Gary Hatch
TSgt. Alexander Bertsch, an air traffic control supervisor in the 412th Operational Support Squadron here, displays the Vierdaagsekruis – referred to by the Dutch as the 4Days Marches Cross – that he earned after completing the four-day, 100-mile Nijmegen March in July. The medal is an official Dutch decoration worn by members of the armed forces of both the Netherlands and the United States along with many other countries. (Courtesy photo)
Three years ago Tech. Sgt. Alexander Bertsch fired off a quick response to a base-wide plea seeking to add a member to a military team entering the Nijmegen March – the world’s largest multiday rucksack march – held each July in the Netherlands.
He was hopeful but didn’t think much would come of it.
Bertsch, who now works as an air traffic control supervisor in the 412th Operational Support Squadron here, was then stationed at Chievres Air Base, Belgium, when to his surprise, a group of U.S. Army Soldiers added him to their team that was heading to Nijmegen. There, they would join with 47,000 or so friends from more than 70 countries to traverse the Dutch countryside during the taxing 100-mile four-day event.
“It was an Army team that was all set to go, but then they had someone drop out,” Bertsch said. “I thought they’d want someone else from the Army, but they got back to me, and I was in.”
Three years later, he now has three Nijmegen marches under his belt. He has been there, done that. He even got the medal. Now he plans to return every time he can.
“Oh, yeah. I’m planning on going back every year – unless I absolutely can’t because I’m deployed or conditions just won’t allow me to,” Bertsch said.
His reasoning is tied up in who he is as a person and who he is as an Airman.
“Besides just testing yourself and seeing what your body can endure, what your mind can endure – the best way to put it is in the Airman’s Creed, ‘I am an American Airman. I am a warrior,’” he said. “That second line, ‘I am a warrior,’ means you can’t just sit around in the air conditioning all day, right?”
TSgt. Alexander Bertsch, an air traffic control supervisor in the 412th Operational Support Squadron here, wearing a USA headband, gathers for a photo with teammates after completing the Nijmegen March, the world’s largest multiple-day marching event, in July. The team joined 47,000 or so friends from some 70 countries as they traversed villages and the countryside in and around the town of Nijmegen, Netherlands during the 100-mile, four-day event. (Courtesy photo)
“You have to test yourself. Really testing your endurance and knowing where you fall will definitely help you understand your limitations as a human being and where you might be lacking, or where you excel in a team environment or in a contested environment.
“And being part of a team – building that camaraderie – I think it's really important to learn how to get along with other people, not just when everything is all perfect, but in times when you're stressed,” he said.
And the march can provide that stress.
Participants begin with phased start times and wend their way along a different a course of about 25 miles each day beginning and ending in Nijmegen city and meandering through hamlets and woodlands, along rivers and past the well-kept fertile fields of the surrounding countryside.
The approximately 5,000 military members for each year’s event may have to wake up as early as 2 a.m. to make their start time an hour or two later. They are required to wear their uniform and carry a 22-pound rucksack of dry weight. Water and food are in addition to that. There are rest stops about every five or six miles and there is usually a place to get food around midday.
They’re walking about 12 hours a day and they need to walk at a pretty good clip, but it’s not a running event, Bertsch said. “In fact, you can tell that a lot of the civilians don’t like it if they see you running, even though you might need to do it to catch up to your group after a bathroom break.”
It’s not a competition, event organizers say. It’s an event where participants must simply deliver the performance required. While entrants aren’t timed, there are time hacks that must be met at various checkpoints throughout the course each day. Everyone needs to complete the course within the allotted time, and military teams need to stay together and complete their course as a group.
So, it’s no cakewalk. It’s a slog. But it’s doable.
The continuous plodding, the constant lowkey strain on your whole body from hours of marching takes its toll, Bertsch said.
“Yeah, there’s a 100-percent chance your body’s going to hurt,” Bertsch said.
It’s not the kind of event that you can just show up and do it, even if you’re in good shape, he said. If you haven’t walked long distances in your uniform, wearing your boots and a carrying a rucksack you’ll find yourself in a world of hurt over the course of the four days, he said.
