Sgt. Christopher Gelineau Memorial Ruck

Sgt. Christopher Gelineau was a student at the University of Southern Maine and a soldier in the Maine Army National Guard. He was 23 when he was killed in Iraq while serving in the 133rd Engineering Battalion on April 20, 2004.

We remember Chris as a kind and steady presence on campus, with a quiet style of leadership that set an example for his fellow orientation leaders. He was in his final year at USM when his unit was called up to serve in Iraq, and his wife Lavinia accepted both his diploma and her own at Commencement just weeks after his death.

Each year, USM’s Military-Affiliated Student Hub and Wellness Committee host a 4-mile Husky Ruck to honor our community’s fallen heroes. This spring marks 20 years since Chris’s death, and we welcome anyone in the wider Maine community to join us in remembrance of him.

What is a ruck? It has two meanings. A ruck is a backpack or knapsack filled with however much weight you are comfortable with, and it’s the act of strapping on your weighted ruck and walking, hiking, or running. Don’t worry – we will be walking, and bringing a pack is optional!

The Summit Project
We are partnering with The Summit Project (TSP) to carry a stone memorializing Chris; more information about The Summit Project and Chris’s stone can be found here.

Logistics
We will be starting at USM and will meet at 9:45am between Glickman and Wishcamper.
We will step off at 10:00am and walk the Back Cove loop.
The route will take about 2 hours, and we’ll return back to USM for a light bagged lunch at 12:00pm in the McGoldrick Center.

If you are participating in the event to receive the Level 2 Wellness Incentive, please complete and bring with you the “Risk and Release” form – link pending – or email your completed form to usm.veterans@maine.edu.