CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. –  The 27th Special Operations Wing hosted a memorial event to commemorate the Bataan Death March, March 22, 2024, at Cannon Air Force Base.

Over 500 Air Commandos, family members, and local community members participated in either a 16-mile relay ruck, an 8-mile individual ruck, or a 5-kilometer run.

The Bataan Death March was a forced movement of 75,000 U.S. and Filipino soldiers from the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines, including members of the 27th Bombardment Group – those who represent the lineage of the 27 SOW.

“Today we honor the men of the 27th Bombardment Group who held the Steadfast Line. This is their story,” said Col. Jeremy Bergin, 27 SOW commander. “It’s a story of duty and honor, a story of grit, and most importantly – it speaks to the power of young Americans stepping up and being what their country needed them to be.”

Members of the local community were in attendance as Air Commandos cross the finish line. The event provided an opportunity to see the determination and perseverance of Air Commandos, and what it means to be part of The Steadfast Line.

The 27 SOW deepened their ties to this legacy earlier this year by adopting the moniker of “The Steadfast Line.” The memorial event provided an opportunity for members of the 27 SOW to honor their heritage.

The Steadfast Line honors the history of the 27 BG and the unit’s actions when it was transformed into the 1st Provisional Air Corps Regiment (Infantry). With no formal training, they quickly adapted, training alongside Army Infantry counterparts while under fire to become a staunch fighting force. Two battalions of maintenance, ordnance, intelligence, ground staff, and aircrew Airmen bravely held the left flank of the US Army’s II Corps throughout the defense of Bataan. They held the line, steadfast.

“These young Airmen displayed the same qualities that I see in the men and women of the 27th Special Operations Wing,” Bergin said. “I see things like fortitude, a never quit attitude, a willingness and hunger to do the hard things, a deep sense of patriotism and most importantly – a need to win.”

Today, the 27 SOW continues to execute the mission and hold the line – in honor of the service members who came before us and their promise to the future.