U.S. Army Reserve soldiers host virtual Czech Republic ruck

POZNAN, Poland— As the clock ticked toward 5 a.m. May 27, Soldiers at Camp Kosciuszko laced up their boots and tightened their ruck straps for the virtual Czech Republic ruck march. The event is hosted virtually every year for service members who register online.

The annual military march first took place in 2011 around the Brno Reservoir, on the northwest edge of Brno in the Czech Republic. The challenging route spans about 30 kilometers or 18.6 miles.

While the inaugural event featured participants from the Austrian, Polish, and Slovak armies, U.S. Army soldiers first joined the tradition in 2014.

Inspired by historical Czech battles and marches, the virtual ruck allows participants to complete the distance anywhere in the world during the event window.

This year, U.S. Army Reserve Capt. Zachary Robinson, brigade intelligence officer with the 510th Regional Support Group, 7th Mission Support Command, coordinated the event at Camp Kosciuszko. From conducting route reconnaissance to distributing registration links, Robinson worked to bring soldiers from different units together to achieve a common goal.

"This event is great for morale, as it gives soldiers meaning and honor to ruck for a great cause while building teamwork," said Robinson. "Everyone carries the same weight, and everyone crosses the finish line together."

To virtually meet the official qualification standards, participating soldiers completed 13.6 laps around the installation. They used a mobile tracking application to verify their mileage while carrying a rucksack weighing 25 to 35 pounds. Upon verification, participants receive a physical medal, ribbon and diploma of completion.

“It surprised me how quickly word got around on how to join and sign up,” said Robinson. “There’s clearly a lot of interest across the formation, and it is great to see soldiers motivated to take part in something like this.”

Another virtual ruck will be hosted in June, allowing more Soldiers to maintain readiness while building morale and esprit de corps.

The 510th Regional Support Group, 7th Mission Support Command, headquartered in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and co-located in Poznan, Poland, provides base operation support to seven installation sites across the Baltics. As the rotational unit in Poland, the 510th Regional Support Group enables the readiness of V Corps and NATO forces across the eastern flank.