Walking the walk: BNSF employees honor veterans step by step

By JEREMIAH VALENTINE 
Staff Writer 

One step at a time, BNSF Division Trainmaster Ryan Hooper and Locomotive Engineer Jason Diefenbaugh have a passion for honoring veterans. To them, every step of every hike is a tribute to the sacrifices of the military community. 

Hooper wanted to commemorate the Army’s 250th birthday, so he set out to hike 250 kilometers (about 150 miles) earlier this year while Diefenbaugh participated in the 50-Mile March Foundation. Both were in tribute or support of veterans.  

Hooper has been with BNSF for 17 years. Prior to that, he served in the U.S. Army for 11 years, continuing a military tradition that runs deep in his family. His father was in the Navy during Vietnam, and both of his grandfathers served in World War II. 

He served in the Army as a locomotive operator and a recruiter, and when he transitioned out of the Army, his experience with trains led him to BNSF.   

“I definitely give credit to my Army training for helping me get my foot in the door,” Hooper said. “I started as a train conductor and switchman, but the Army gave me a chance to be a leader. I always loved leading troops, and I knew I wanted to do that when I left the service.” 

Hooper, who works out of Minneapolis, continues to serve in another way, by volunteering to support veterans. 

His wife is also a veteran working with the Minnesota Area Council for Veterans, a nonprofit that helps veterans find housing, job retraining programs and other essential services. He joins her frequently, volunteering any way he can. They both lost close friends in Iraq and donating their time is a way to honor loved ones and fellow service members. 

This year, to commemorate the Army’s 250th birthday, Hooper set a goal to hike 250 kilometers. Though he didn’t quite reach 250, he did hike 200 kilometers over nine days, climbing 20,000 feet in elevation. 

“This hike was a way for me to celebrate being part of something bigger,” he said.  

In that same vein, Diefenbaugh, who is based out of Omaha, Nebraska, joined 165 hikers for a 50-mile march in August. Their walk honored veterans and raised awareness about the mental health challenges some face after service. He marched from Lincoln to Omaha, finishing in 22 hours. The participants raised $750,000 for the 50-Mile March Foundation. 

He signed up for the march as a physical challenge. But then he started to reflect on his grandfather’s service in World War II and the mental health struggles he faced after returning home. That reflection gave the march a deeper meaning for Diefenbaugh. 

The walk tested his endurance, but participants supported each other. 

“If you think about the entire hike, it seems unbearable,” Diefenbaugh said. “But if you break it up and connect with others along the way, there is a better chance you can deal with it and finish. By the end of the march, everyone is suffering, but we all stomach it together.”