An eight-man team, known as “Project Atlas Rucks”, will hike a cumulative 1,000 miles across nine days, raising funds and awareness for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. After departing from Texas A&M’s campus in College Station, Texas, these cadets will travel west to Colorado, where their ruck march will begin.
In 2017, members of Company H-1 in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets began Project Atlas Rucks, a service initiative that, through a team ruck march across various locations in the western part of the country, looked to support the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF). The term “ruck march” is in reference to the rucksack carried on the backs of the cadets that holds their extra layers of clothing, food and water.
In the years following, the project saw a great deal of success. To date, Project Atlas has raised a cumulative $73,964 for the non-profit, which benefits children of military special operators who have died or been injured while serving our nation by ensuring their access to comprehensive educational support, from primary to post-secondary school.
Following the consolidation of Company H-1 at the conclusion of the 2021-2022 school year, Project Atlas did not occur last fall. This year, however, eight cadets, several of whom are former members of Company H-1, have decided to revive the efforts.
“The project was an event that our upperclassmen in Company H-1 had done for years, but it had been put to the side after the unit was deactivated. As time went on, distance grew between those of us who are still current members of the Corps, and it felt as if we lost a part of our self-identity. So, a couple of us sat down and came up with the idea of reviving the Project Atlas Rucks,” Bryan Plasczyk ‘24, Commanding Officer of Company P-2 and Project Atlas Team Lead, said.
“Since we had seen our upperclassmen complete the project for years, we decided it was our turn to follow in the footsteps of the men that we looked up to and give back to an organization that we revere.”
This year’s trip will begin on December 12th, where the team will depart from Texas A&M’s Quad enroute to Pueblo, Colorado. Upon arriving in Colorado the following day, the team’s march toward their cumulative 1,000 mile goal will begin.
“After leaving from College Station and driving up to Pueblo, we will then ruck west toward Montrose. We will be going through Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests, just to name a few key locations. We chose this route because it was a straight shot to hitting our 1,000-mile goal and would keep us relatively close to Texas, ensuring we can make it back to College Station in time for Christmas,” Plasczyk said.
In a true display of Texas A&M’s core values, members of the team have a goal to raise $15,000 for the SOWF over the course of their journey.
“The display of selfless service from our cadets through their participation in this project is profound. These students, who have had an undeniably busy semester, are now using their winter break as an opportunity to raise funds for a very worthy cause. Their actions and motivation to serve our nation’s heroes truly speaks to the kind of leaders that we are building here in the Corps of Cadets. We couldn’t be prouder of them,” Brigadier General Patrick Michaelis ‘93, Commandant of the Corps of Cadets, said.
The team is scheduled to complete their ten-day ruck march on December 21st in Gunnison, Colorado.
This year’s Project Atlas Rucks participants are:
Bryan Plasczyk ‘24 of Cypress, Texas
Grey Mills ‘24 of Mooresville, North Carolina
Max Hulen ‘25 of Charleston, South Carolina
Zach Lehmann ‘25 of Keller, Texas
Nico Barerra ‘25 of Sugar Land, Texas
Noah Hawkins ‘25 of The Woodlands, Texas
Nicholas Klein ‘25 of Springtown, Texas
Christian Lange ‘25 of Austin, Texas
A link to give to the Project Atlas campaign can be accessed here.
Regular updates about this year’s Project Atlas Ruck march will be posted on the @aggiecorps Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and @projectatlasrucks on Instagram and Facebook.
Update (1/8/2024): This year's Project Atlas Rucks team successfully completed their 1,000 mile journey and exceeded their fundraising goal by $472.
Read Additional Media Coverage:
The Eagle (Bryan/College Station Newspaper)
KBTX (Bryan/College Station News)
Story By: Robin Nelson '22
