HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- Editor's note: The following article is the third part of a four-part series about four Hurlburt Field Air Commandos who have earned a spot on the Air Force Special Operations Command Marathon team participating in the 20th Annual Air Force Marathon Sept. 17.
For one Air Commando, a hobby used to help clear her mind has led her to compete.
Senior Airman Rebecca Chamberlain, a paralegal with the 1st Special Operations Wing, is scheduled to participate in her second Air Force Marathon at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Sept. 17. As a member of the Air Force Special Operations Command team, Chamberlain will compete in the half marathon race.
“Running was more of a hobby and stress reliever at first,” Chamberlain said. “It wasn’t until I joined the Air Force that I truly got into it.”
As a paralegal specialist who acts as a legal expert in a wide range of legal practices such as researching cases and interviewing clients to ensure the law, order and discipline of the Air Force is met, Chamberlain has a busy workflow.
Not only is her schedule busy, but Chamberlain has also accomplished many milestones within her short 3-year career. She was selected as senior airman below-the-zone, promoted to staff sergeant her first time testing and was selected to attend Officer Training School in the near future.
“Senior Airman Chamberlain is a high-speed, low-drag individual,” said Master Sgt. Joseph Spedale, the superintendent with the 1st SOW law office. “She is performing at a non-commissioned officer in charge level as a senior airman.”
Despite Chamberlain’s busy work schedule, she continues to keep up with her running.
As Sept. 17 draws near, Chamberlain is preparing for the race using a professional training program. This program is a 12-week guide in which the distance of runs increases weekly to build up to a 13.1 mile run.
The 23 year-old also often shares her runs with her 70-pound, blonde-haired dog, Cecil.
“I learned I had a hyperactive dog and that I didn’t exercise him enough, so I started bringing him on runs with me,” Chamberlain said. “It’s our bonding time.”
Long runs are nothing new to Chamberlain, as this event is her fourth half-marathon along with multiple 5Ks she has competed in since last September.
For her upcoming race, Chamberlain has set a goal to cross the finish line in an hour and forty-five minutes.
“It’s motivating knowing that I’m running and representing AFSOC,” Chamberlain said. “It’s a big deal.”