"This is for a bigger battle": Operation Iron Ruck

Bridging one of the most contentious divides throughout the Southeast, student veterans from both Auburn University and the University of Alabama will hike together to raise awareness for veteran suicide.

The annual hike — known as Operation Iron Ruck — begins at the away team's stadium and ends at the home team's stadium the week leading up to the Iron Bowl.

Ruckers, the name for the participants, will begin their trek Nov. 22 at Bryant-Denny Stadium and hike 151 miles to Jordan-Hare Stadium by Nov. 25, the day of the 2023 Iron Bowl. In addition to the game ball, ruckers will each haul a backpack with 22 pounds — one pound for each of the 22 veteran lives taken by suicide in Alabama every year.

The Auburn Student Veterans Association, which was established in 2009 as a nonprofit organization, serves as a way for veterans to easily transition to student life. Similarly, the University of Alabama’s Campus Veteran Association — the Crimson Legion — serves a similar goal. Both organizations worked together to plan the ruck and will travel together, shedding school affiliation for something greater.

On Nov. 7, 2023, Gov. Kay Ivey declared Nov. 22 Operation Iron Ruck Day. The proclamation stated that 400,000 veterans “call Alabama home,” and that one in 10 of them have “boldly answered the call of duty to defend our independence.”

Founded in 2018, OIR has worked to support those who have served and those who have taken their lives after serving. Ruckers also raise money to battle veteran suicide in the state of Alabama. This year their goal is $25,000. The community can donate to their fund, which ultimately gets donated to six different veteran charities.

Boone Bramwell, junior in political science and Marine veteran, serves as vice president of ASVA. He also works in the Veterans Resource Center in Foy Hall. Bramwell will participate in his first ruck this year. 

According to Bramwell, there isn’t an opposition between the two schools' veterans when conducting the ruck. He claimed the ruck “brings communities together” and gave further praise towards the veteran community coming together for the ruck.

“When you transcend out of the military, you’re not in that brotherhood or sisterhood anymore, and it’s hard,” Bramwell said. “It’s a good event once a year that [veterans] can all come together and tell stories and enjoy our time.”

Noting his personal relation, Bramwell said the ruck is a notable event since many veterans have had friends that have taken their own lives. Further observing the camaraderie of the veteran community, he claimed veterans can come together and raise awareness for the veteran lives lost to suicide. 

Lee County has 10,574 veterans in residence, with the city of Auburn housing 2,661 of them. Not all of these veterans are a part of ASVA but they can find camaraderie in their community and ultimately call Auburn home.

James Birdsong, an Air Force veteran who now holds a doctorate in adult education, works as a professor in the Delta School of Aviation. Birdsong served for 20 years and has had veteran friends take their own lives. He will participatie in his first ruck along with his son who is a Marine veteran this year.

Birdsong reminisced fondly on his 20 years serving the country. On active duty for the entirety of his service, he was transferred to Alabama in 2008 where he moved to Auburn two years later. Calling his service very “foundational” to his life, he noted that his service helped him throughout college. He has worked for the university since 2010, where he received his doctorate in 2017. 

He said his experience as a veteran in Alabama has been “fulfilling," and the veteran community in Auburn is “full of camaraderie, no matter the branch,” even outside of campus. 

Birdsong also recalled that the veterans association wasn’t established at the university when he came to Auburn in 2008, with ASVA being established the following year. He said the establishment of the association has caused the growth of the veteran community in Auburn.

“The experience as a whole has been cool, especially being a mentor. It’s cool to help young folks get their college degree and then watch them move on to what they want to do,” Birdsong said, reflecting on his time in the organization. 

Unfortunately, Birdsong has lost veteran friends to suicide, which he claimed could “definitely happen” when one serves 20 years. However, he claimed it gives the ruck more meaning to honor his friend’s lives.

“Alabama has one of the highest veteran suicide rates in the country,” Birdsong said. “There’s definitely a personal side there. If you’ve been around long enough, statistically you'll know a veteran who commits or will commit suicide. The awareness has gone up in the years.” 

Michael Taylor, current active duty Navy for 11 years, is now a graduate student in engineering management and works for ASVA and as an assistant professor for Naval sciences. He became involved with OIR in 2018 and is a member of the Auburn ROTC.

Taylor recalled his time as an Auburn undergrad when a student named Daniel Campbell started his own ruck in 2015. Calling the trek “Rucking for Raider,” Taylor traveled 200 miles from Auburn to his native Navarre, Florida. Campbell's ruck in 2015 became the blueprint of OIR which was founded in 2018.

Taylor enlisted in the Navy immediately following his high school graduation. When he decided to pursue further education, he picked Auburn from a list of 13 schools that the Navy allowed for tuition benefits. Taylor ultimately chose Auburn over the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill because it was “close to home.”

After watching Auburn play Florida State in the national championship in 2013, Taylor decided to look more into the university. Claiming that he "kept seeing them everywhere," Taylor decided to call Auburn his new home because of the "friendly campus."

Taylor recollected not losing a close veteran friend, but he recalls his comrades attempting to take their own life during his time on multiple ships. Claiming veteran suicide rates are “alarmingly high,” Taylor decided to participate in the ruck.

“The veteran community is like a vacuum. You get sucked in and carry your burdens with you," Taylor said. "Sometimes, you don’t have the support you need. I want to help fill the vacuum of community with more community and resources."

Curtis Pippin, an Army veteran who now holds a degree in psychology, works as a coordinator for ASVA and at the AVRC. Pippin served for six years and nine months in the Army and is a member of the Alabama National Guard. He joined OIR in September 2022.

Pippin recalled coming to Auburn after being stationed at Fort Moore, while his wife commuted to and from Phenix City, Alabama, to come work in the agriculture department for Auburn. Upon making the move to Auburn, he has lived on the Plains with his family for eight years.

Pippin claimed his personal connection to OIR not only comes from the veteran friends that he’s lost but “the message” is what really stands out. He became involved in ASVA during his undergraduate career, and in 2022, he came back to work for both the university and the organization.

“The concept of reaching out is kind of taboo. We want to fight those ideologies and thoughts and emphasize that it’s okay to reach out if you’re going through something,” Pippin said. “That’s what the ruck is all about. Seeing the two biggest rivals set aside differences makes the point that this is for a bigger battle.”

The Veterans Crisis Line provides around the clock support to veterans who may be experiencing suicidal thoughts. They can be reached through their online chat or by dialing 998 and pressing the 1 extension.