Texas A&M Students Pass Through Cloudcroft on 1,000-Mile Ruck March

Group nears completion of 10-day trek to benefit Special Operations Warrior Foundation

Folks may have noticed this matching band, the Project Atlas Rucks, on foot in and around the village.

If you’ve noticed a group of young folks in matching ponchos hiking through town with heavy packs this week, they’re on a mission that goes beyond a winter trek.

Six Texas A&M University students are in the final stretch of a 1,000-mile ruck march across West Texas and New Mexico to raise funds for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which provides college scholarships and support to children of fallen special operations personnel.

The team, calling themselves Project Atlas Rucks, stepped off from Big Bend on January 2nd and has been carrying weighted rucksacks through Fort Davis, Carlsbad, and now Cloudcroft as they make their way toward White Sands.

Chancy Knauth, Tyler Papp, Austin Ramos, Shane Bookbinder, Tyler Kukla, and Zach Hampton have covered nearly a combined 800 miles on foot in just over a week.

The group includes current and former members of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets, as well as civilian students.

“We are completing this challenge in 10 days to push ourselves physically and mentally in honor of those who have sacrificed far more,” said Tyler Kukla.

The student-led effort is entirely self-funded, with no sponsorships or paid support. Their goal is to raise $12,000 for the foundation, and they’re currently at just over $10,000.

“Our mission is to honor those families through action, not just words,” Kukla said.

The Special Operations Warrior Foundation has provided full scholarships and long-term family support to Gold Star children since 1980, ensuring a pathway to education for children of fallen service members.

Find more information on Instagram at @projectatlasrucks .

The team is expected to complete their journey in the coming days as they continue their march through southern New Mexico.

The team preps for the end of their journey. (L-R: Tyler Papp, Zach Hampton, Chancy Knauth, Austin Ramos, Shane Bookbinder, and Tyler Kukla)

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