Dr. Todd O'Mealy checked his bootlaces and adjusted his backpack.

"It's great to be here tonight," the Madigan Healthcare System physician said before beginning his second Manchu Mile experience. "I care about these Soldiers, and there is such a great feeling of accomplishment when the march is over."

On Sept. 13, 540 Soldiers serving with 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, along with 20 civilians like O'Mealy, stepped off into the night and back through more than a century of history.

The Manchu Mile is a 25-mile night march, and its purpose is to promote a sense of camaraderie.

The movement takes its name from an 85-mile forced march undertaken by 9th Infantry Regiment Soldiers during the Chinese "Boxer Rebellion" of 1900.

A column of regimental Soldiers worked its way from its point of debarkation at Taku Bar to the city of Tientsin.  Upon arrival, the unit went into action in an effort to rescue besieged foreign diplomats and missionaries from the insurgent Boxers.

For its actions, the 9th Infantry Regiment earned the honorary title "Manchus" - reserved for the finest Chinese warriors - later in the same campaign.

During the engagement, the regiment's commander, Col. Emerson Liscum, was killed.  His dying words were, "Keep Up The Fire!" - the regiment's motto.

"There is a great sense of esprit de corps gained from this event," Lt. Col. James Dooghan, the regiment's commander, said as he pulled on his boots before beginning last week's march.

The Manchu Mile differs significantly from other military endurance tests in that it underlines brotherhood and unit cohesion and identity.

Subordinate organizations maintain unit integrity throughout the movement. Leaders emphasize the importance of maximizing the number of Soldiers who complete the event rather than individual speed.

In 1926, the Army recognized the regiment's performance during the Boxer Rebellion and authorized the wearing of a unique belt buckle. The 9th Infantry Regiment is the only unit in the Army authorized to wear it.

To earn the right to wear the buckle, the regiment's Soldiers had to complete the Manchu Mile carrying their M-4 rifles and 35-pound rucksacks in less than 10 hours.

By the next morning, approximately 80 percent of the marchers had completed the Manchu Mile and earned the coveted belt buckle.

"It's great to earn one of these," O'Mealy said as he walked away in the gathering darkness.  "Really great."