Commemorate the 106th anniversary of the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) by running the AJ Arnett 5K Honor Run. Race start is Saturday morning at 8:30 am. The race starts and finishes at Concordia Lutheran High School.
SPC AJ Arnett is a 2004 Concordia graduate and a US Army veteran of the Iraq War. A.J. deployed to Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division in January 2005. On July 13, while on patrol in Baghdad, A.J. was seriously wounded in a car bomb attack that resulted in the death of one soldier and seriously wounding another soldier in his squad.
AJ is well known to the area running community and is an example to others in dedication and perseverance. His full biography is below.
The Concordia Lutheran High School Junior ROTC is the host of this run. The CLHS JROTC will donate proceeds from the event to Honor Flight of Northeast Indiana and Shepherd’s House of Fort Wayne.
The race will start with a cannon blast and there will be other activities for persons of all ages that will highlight the contribution of the JROTC.
AJ Arnett Biography
SPC A.J. Arnett, a 2004 Concordia Lutheran High School graduate, was the 2003 CLHS JROTC Battalion Color Guard Commander and the Commander of Snap Squad and Adventure Training Teams. He also was a member of the 2004 All SAC Track Team during his senior year.
A.J. entered the U.S. Army in June of 2004, leaving the day after graduation. He received his initial training at Fort Benning, Georgia as an Infantryman. A.J. was subsequently assigned to 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia, after completing Basic and Advanced Infantry School.
A.J. deployed to Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division in January 2005. On July 13, while on patrol in Baghdad, A.J. was seriously wounded in a car bomb attack that resulted in the death of one soldier and seriously wounding another soldier in his squad.
Suffering shrapnel and blast wounds to his leg, A.J. underwent multiple surgeries to repair the extensive damage to his leg. At one point, he was told that he would never run again, but A.J. persevered and continues to run multiple long distance events.
A.J.’s awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat Infantryman’s Badge and the Expert Driver’s Badge (W), Unit Awards: Presidential Unit Citation, and French Fourragere.
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