Spartan Hike - Who's Talking?!

Tommy Muir has been dedicated enough to keep a short, daily account of the Spartan Hiker's daily activities.  Who is this guy keeping you all informed?  

Tommy is a Captain in the United States Marine Corps.  A native of Peoria, IL, Capt. Muir has been in the Marine Corps for six years.  Before his Semper Fi days, he studied Criminal Justice at Illinois State University.  After earning his Bachelor’s Degree, he joined the Marines and attended Officer Candidate School in Virginia, followed the Basic School and Infantry Officer’s Course. 

He was deployed to the Diyala Province of Iraq in March of 2006 as a rifle platoon commander with the 1^st Battalion, 9^th Marines.  After a short stay back in the states, in returned to Iraq with 1/9, this time to Ramadi as the executive officer of Bravo Company. 

When Capt. Muir is stateside, he volunteers with Big Brother Big Sisters in San Diego County.  Capt. Muir also serves as a director on the American Spartan Inc board.  Fascinating fact?  His last name is famous!  The Captain is related to John Muir, namesake of the 211 mile long John Muir trail in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California.  Hiking must be in his blood!

"Personally, I'd like to think that when people first join the military or the Marine Corps, they do it out of a love for your country, a love for your family and your friends," Muir said. "But the minute you get on a plane and fly 9,000 miles from home, it's no longer about your friends and family, who you originally joined for ---- it's about the man on your left and the man on your right, because that is your family,” said Capt. Muir.