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By Lt. j.g. Mary Stark, JIOCTRANS 0169 Release #: 070620-1 Published: Thursday, June 28, 2007

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (USTCNS) --- As a salute to deployed service members in Iraq the members of JIOCTRANS 0169 at Scott Air Force Base have decided to run, walk, swim, bike, or rollerblade 6,681 miles to Baghdad.

Although they will not actually visit Baghdad, the sailors of JIOCTRANS 0169, a Navy Reserve unit attached to the United States Transportation Command Joint Intelligence Operations Center, will participate in a Fitness Challenge to Baghdad by tracking their daily exercise to reach their goal of 6,681 miles; the distance from their drill location at Scott Air Force Base to the heart of Baghdad.

During June and July, each member of the unit will record all personal daily exercise in miles to track their individual total. These totals will be tallied and recorded by the unit fitness coordinator, Lt. j.g. Raymond Staggemeier, to verify that the combined unit totals can span the 6,681 miles to Iraq.

Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Houldson, JIOCTRANS 0169 operations officer, devised the program as a way to both pay respect to the sacrifices of their mobilized counterparts in Iraq and also as an opportunity to get more reservists actively involved in physical fitness.

Unit members are eager to participate and say that the Fitness Challenge to Baghdad is a physical show of support to their mobilized shipmates. Currently, nearly 30 percent of the unit is mobilized or on full-time orders.

The JIOCTRANS 0169 commander, Cmdr. Robert Arp, thought the fitness challenge was an excellent way to unite the unit members across the miles and felt strongly that his people would meet their 6,681 mile goal.

Arp is so confident the unit will meet its goal, he is planning a challenge to other Navy Reserve units with a second fitness challenge.

Anyone interested in a jog to Afghanistan?