Grand Junction Police Officers Complete 26-Mile Desert Trek

It was an interesting weekend for five officers from the Grand Junction Police Department.

There's nothing like a 26-mile hike through the middle of nowhere to get away from all of the coronavirus madness, and that's exactly what these officers from the Grand Junction Police Department did.

The officers had been training and preparing for months to participate in the Bataan Memorial Death March in New Mexico. The event, put on by the U.S. Army, is held in honor of heroic service members who were responsible for the islands of Luzon, Corregidor, and the harbor defense forts of the Philippines during World War II. However, due to concerns about COVID-19, this year's event had to be canceled just days before it was to take place.

Since they had done all the training for this event, these five officers decided to do their own march, and this past weekend completed a 26.2-mile hike through the desert with an elevation gain of over 2,500 feet. Not only did they complete the hike in just under 10 hours, but these guys were also all carrying backpacks. If you have never backpacked, you just can't imagine what it's like carrying an extra 30 pounds or more on your back while you hike.

I think it's great that these Grand Junction officers did this hike, and I'm even happier that these men, charged with protecting us and serving the residents of Grand Junction, possess the physical ability to meet this challenge.

[GJPD]