NIP Chair Featured as Emcee for TMF 9/11 Heroes Run

Against the backdrop of a fire truck with its ladder raised and a large American flag waving in the wind, hundreds of runners gathered on the morning of 22 September in Oakton, Virginia for the annual Travis Manion Foundation (TMF) 9/11 Heroes Run. The 5K race is held each year in honor of those who perished in 9/11 and those who have served the nation ever since. 

The emcee for the event was our very own NIP Chair, VADM (Ret) Bob Sharp, who provided some inspirational and heartfelt remarks before the race started to emphasize the reason why we were all there—and to never forget. He also spoke poignantly about those in our own Naval Intelligence family who we lost in the attack on the Pentagon. 

Sharp then introduced the keynote speaker, retired Marine Corps General John Kelly. Kelly, who lost his own son in Iraq in 2010 and offered profound words for the audience, centered around TMF's theme of “If not me, then who? If not now, then when?” He highlighted the efforts of the many great Americans on 9/11 who rushed in to save those who they didn’t even know, all in the name of service; and the countless other Americans who rushed to the recruiting station to sign up to help defend our nation following the terrorist attacks, all in the name of service. 

“These events are always uplifting,” Sharp said. "They’re kid- and pet-friendly, and attract a ton of people committed to service and building community that is built on character. If you haven’t been involved with TMF, you should check it out!”  It is, indeed, a worthy cause—the TMF’s mission is to “unite and strengthen communities by training, developing, and highlighting the role models that lead them.” 

It was a great day for a great run…and it is worth noting that Sharp’s very own daughter, Emily Sharp, won the race in a speedy time of 18:38, besting all other female AND male competitors! 

VADM (Ret) Bob Sharp and GEN (Ret) John Kelly were the emcee and keynote speaker, respectively, for the Heroes Run 5K.

General (Ret) John Kelly providing his remarks.

VADM (Ret) Bob Sharp spoke to the runners about the meaning of the race they were about to run.

VADM (Ret) Bob Sharp with Captain (Ret) Tim Field, who sang the national anthem.

NIP participants: RDML Josh Himes, Sue Himes, VADM (Ret) Bob Sharp, and Emily Sharp, who was the fastest runner of the day!