FOREST GROVE, Ore. — Amid the wind and rain of a typical Oregon winter day, echoed the honks and cheers of drivers cruising by.
Even with 55 pounds strapped to his body, a jogger in a gray sweatshirt waved back.
Sgt. Jonathan Osborne is grateful for the attention.
“I've got the Oregon Army National Guard logo on my sweatshirt,” he said. “Partly because I’m proud of what I do and just to let people know. It's another way to let people know what I’m doing.”
What he was doing, Osborne explained Thursday morning, was a ruck march, a miles-long routine of marching and running, all while carrying a weighted back pack and a blue replica M16 rifle.
The husband, father and software developer alternates gym workouts with ruck marches around Forest Grove.
His route includes neighborhoods, and recently a homeowner spotted Sgt. Osborne on their security cameras.
Frightened, they took to a community Facebook page, writing, “Know this suspicious person????”
The post went on to describe the man, adding he had walked by their house twice.
The user wrote “Could be nothing, but could be something.”
“You couldn't see that my gun was colored blue,” said Sgt. Osborne of the photos. “You couldn't see who I was. And you know people were asking questions and raising some concerns.”
Soon after he discovered the post, he responded.
His goal, he said, wasn’t to shame or embarrass, but to empathize and educate.
He wrote:
Hello, my name is SGT Osborne and I am a member of the Oregon National Guard and a resident of Forest Grove. I am also an NRA Handgun Instructor, President of the Board of Directors of the HOA in my neighborhood, husband to a great wife, and father to four awesome kids.
I recently found some pictures of me from a security camera posted in another Forest Grove Facebook group with a lot of questions and accusations being made. I would like put the debate to rest and I think the story can benefit this group as well.
As a soldier in the Guard I have a personal responsibility to maintain my personal readiness to defend our country. I take this very seriously. During my workouts I feel it is important to include ruck marches with a heavy backpack (what we in the Army call a ruck sack). This is to ensure that I maintain Army standards which include a timed, 12 mile march with a 45 lbs minimum ruck, a water source, and a service rifle carried in both hands. In the Army we strive to "train as we fight", a motto also recognized in the law enforcement community. Those that train under conditions different than what they will fight in are not training to fight; they are only training to train.
When I ruck march, I carry a plastic, weighted, blue replica of the M16 rifle. It is used specifically for training. In law enforcement it is known as a "blue gun"; in the Army we call it a "rubber duck". During a graded ruck march in the Army you can be disqualified for releasing your grip on your rifle, with the exception of using your non-firing hand to get a drink of water. Some of the comments stated that I was "trigger-ready" or "holding [Notes:my] rifle in a threatening manner". This is the grip that the Army trains and requires.
Also, I sometimes wear earmuffs to keep my ears warm in the winter--weak sauce, I know. They are not noise dampening.
Sometimes people see me and call the police. The police usually find me, talk to me, determine there is nothing to worry about and then encourage me to keep up the good effort. I have never found them to be anything but supportive of what I do.
I often keep to my own neighborhood, but when I get tired of walking around the same block 20 times, I will go on a longer march, usually following Hwy 47 and cutting down B street. Now that the sidewalk has reopened there, you might see me out that way more often.
So, that's my story. I get different reactions from people. Some people see me, understand what I am doing, and give me encouragement. Some people don't understand but nevertheless are not noticeably uncomfortable in my presence. And some people, usually not having had a good look at me and not having spoken with me, feel uncomfortable. This is my attempt to put to rest your worries.
Thanks for reading.
Sgt. Osborne added he’s gotten an overwhelming amount of feedback, almost all positive.
Some have contacted him to say their kids want to join the military and would like to train with him.
He hopes the spotlight benefits all servicemen and women.
“There's low visibility in communities that don't normally interact with a military base. Like up by fort Lewis for example, the surrounding communities, I’m sure, are familiar with military people and what they do,” said Sgt. Osborne. “But I’m glad people are looking out. I’m glad they're paying attention to the neighborhood.”