Father Luke Willenberg, Second Battalion Chaplain of the 3rd
Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division’s 505th Parachute Infantry
Regiment, now holds the record for the fastest 12-mile foot
march by any soldier ever to graduate from the U.S. Army’s
elite DeClopper Air Assault School in Fort Bragg, N.C. Father
Willenberg broke the previous record last month by a full
seven minutes, with a time of 1 hour, 42 minutes.
The foot march was the final endurance test in a 10-day
training course that included such tests as time-competitive
rappelling from a Blackhawk helicopter and guiding a landing
chopper with arm and hand signals. Father Willenberg began
the march at 3 a.m. wearing full battle uniform and carrying
a 35-pound rucksack.
“I hope I can inspire and motivate some of my Paratroopers by
my achievements,” said Father Willenberg. “But in the end, it
is not about running or foot marching – it is about giving
God praise and glory, and striving to be the best we can be
in everything we are doing and by doing so bring people
nearer to Christ.”
Father Willenberg was ordained in 2008 for the Diocese of
Providence, R.I. He joined the Army in 2014 and was deployed
to Afghanistan for 12 months with the 10th Mountain Division,
where he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.
