PA National Guard Soldier to Run 232 Miles of Appalachian Trail

HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Staff Sgt. Gabe Sweger, a drill sergeant with the PA Army National Guard, will run the 232 miles of the Appalachian Trail located within Pennsylvania beginning Sept. 2.

Sweger's run is scheduled to start at 8 a.m. Friday at the Delaware Water Gap on the Pennsylvania/New Jersey state line. He is slated to finish at approximately 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17 at the Pennsylvania/Maryland state line.

Although Sweger will run in remembrance of the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, his goal is to raise awareness of the PA National Guard and the benefits of being a member as well as to raise money for various military-related charities.

Sweger, 31, is from Camp Hill, Cumberland County.

Follow Sweger's daily progress on Twitter at www.twitter.com/panationalguard or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/panationalguard.

Information about the PA National Guard can be found at www.pa.ng.mil.

Editor's note: Members of the media are encouraged to join Sweger on the trail by contacting his support staff, Pfc. Jonathan Mills, at 717-805-9878 to arrange a time and location. Detailed information about parking near the Appalachian Trail is located at http://rohland.homedns.org. In addition, the media is welcome to attend a culminating event on Sept. 17 at the Recruit Sustainment Detachment located at 1010 Lincoln Way West, Chambersburg, PA 17201. Contact Mills on the morning of Sept. 17 for an exact time.

Media contact: Pfc. Jonathan Mills, 717-805-9878

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs