102 and 118, the mountain fog rolled in and Blasingame's competitive expectations began to slip away. He found himself lying devastated at aid stations, too exhausted to run. During those critical breaks, his support team stepped in to manage the physical toll, ensuring he rested and refueled before sending him back out onto the course. 

With his team by his side, his deep faith and his personal mantra, "stand up again," he was determined to drive forward and conquer the Bigfoot 200. Rather than fighting the clock, he used Scripture as a quiet anchor in the dirt, choosing to fight the simple battle of perseverance one step at a time.

Blasingame pushed through the final, grueling miles toward the finish line, completing the 206-mile course in just over 81 hours. While his athletic drive left him slightly disappointed with his overall competitive standing, the deeper victory was unmistakable. 

"The finish line wasn't a cinematic moment — it was a jumble of gratitude and raw, physical exhaustion," Blasingame said. "The lesson that this race reinforced is that strength isn't about being invincible; it's about what you do after your break. My hope is that when some of my airmen hit their own inevitable breaking points, they will look at my mess, see how I have found strength to stand back up and realize they can likewise find strength in their own brokenness."

Medal of Honor Monday: Army Sgt. Alvin York

 Oct. 5, 2026 | By David Vergun, Pentagon News |

Army Sgt. Alvin C. York, an infantryman, received the Medal of Honor for valor due to his heroic actions during a World War I operation in France, actions that would be immortalized in the 1941 film "Sergeant York."

York was born Dec. 13, 1887, in Pall Mall, Tennessee. His father, William Uriah York, was a blacksmith, hunter and farmer on their 75-acre plot. His mother, Mary Elizabeth York, was a busy housewife, tending to their 11 children. York had minimal schooling. He helped with the farm and became a sharpshooter, skills honed from years of hunting. 

In November 1917, York was drafted into the Army, despite claiming conscientious objector status. He went to basic military training at Camp Gordon, Georgia, with Company G, 2nd Battalion, 328th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Infantry Division, the unit he would remain with throughout the war. 

In June 1918, he arrived in France. In September, his regiment participated in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel and later engaged in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the largest World War I American operation.

During this offensive and on the date of his valor, Oct. 8, 1918, York, a corporal at the time, and his unit were tasked with capturing a railroad. The platoon got lost in the forest behind enemy lines and soon were met with machine-gun fire.  

Nine members were killed, including all of the noncommissioned officers, leading York to assume command of the platoon. Fearlessly leading the remaining seven men, he charged toward a machine-gun nest which was pouring incessant fire at his platoon.  

At the time, York was carrying a rifle and a pistol. During his heroic ordeal, he used his hunting skills to silence the machine-gun nest, killing 25 Germans and leading to the enemy commander surrendering. All in all, his unit took 132 prisoners. 

York was promoted to sergeant Nov. 10, 1918, just a day before the end of the war, honored today as Veterans Day. The Medal of Honor was presented to him the following April in France, by Army Maj. Gen. George B. Duncan, 82nd Infantry Division commander. 

On May 22, 1919, he arrived back in the U.S., to a hero's welcome, aboard the cargo ship SS Ohioan and was discharged from the Army a week later. 

The next month, he married his childhood sweetheart, Gracie Loretta Williams. They had eight children, with three of his sons going on to serve in the military. 

Following the war, local nonprofit and other civic organizations raised enough money to build York a large, two-story home and to purchase 400 acres of land for him along the Wolf River in Pall Mall. 

York committed the rest of his life to philanthropic causes, establishing a Bible school in his hometown, founding the Alvin C. York Foundation to increase economic and education opportunities in eastern Tennessee and founding the Alvin C. York Agricultural Institute in Jamestown, Tennessee. 

During World War II, York tried to reenlist and serve in combat. However, he had health issues that prevented his request. Instead, he served stateside as an Army major, in the Army Signal Corps giving motivational speeches to troops, teaching marksmanship and promoting war bonds. 

York died Sept. 2, 1964, and was buried at Wolf River Cemetery in Pall Mall. His wife died Sept. 27, 1984, and was buried beside him. 

York's grandson, retired Army Col. Gerald E. York, was in the Army for 31 years, serving in combat during the Vietnam War. He continues to work to preserve his grandfather's legacy, running the Sergeant York Patriotic Foundation, which supports education opportunities in eastern Tennessee. 

His Medal of Honor is on display at the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville. 

The site of his birthplace log cabin and his postwar farmhouse are preserved as part of the Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park in Pall Mall.

The film "Sergeant York" is loosely based on his upbringing and wartime experience. Gary Cooper, the lead actor, won an Academy Award for his realistic portrayal of York. 

A bronze statue of him is on the grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville. The Alvin C. York Institute that he founded is now a high school. The Alvin C. York Hospital in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and the Alvin C. York Bridge that spans the Tennessee River are named for him, as well as York Avenue in New York City.