NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – The U.S. Marine Corps Light/Attack Helicopter Programs (PMA-276) marked the United States Marine Corps’ 250th birthday on Nov. 10, 2025, with a wellness walk around Naval Air Station Patuxent River.
The event, part of the H-1 team’s “Walk for Wellness” initiative, aimed to promote physical and mental health within the H-1 team with an ambition to collectively walk 250 miles to honor the USMC’s 250th birthday.
The H-1 Marine Corps Birthday Walkers surpassed the 250-mile goal, logging over 660-miles collectively with 69 participants, including remote team members located in North Carolina, Texas, and Indiana.
While the team targeted a 12-mile route around Naval Air Station Patuxent River, participants were encouraged to walk any distance they felt comfortable with, promoting and inspired personal fitness goals, stress relief, and overall well-being.
Upon completion of the walk, the local participants conducted a USMC 250th birthday cake-cutting celebration. “Whether deployed abroad or here at home; whether in a victor unit or in supporting establishment billets, what is important about our USMC birthday is that Marines and those who support them share these moments with one another as a reminder of what is important – the person to your right and left.” said Col Jason Duke, PMA-276 Program Manager.
“The whole point is to get people up and moving, setting personal bests, relieving stress and in general feeling better,” said Mr. Scott Kelley, PMA-276’s Product Support Manager and Walk for Wellness organizer.
The Marine Corps birthday walk follows a successful “Liberty Walk” held in July, which served as the inaugural event for the “Walk for Wellness” initiative. Training walks leading up to both events helped participants prepare and build camaraderie.
Looking ahead, PMA-276 plans to continue the “Walk for Wellness” initiative with a “Walk for America” event planned around the upcoming Fourth of July, marking America’s 250th birthday.
PMA-276 manages the cradle-to-grave procurement, development, support, fielding and disposal of the Marine Corps rotary-wing close air support, anti-armor, armed escort, armed/visual reconnaissance and fire support program systems.