Fort Hood Dental Team Masters the Norwegian Foot March

Advanced Education in General Dentistry residents-students in USU's Postgraduate Dental College-complete the demanding 18.6-mile Norwegian Foot March.

April 10, 2026 by Lt. Col. Stephanie Helmus, U.S. Army

Pushing their limits in both endurance and teamwork, members of the Fort Hood (Texas) Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD)-2 residency team completed the grueling 18.6-mile Norwegian Foot March, earning the prestigious "Marsjmerket" badge-an international symbol of physical and mental fortitude. The march, held April 3, 2026, required participants to carry a rucksack weighing at least 25 pounds within a strict time limit, is recognized worldwide as a demanding test of stamina and resilience. The event was first held in 1915 as a test of marching endurance for soldiers in the Norwegian Army.

The team included Lt. Col. Stephanie Helmus and Maj. Jillian Shute, Army mentors, as well as Cmdr. Vincent Ferretti, a Navy AEGD-2 resident, and Maj. Larry Zhang, Capt. Alex Bullock and Capt. Elicia Murtha, all Army AEGD-2 residents. Following months of intensive training led by Bullock, five participants successfully completed the march, cheered on by faculty and fellow residents at the finish line.

The march immediately followed the four-day Fort Hood Restorative Short Course, which featured presentations from Army and Air Force faculty members from the Uniformed Services University's (USU) Postgraduate Dental College (PDC), and was attended virtually by approximately 135 participants from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as Canadian Forces.

"This achievement demonstrates the same commitment, discipline, and perseverance that our residents bring to their clinical work every day," said Dr. Drew Fallis, Executive Dean of the PDC in which the residents are enrolled. "They not only excel in the classroom and clinic but also embody the physical and mental rigor that defines a military professional."