CAA scales highest peak Down Under

Published Oct. 26, 2011
By Senior Airman Joe McFadden
1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- There are a select few Airmen who can claim to be part of the 6th Special Operations Squadron - the Air Force's only combat aviation advisors. It's an even rarer group who can say they've stood atop the highest peak of four separate continents.

Yet both of those titles are exactly what Capt. Graydon Muller can claim after climbing Mount Kosciuszko in New South Wales, Australia, Oct. 3.

The Air Commando made the expedition as part of the Seven Summits Challenge, an effort to honor the members of the U.S. Air Force, highlight personal fitness and raise money for families of fallen special operators, according to the program's website.

"We love the outdoors and mountain climbing, so we're out there doing this anyway; and we love our jobs and what the Air Force stands for," said Muller, a helicopter pilot from the 6th SOS. "This project gives us a way to combine these separate aspects of our lives, to do something both fun and useful. Our goal is to promote the Air Force, to build esprit de corps, to expose Airmen to new experiences and to show the world what Air Force personnel can accomplish."

While not a Department of Defense-sponsored event, the climbers' vision is to be the first American military team to reach the summit of Everest and the first group of servicemembers in the world to reach all of the famed seven summits, according to the challenge's website.

As part of the challenge, Muller participated in three previous climbs: Mount Kilimanjaro for Africa in 2006; Mount McKinley for North America in 2008; and Vinson Massif in Antarctica in 2010.

"When you think about the difficulties of a project like this, the logistics of climbing in very remote places, knowing you're supporting something worthwhile and representing something greater than yourself, like the Air Force, adds a lot of motivation, and a lot of pride when you finally get there," Muller said.

Like previous journeys, Muller took personal leave from his squadron and paid for airfare and lodging out of his own pocket. In leaving, he traded the visuals of dolphins swimming in the emerald waters of northwest Florida for kangaroos hopping about the Australian outback.

After rendezvousing with six other Americans and six Australian servicemembers in the ski village of Thredbo, Muller set out on what became the first multinational climb in the challenge's history.

"The Australians were wonderful and hospitable hosts for our trip," he said. "And any time we are out in the mountains and surrounded by good people is a great day. You couldn't ask for anything more than that."

Although Kosciuszko's 7,310-foot climb is less than half the height of Vinson Massif, the vision statement for the challenge is to take "U.S. Airmen to the top of the world, one peak at a time."

"This was much easier, a little bit more laid back and enjoyable hike compared to the others I've been on," Muller said. "But on this project, the mountain chooses you and not the other way around."

The team traversed several large snow fields on the way up the mountain, followed by a final steep push to the summit. The expedition lasted only a single day, but Muller said the view from the top made it unforgettable.

"We had a perfect weather day for climbing, and the views of the surrounding mountains were amazing," Muller said. "There was a beautiful contrast between the snowy terrain we'd been climbing and the green, more traditional Australian landscape spreading out around it."

Moments after conquering Kosciuszko and placing the American and Australian flags, Muller and his comrades honored their fallen brothers and sisters in a time-honored Air Commando tradition - by completing memorial pushups.

While he said he scaled these peaks with no one specifically in mind, Muller said he did it for all of them and their families.

"The higher we climb and the more pushups we do, the more money we raise for military families and their sacrifices," Muller said. "We also hope these achievements give some pride to the Air Force community and help to expand the horizons of Airmen everywhere."

After taking pictures of his group, Muller and friends took a faster way down than going up -- by skiing down the snowy mountainside with one of their respective flags atop their backpacks.

Now that he's returned to Hurlburt Field after scaling four continents, Muller said the final leg of the challenge will require he and his fellow climbers to traverse the highest peak on Earth -- Mount Everest.

As for that trial and its potential perils, the Air Commando said he's confident in his team's ability to see the challenge completed for the legacy of fallen Airmen.

"This was the sixth for the challenge, and we're one away from achieving our goal," he said. "Everyone involved has been proud to get to the top of these peaks and hold up the Air Force and U.S. flags. And they're not just proud as individuals who have accomplished something difficult and rare, but proud to do so as a team of Airmen. That makes it special and really motivates us to continue."

For more information about the challenge, visit their website at http://www.usaf7summits.com/Home.html.