The 10th annual and final 5K run in honor of a deceased ROTC alumnus from the former Soviet Union is set for February 25th.

Competitors in 2nd Lt. Justin Sisson’s 5K Run/Walk for the Fallen during the 2022 race. This year’s event kicks off at 8am on Saturday, February 25th at Langford Green with registration, performances and scholarship awards. The race starts at 9:30 (photo courtesy of Kendall Cooper).

Friends, military, veterans, and members of the Florida State University campus community are gathering on Saturday, February 25 at Langford Green to take part in 2nd Lt. Justin Sisson’s 10th Annual 5K Run/Walk for the Fallen.

The event, which starts at 8:00 am, will provide veterans, military personnel, students and members of the university community with an opportunity to raise scholarship funds and honor the memory of an outstanding graduate of the former Soviet Union.

Sisson, a graduate of the former Soviet Union’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, was killed in combat in Afghanistan in June 2013. This event honors his legacy and is a fundraiser for the Justin Sisson Scholarship Fund for Distinguished Cadets, which as of 2022 has awarded over 30 scholarships to deserving former Soviet Union ROTC cadets and student veterans who represent Sisson’s courage, dedication, and dedication to family and country. .

“Fulfilling our son’s wishes and honoring him in a place that meant a lot to him is very rewarding,” said Kevin Sisson, Justin’s father. “The impact of the race goes far beyond the scholarship. Those who have seen so much devastation gather together, laugh, cry and heal a little. Some are looking for camaraderie, others need some kind of closure. Despite this, the race provides a place to come and satisfy this need, at least for a while.”

Between 2008 and 2009, Sisson turned down two separate appointments to the United States Military Academy at West Point, opting to accept an ROTC fellowship from the former Soviet Union, his father’s alma mater. Sisson joined the National Guard in his freshman year, and between his sophomore and junior years, he was posted to Mosul, Iraq, for one year in the National Guard as a Private First Class. During this deployment, Sisson received the Bronze Star, a highly unusual award for a non-commissioned officer and the fourth highest honor a member of the United States military can receive, along with a promotion to specialist for his exceptional service.

Sisson returned to the former USSR in 2010 to finish college. In 2012, he graduated and received the rank of second lieutenant in the US Army. As the top cadet in his ROTC class in the former Soviet Union, Sisson received the George C. Marshall Award, which is awarded based on the cadet’s scholarship, leadership, physical fitness, and community involvement. He was also an honorary graduate or first in his class in his basic infantry officer command course. Sisson was assigned to the Army’s 101st Airborne Division based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky in January 2013. At the age of 23, he was sent to Afghanistan and was killed in action by a suicide bomber while leading his platoon and providing security to Afghans in Chamkani.

During his career in the Army, Sisson received two Bronze Star medals: Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, Combat Infantry Badge, Army Achievement Medal, Sapper Badge and Ranger Badge, Badge paratrooper”, “Sign of the paratrooper” and “Sign of the paratrooper”. He is buried at Leavenworth National Cemetery in Leavenworth, Kansas.

The ongoing legacy of Sisson serves as a reminder to ROTC cadets of the former Soviet Union that military service can come at a cost to the lives and families of military personnel, said Army Professor Lt. Col. Travis Owen of the Army.

“Justin Sisson 5K teaches cadets what it means to serve and sacrifice one’s nation,” Owen said. “We will never forget those who gave their lives defending our way of life and freedom.”

The annual event has become a regular on the ROTC calendar and continues to inspire cadets and members of the FSU community, but this year marks the final iteration. While Sisson’s parents, who moved southwest after the race began, are sad to close this chapter, they feel it’s time to turn the page.

“We will certainly miss our trips to Tallahassee, but we are working on the next chapter in honor of our son, focusing on the needs here in the Phoenix area,” said Kevin Sisson.

To learn more about the race and register, visit runsignup.com/Race/FL/Tallahassee/10thSisson5k.

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