Not everyone who starts the first day finishes the last. Every year somewhere near 10 percent of participants don’t finish the event.
One of the lessons Bertsch learned is to cope with the constant strain that builds as the days and miles add up.
“During Nijmegen, you’re around the same 12 people for four days in a row. You can't do anything without seeing each other. You eat together. You sleep together. You're walking with each other for miles upon miles. When you have someone who starts getting negative about something, you're going to get pretty ticked off about it real fast. But knowing how to combat that negativity in your own mind – so it doesn't it doesn't bother you – and finding ways to help someone else get through it, that’s worth the effort,” Bertsch said. “It’s also interesting to see how other cultures deal with the same problems.”
Bertsch said the location itself can provide motivation to finish. His teams have learned that the area is rich in both civilian and military history, including Operation Market Garden, an Allied military operation in September of 1944, when U. S. and British forces combined to free much of the Netherlands, including Nijmegen, from Nazi occupation.
“It’s pretty humbling to learn about the sacrifices people have made in defense of their country, and of the sacrifices made by U.S. servicemen around the world in defense of freedom.” That alone can be inspiration enough to keep going, he said.
A military connection is the very reason for the event. In 1909 the idea of a four-day march was developed by the Royal Netherlands military with the objective of building up soldiers’ stamina. A medal was also created to be given to those who successfully completed the march. The Vierdaagsekruis – referred to by the Dutch as the 4Days Marches Cross – is a medal that rewards demonstrated marching skill and is an official Dutch military decoration. It may be worn on the uniform of Dutch military personnel and on the mess or service dress of U.S. servicemembers as well.
The medal changes each year you complete the march. The 4Days Marches Cross comes in bronze, silver or gold, with crowns or laurel wreaths on it and a number depending on the number of times the participant has completed the march. On the fourth day of the march each year, participants wear their most recently earned medal as they march. The highest number Bertsch saw was 41.
The march takes place during the third week of July in the Netherlands city of Nijmegen, pronounced nai-may-gn by English speakers, with emphasis on the first syllable. It has taken on a festive atmosphere surrounding it that has become bigger than the march itself. It has even become a destination event for people who don’t intend to march. Tourists and locals will often line the streets, shouting encouragement.
“You march through all kinds of towns. You can stop and get some water. People, they'll have their hoses out, and they'll spray you as you're walking by. I even had a lady who let me use her bathroom once. People will pass out beverages and snacks and whatever. You get treated like a rock star. It's wild,” Bertsch said.
“Can’t wait till next year,” he said.
TSgt. Alexander Bertsch, an air traffic control supervisor in the 412th Operational Support Squadron here, sports a USA headband as he walks along a village street with teammates as part of the Nijmegen March, the world’s largest multiple-day marching event. Participants must complete a 100-mile journey over four days, with military members required to wear their uniform and carry a 22-pound rucksack. (Courtesy photo)
Tech. Sgt. Alexander Bertsch, an air traffic control supervisor in the 412th Operational Support Squadron here, wearing a USA headband, gathers for a photo with teammates after completing the Nijmegen March, the world’s largest multiple-day marching event, in July. The team joined 47,000 or so friends from some 70 countries as they traversed villages and the countryside in and around the town of Nijmegen, Netherlands during the 100-mile, four-day event. (Courtesy photo) 
Tech. Sgt. Alexander Bertsch, an air traffic control supervisor in the 412th Operational Support Squadron here, displays the Vierdaagsekruis – referred to by the Dutch as the 4Days Marches Cross – that he earned after completing the four-day, 100-mile Nijmegen March in July. The medal is an official Dutch decoration worn by members of the armed forces of both the Netherlands and the United States along with many other countries. (Courtesy photo) 
Tech. Sgt. Alexander Bertsch, an air traffic control supervisor in the 412th Operational Support Squadron here, sports a USA headband as he walks along a village street with teammates as part of the Nijmegen March, the world’s largest multiple-day marching event. Participants must complete a 100-mile journey over four days, with military members required to wear their uniform and carry a 22-pound rucksack. (Courtesy photo)