Footsteps in Greene County, Ohio

In the spring of 1988, my college USAFROTC unit decided to have an escape and evasion (E&E) training scenario. The cadet Lt. decided we should conduct it at the Indian Mound [Reserve] in the late evening and night to simulate an aircrew "shootdown". 5 of us were to be the aircrew that was to E&E the Lt. and his team. We started out uneventfully around 6pm and followed the trail westbound out towards the Indian Mound (north side trail that follows the creek. There's a cliff to the north of this trail with another trail on top of it). We got to the mound right before sunset. We then set up a basic diamond formation for security as we moved through the night back to our starting point. Along the way, below one of the cliffs, we stopped. The rear guard kept sending up word to me that something was following us. I figured this was the OPFOR team (Opposition Force) tracking us. At the same time, from above us on the edge of the cliff, we heard movement and small rocks began to drop on us. Thinking this was our Lt., I sent our squad up the side of the cliff (it was able to be scaled) and we joined at the top and went into a skirmish line (about 20' apart from each other) and moved about 50 yards into the woods to the north, hoping to kick up the "ambush"....nothing. We then went back down to the trail below we were originally on. Again, we heard walking above us and the rocks began to fall on us. We moved out. The Rear Guard was getting a little scared as he kept sending up messages that something was behind us. I sent another individual back there with him. My point man spotted something up ahead of us on the trail and I went up with him to investigate. While looking into the darkness to our front, my Rear Guards came running past us, yelling, "its charging us!" and ran right by us into the woods. The next individual came running by saying the same thing. My point man and I began to retreat quickly to the north, out of the woods. Whatever it was, it was running at us and was swiping tree branches out of its way as it ran. We made it to the edge of a plowed field and the woods and took off running. Nothing came out of the woods. I remember the impression was that we didn't believe it to be the OPFOR unit because of the noise in the trees above our heads and the sound of heavy footsteps coming at us. It was enough to scare us to run away and not stand our ground. When we got back to "base" I contacted the Lt. and asked him what was going on. He informed me that they did not get out to do the ambush that night. The next day my Point Man and I went back to the site and found no tracks, but did find branches that had been broken and snapped off, higher than my head. I never thought about this as anything until 1992, when one of my students referred to bigfoot sightings in that area.