After nearly four years in the Army and two deployments to the Middle East, Cpl. Cory Smith is running home to his daughter to call attention to struggles faced by soldiers leaving the military.
Smith, a 28-year-old Ranger with 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, will lace up his running shoes and embark on a 565-mile run to his hometown near Indianapolis, Ind. Hours after processing out of his unit, Smith and supporters will leave The Links apartments complex on Stadium Drive in Columbus at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
With a poor economy and the military facing downsizing to balance the budget, Smith wants to call attention to soldiers dealing with family problems, divorce, homelessness and an alarming rate of suicides among veterans.
“I want to get out of the military because I don’t want to have a long-distance relationship with my daughter,” Smith said Friday. “I came up with the idea of running back home to Indianapolis. This could be something special to some people with the downsizing of the military.”
Like other veterans leaving the military, Smith will be looking for a job in a tight market. He says there are few options for a soldier whose specialty was rigging parachutes.
“I’m trying to inspire veterans,” he said. “I wonder what they are going to do with their lives, how are they going to make it with their family. After they get out, are they still going to be able to make it?”
Smith married in June 2009 and his daughter, Elleigh, arrived in 2010, but his family soon crumbled with deployments. His wife was left alone to raise his daughter. “I was a miserable person for about a year and half,” Smith said.
Running about 20 miles a day, Smith’s journey will take him through Tennessee and Kentucky before arriving in Indianapolis, location of the Feb. 5 Super Bowl.
He said the trip may be interrupted by a job interview if needed.
“I thought what better way to give something to the city and country that I love, while accomplishing something I can cherish for the remainder of my life,” Smith said. “I’ll be able to tell my daughter, and maybe one day my grandchildren, a story of strong willpower and determination. I want to inspire veterans who may need to be shown that they can make it through the rough times.”
Staff Sgt. Luke Oldenburg, Smith’s squad leader in the regiment, is aware of struggles.
“Cpl. Smith has been a great asset to 3rd Ranger Battalion,” Oldenburg said. “He has dedicated time and efforts for the United States of America. In doing so, he had to face struggles that everyone in the military faces, time away from your loved ones.”
To complete the run, Smith has teamed up with GallantFew, a nonprofit organization that helps Ranger veterans return to civilian life with one-on-one mentoring from Rangers who found success after leaving the military. Smith is featured on the organization’s website.
Smith welcomes support from veterans and anyone who wants to join him on the run, whether it’s for 10 feet or a mile.
“The whole run is an open invitation for anyone who want to show their support,” he said.
