Maj. William Watts and Sgt. 1st Class Kerstan Harrivel lead the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Team near Overasselt, Netherlands during the Four Days March in Nijmegen, July 19, 2024. The team completed approximately 100 miles of marching in four days. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)

NIJMEGEN, Netherlands — Hundreds of U.S. service members joined conscripts from 34 countries on Friday to complete the 106th edition of the world’s largest multi-day marching event.

The 560 American participants were among the more than 6,400 military personnel and 40,000 others who marched approximately 160 kilometers in and around the Dutch city of Nijmegen during the Four Days Marches.

One group of soldiers raised eyebrows from day one.

U.S. Space Force Senior Master Sgt. Robert Baer carries a Space Force flag as he marches along Via Gladiola during the final day of the Four Days Marches in Nijmegen, Netherlands, on July 19, 2024. Baer was a member of the first Space Force team to register for the international military march. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)

Seven guardsmen from the 53rd Space Operations Squadron in Landstuhl, Germany, gave Space Force its first team in an event that began in 1909 with about 300 Dutch soldiers looking to increase their endurance.

To reach the required team of 12 men, the guards enlisted the help of soldiers from Kaiserslautern and Wiesbaden.

“Every day was ‘Space Force?’ and a lot of ‘Wait, is that real?’ so the team has been answering questions multiple times a day,” Senior Master Sgt. Robert Baer said Thursday. “It’s always great to get exposure for Space Force because it’s so new.”

American airmen march past an inspection post at Camp Heumensoord, south of Nijmegen, Netherlands, July 19, 2024, as they begin a roughly 25-mile trek to complete the Four Days March. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)

The Americans indicated that the camaraderie between the international military personnel and the hospitality of the Dutch population were the things that stood out most during the four days.

“It’s great to be with all the partner nations and see how they do things, and being able to exchange patches and shirts with all of them… it’s awesome,” said U.S. Army Sergeant 1st Class Edward French, who is stationed in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, halfway through Friday’s march.

“The city, the participation of all the kids and the high fives, it’s unbeatable,” French added.

Lieutenant Jacob Roderick of the 7th Army Training Command greets children in Gassel, Netherlands, on July 19, 2024, during the final day of the 100-mile Four Days March Nijmegen. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)

In the town of Gassel, a marching band was ready and before 8 a.m. residents lined the streets to hand out snacks and greet the participants as they passed by.

“There are a few cities where we march alongside Dutch soldiers and they cheer for the Americans. They really care about us as much as we care about them,” Sgt. 1st Class Kerstan Harrivel said Friday at a military rest area outside Overasselt.

Harrivel, who was participating for the third time, was the U.S. Army leader in Europe and Africa. She said her team had prepared by logging more than 1,000 miles since January and completing other long-distance marches across Europe.

A young girl gives U.S. soldiers a high five as they march through Gassel, Netherlands, on July 19, 2024. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)

Many participants said the temperatures and humidity were a hurdle this year. While it wasn’t as hot as in 2016, when the event was canceled after the first day, the weather forced officials to reschedule Friday’s final march.

The civilian routes were shortened by more than 10 kilometers and soldiers were able to cover the approximately 40 kilometers without a 10-kilo backpack.

Besides the extra weight they carry, some military participants said the march takes a toll on their bodies.

Space Force Senior Master Sgt. Robert Baer presents fellow guard Sgt. Clara Myers with the Four Days Marches Cross Medal on July 19, 2024, in the Dutch city of Nijmegen. Baer and Myers were part of the first U.S. Space Force team to participate in the 100-mile Four Days March. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)

“A lot of service members come in with the idea that ‘I’m in the Army, so I’m in good physical shape,’” U.S. liaison support officer Marine Lt. Col. Matthew Berthinet said Thursday. “It’s really an event that stresses different parts of your body than you’re used to.”

Berthinet, who ran in 2022, said that preparing for the event takes a lot of time and that there are no shortcuts when it comes to putting a lot of miles on your body and feet.

Not everyone on the Space Force team made it to the Charlemagne rest stop on Friday to earn their Four Days Cross medal. A few participants were disqualified for medical reasons during the first three days.

Captain Matthew Hagy of the 2nd Signal Brigade in Wiesbaden, Germany, waves to bystanders as he marches along the Via Gladiola at the end of the Four Days March of Nijmegen on July 19, 2024. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)

But Baer said this won’t be the last time people see the Space Force in Nijmegen.

“There are enough guards, so there’s no reason why we can’t put together a Space Force team coming back,” Baer said after arriving in Charlemagne on Friday. “We’re going to make something of it.”

After a short rest, the participants, dressed in their newly earned medals, walked the last 5 kilometer stretch along the Sint Annasstraat, better known as the Via Gladiola, to the center of Nijmegen.

U.S. military teams line up around 3 a.m. to begin the final day of the Four Days Marches at Camp Heumensoord, south of Nijmegen, Netherlands, on July 19, 2024. About 540 U.S. military personnel were among the 6,426 international military personnel from 34 countries who participated in the event. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)

The combination of parade and party saw Baer and his company cheered on by thousands of spectators who showered them with high fives, hugs and cold drinks, while chanting “USA, USA, USA.”

Next year the march will take place from 15 to 18 July, when Nijmegen will host the event for the 100th time.

The moral emblem of the US Armed Forces delegation for the Nijmegen Four Days Marches 2024. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)