COLMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --
The U.S. Air Force Marathon is held every year at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, on the 3rd Saturday in September. It began in 1997 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Air Force and has grown into a 13,500 participant event with runners coming from all fifty states and several foreign counties.
William O’Meara, 14th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Emergency Services Assistant Fire Chief, will be one of those 13,500 runners this year to compete in the Air Force marathon.
O’Meara is a member of the Air Force Enlisted Village Marathon Team who’s running the marathon for “Mom”.
The Enlisted Village is a nonprofit organization providing homes for surviving spouses of retired enlisted U.S. Airmen. There are numerous locations called ‘Villages’ under the Enlisted Village for residents to choose from in northwest Florida.
Over 75 percent of residents of the Enlisted Village are widows of retired enlisted members and most of them are Mom’s. A guiding principle at the village is what’s called “the Mom Rule” which ensures that all employees treat each resident like their own Mom.
For O’Meara, the Mom Rule hit close to home.
“My mom is an incredible woman,” O’Meara said. “I am so proud of her and thankful for the sacrifices she made for me and my brothers. It is an honor to run this not only for my mom, but all mom’s”.
For more information about the Air Force Enlisted Village, please visit http://afev.us.