Spc. David Kiplagat, third from left, unit supply specialist, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, shakes hands with then-Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno at the 2014 Army Ten-Miler ceremony in Washington, D.C. Kiplagat joined the 1st Bn., 8th Inf. Reg., in 2014 after completing advanced individual training. (Photo courtesy of Spc. David Kiplagat)
By 2nd Lt. Gunbold Ligden
3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division
When Spc. David Kiplagat joined the Army, he did so with a specific purpose in mind, to give back to the nation that he feels has given him so much.
Born in Kapsabet, Kenya, in 1984 and raised in a family of 11 siblings, he has seven brothers and three sisters.
When he arrived in the U.S. in 2004, he attended the University of Alaska-Anchorage on an athletic scholarship for running and earned bachelor’s degrees in finance and economics, graduating in 2009. He followed that up with a master’s degree in public administration in 2011.
During his time in college, Kiplagat won a number of marathons in Alaska and his brother, Solomon Kandie, ran for Tulane University in New Orleans.
Although Kiplagat’s education qualified him for a variety of career choices, he chose to enlist.
He enlisted in the Army in 2013 through the Military Accessions Vital to National Interest (MAVNI) program. Authorized by the Department of Defense in 2009, the MAVNI program is a recruiting resource that allows legal non-citizens with in-demand skills to join the Army in exchange for expedited U.S. citizenship. The DOD emphasized the need for qualified personnel who have language and/or medical skills.
Spc. David Kiplagat, left, unit supply specialist, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, runs with brothers Paul Rottich, middle, and Solomon Kandie in the 2015 Mayor’s Midnight Sun Marathon in Anchorage, Alaska. Kiplagat, a three-time champion of the marathon, used a running scholarship to the University of Alaska-Anchorage as a means to come to the U.S. After earning three degrees and his U.S. citizenship, Kiplagat decided he needed to earn his way further through service in the U.S. Army. (Photo courtesy of Spc. David Kiplagat)
Kiplagat joined the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, in 2014 after completing advanced individual training at Fort Lee, Virginia.
For Kiplagat, unit supply specialist, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, military service was his realization of the American dream and a means to give back to the U.S. once he obtained his citizenship.
“I wanted to give back to the nation because it paid for my education,” said Kiplagat. “I love this country. I saw an opportunity to give back, and I took it. It is so hard to get employed in Kenya.”
As an immigrant, Kiplagat wanted to not only serve in the U.S. military but also exchange his gratitude for citizenship and green cards for his family. His family still resides in Kenya but is coming to stay with him next year.
Capt. William J. Whelan, commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, said Kiplagat remains active as a long-distance runner.
“This year he finished seventh overall at the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C., and third in his division,” Whelan said. “He regularly runs between 60 and 80 miles a week for training and it is not uncommon for him to run 20 miles for physical training and then come for a full day of work with little to no loss of productivity. Kiplagat is always happy and his attitude is contagious.”
Kiplagat said Fort Carson’s high-altitude training resources are priming him for further goals.
“I am now training for the tryout for the World Class Athlete Program here on Fort Carson,” he said.