Welcome to the first installment of “Active Duty,” a column intended specifically for competitors in the Armed Forces. As I began to write this, it occurred to me we should first answer an essential question—why have a column dedicated to military athletes?

There are several potential answers. One could point to the fact that Ironman was invented by the military. The inaugural race was organized, run, and won by Navy men. Then there’s the argument that the profound contributions made by the military today justify a place here. Athletes from West Point, followed closely by their Annapolis rivals, dominate the top levels of collegiate competition.  That’s to mention nothing of the millions of dollars raised by those elite military athletes who go the (long) distance for charitable causes. 

They are men and women on a mission, and their battle doesn’t end at the finish line.

All that and more is true. “It briefs well”, as the saying goes. But when you consider that Ironman is a fairly small demographic already, none of that seems compelling reason to give the military crowd special coverage. There are plenty of Athena and Clydesdale competitors who do well in their category. Disabled athletes inspire even combat veterans, and our sport may currently be witnessing the emergence of another category—the 70-and-up age group. So why dedicate special coverage to military athletes? 

You could accuse me of having a bit of an agenda: I’ve been writing about military triathletes for a while. I got into the sport in 2004 while serving in the 101st Airborne Division. Being a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, serving as the president of the triathlon club at the U.S. Army base in Vicenza, Italy, and having the privilege to interview competitors like Navy Petty Officer 1st Class David Goggins and Marine Maj. Bill Conner, I’ve gathered a strong impression of just who our military athletes are and what they mean to us. That’s a personal conviction, though. It’s not enough to make the case for this column compelling. It’s got to be newsworthy.

There’s a guiding principle in journalism. People don’t care about “dog bites man.” That happens all the time. But man bites dog? That’s extraordinary stuff.

Therein lies the justification. This is a place for triathlon news, and military triathletes are newsworthy people. As esteemed a community as Ironman athletes are, our competitors from the Armed Forces are extraordinary. The determination and courage they display on each and every day of their lives invigorates our sport. For many of us, getting up at 5 a.m. on a Saturday morning to go out and battle 140.6 miles is a major event that we spend a whole year planning for. For our military competitors, that oh-five-hundred wakeup is just another day at the office. The race just the icing on the cake. After crossing the finish line, many of them immediately rack the bike and pack up so they can get home, not wanting to waste any time spent with their families. They are men and women on a mission, and their battle doesn’t end at the finish line.

It’s dog-bites-man stuff. So whether you’re a dog-faced soldier at Fort Stewart, a devil dog at Camp Pendleton, a salty dog at Pearl Harbor, or hot-dogging it at mach one around Lackland Air Force Base, this is the place where you can come as a triathlete and let your dog tags hang out. 

To that end, “Active Duty” won’t be just another cheering section or a political platform. It will be in the same tradition as your service—dignified and purposeful. While I don’t for an instant pretend to be a military triathlete, it’s honor enough to be a triathlete associated with the military. It’s an association I hope will endure—and at least now military athletes have a place they can hang their service caps.

Perfero est Optimus

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Jim Gourley graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a degree in Astronautical Engineering. He served seven years in the Army as an infantry and intelligence officer in the 101st Airborne Division. An Iron-distance triathlete, he writes on technological developments and military athletes in triathlon for LAVA.