Victor Wise, son of a retired First Sergeant and Operation Enduring Freedom veteran, began his sixth “Freedom Ruck,” a physical challenge he hopes will inspire support for our servicemen and women, today at 7:30AM EST at the Virginia War Memorial in downtown Richmond. Wise will continue north along Route 1, finishing at Arlington National Cemetery on Sunday, January 6.

“The goal of Freedom Ruck is to say thank you,” said Wise. “We try to lead by example and inspire folks to stand behind these heroes and their families. Our hope is to rally the public to take action. Our servicemen and women deserve to know how much we appreciate what they do.”

Fellow friends, family and supporters from Team Red White and Blue (Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Washington D.C.) have joined Wise for the 105-mile ruck. You can follow Wise’s journey with live updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Freedom Ruck monetary donations are 100% tax deductible and benefit The Navy SEAL Foundation. Over the past five years, Freedom Ruck has raised over $40,000 for the Foundation.

Photo by Olivia Walthall