Local trails enable Guard unit to train

To the editor:

I would like to thank the Jefferson County Trails Council for the construction of the trail system. I am with the Iowa National Guard located here in Fairfield, and we recently conducted our Soldier and Non Commissioned Officer of the Year competition here at the armory. One of the events during our two-day competition was a nine-mile road march. The competitors were in full battle dress uniform carrying a 35 -pound backpack. The ability for us to conduct this road march on the trail system ensured the safety of our competitors. We received several comments from our competitors for us to use the trail again in future competitions.

The trail system is a tremendous asset for us for these types of events or our physical fitness training. We use the trail at least two to three times per week by either jogging sections of the trail or biking the entire loop. This has greatly increased our safety by allowing us have an alternative to running on the city streets. During our physical fitness training it is not uncommon for us to see numerous other community members utilizing the trial. We feel that the trail is such a benefit to maintaining our physical readiness; we would like to put a gate on the back side of our parking lot allowing us direct access onto the trail in the future.

Since we have used the trail so much over the last year we are going to adopt a section of the trail to ensure this outstanding asset to the community is maintained and is litter free. Again, I would like to thank the Jefferson County Trails Council for their vision and efforts to make the trails system a reality.

? Maj. Dave Harper, Fairfield