Journey for a cause
Trek across country raises support for military
The father of identical twin sons serving their country in the U. S. Marine Corps and the U. S. Army has embarked on a unique journey across the country to raise awareness of, and support for, the U. S. military.
Mike Mobley, 58, of Highlands Ranch, Colo., began Operation: Hero
Trek on March 24 at Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado, and will end his drive- and- walk campaign at Camp Lejeune, N. C., a distance of more than 2,000 miles, in the next four to six weeks.
Mobley’s 25- year- old sons, Marine Corps Sgt. Ryan Mobley, and Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Mobley, have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and both have been awarded the Purple Heart after being wounded in combat.
But their father said that is not the only reason he is trekking across two- thirds of the United States.
Through his website, http:// www. operationherotrek. com, Mobley is supporting and raising money for four different foundations – Adaptive Adventures, Fisher House Foundation, The Greatest Generations Foundation, and Wounded Warrior Project.
Mobley, interviewed Thursday at the Hot Springs KOA Kampground, said 100 percent of the money raised goes to the organization selected by the donor through the website.
“We’ve got it set up in a couple of different ways,” he said. “People can donate so much a mile or they can donate directly if they want to give to a particular organization.”
After a friend who planned to make the trek with Mobley had to drop out at the last minute, he had to devise a different way to conduct the trip, since he has no support crew traveling with him.
“The way I do it is I drive the route that I planned months ago and if it’s 40 miles from point A to point B, I park my car at point B and walk those miles before going to the next location.
“I log all the miles. I’ve got a GPS unit that tracks to one- hundredth of a mile, and I will walk all those miles. I try to walk 20 to 25 miles a day, and so far, I’ve logged about 1,200 miles.”
Mobley, who turns 59 next week, said seeing America this way “is not so bad.”
“It’s relaxing because you’re by yourself. I don’t wear headphones and listen to music. I started out doing that, but it’s distracting. I just walk and think a lot about things I’d probably never think about,” he said.
“It’s absolutely wonderful. I’m seeing America from a totally different perspective.”
Mobley said he wants to be in North Carolina to meet “my Marine Corps son Ryan” when he returns from his tour of duty in Afghanistan in a couple of months, but “that’s not why I’m doing the walk.”
“I’m not doing it just for him, but for all the military.”
Matthew Mobley is stationed at Fort Carson, Colo., and is scheduled to be deployed to Iraq in February.
In addition to being a dedicated military father, Mike Mobley is owner of Windtalkersusa, a telecommunications company focused on providing underserved and unserved Native American communities with telecommunication solutions.
He has served as a board member of the Denver Family Institute and a committee member with Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.
He and his wife, Deana, also have two daughters and three grandchildren.