Intro
The mission was clear and the energy was thick coming into the weekend of August 6th, 2021. There was months of hype, planning, swag making, and hard work to make #GrowRuck24 happen, but now it was time to roll. The men of F3Nation descended upon downtown Charlotte for what was appropriately named the “The Mutha”.
The weekend was meaningful in a lot of ways, none more important than this simply being a purposeful CSAUP event in Charlotte during the 10th year of F3. The crew in Metro had been unusually hungry to host an event like this. #GetSome While the Nation spreads outward like wildfire, the regions like us who are long established have to keep finding ways to grow stronger from within.
As @Moonshine aka El Shinola said during the #sunriser — “Shared Suffering breeds Perseverance, that breeds Character, which then breeds Hope”.
Men, take what you learned and felt this weekend and do something impactful about it. What is holding you back from being the man that your creator made you to be? Find out what that is and do something about it.
Here we go on the backblast….
PAX Count
- KingBuilder: 117 with 3 FNGs
- GTE Finishers: 98 men and a bunch HIMs who stepped up for support. Tclaps to all involved including the men who put in the effort and had to drop for whatever reason.
The Thang
Friday Night Rally
The rally popped off on Friday night without a hitch. As you walked in, the bad boy logs were there for you to observe. A happy hour 2ndF setting in the facility owned by Metro’s @Snoop. Who does not love Snoop? That guy is a stud. The man closed down his business for the day to get it ready to host this event. He has been up to the task at all levels from log making, Snoop Saturday training, and who knows what else. @Swingstate provided the barbecue and we were off to the races.
After a social hour and strong prayer from @Sloppy (nice GTE outfit bro), the talk was led by GMO and IJob who intro’d themselves and laid out the weekend for the PAX. A strong showing from those 2 highlighting the fact that we will pick up important lessons throughout the weekend and it will culminate in shared suffering at the GTE event where you will need to depend on your brother to get through it. #KeepPounding
In addition, there was some words by @WhatDid and @Grizzly detailing out how this event was formed. Also, @Snoop presented a badass shovel flag to WD.
KingBuilder
The PAX showed up with a count of 117. GMO took the initial COP and yelled his @ss off to project his voice properly. He yelled at us for some four corner action across the field and then promptly handed it off to his boy @ItalianJob who had a mosey over to the rock pit for his own COP.
From there, he brought up #BlueShirtGuy to lead a COP. Dude was nervous and his pants were falling down, but man did he get comfortable. #BlueShirtGuy led us on some SSH and we were good to go. @GMO led the next 15 for some more PAIN and corner action on the field with some instruction mixed in.
Finally, @ItalianJob took us on another mosey to the basketball courts. We did some shuffling in unison around the courts and kept the energy/pace up. Then called up FNG @TheNatural to learn some COP, this time #BlueShirtGuy practiced #PositiveHabitTransfer and taught @TheNatural how to lead exercises. The dude crushed it and that’s why he is now @TheNatural. Back to the start for COT.
A huge thanks for @GMO and @IJ for leading that workout, they were prepared, present, and up to the task.
Let’s go eat and lock in at GrowSchool.
GrowSchool
@Booty brought this event to life from getting the venue, making the swag, bringing @F3Paris in the fold, and flat out carrying us on his back. We would not have had the attention to detail that we did in this event without the skill and expertise of @booty. Who makes a branding iron?
The stage was set, all Ijob and GMO had to do was lay down the #G3L. Which they did.
GMO got vulnerable in telling his story and that paved the way for very strong breakout discussions. Many PAX newer to QSource got a feel for how we break down a #VirtuousLeaders life into 4 Quadrants:
- Get Right
- Lead Right
- Live Right
- Leave Right
Lastly, there was a transition from @Gus to @Repeato in the GrowRuck program leadership. Tclaps. Oh yeah, start time of the Ruck is no 1600. Figure it out. Adapt and overcome.
GrowRuck Training Event
The GTE officially launched at 1600 on the football field of Alexander Graham Middle school. #GroundZero
Here is what we did….
Start and PT Test
The PAX lined up in some sort of odd alphabetical formation in the blazing hot sun. Those who were bitching about 6 liters realized they were wrong. We will need it. After a few minutes, the 5 Cadre showed up: Shedder, Dredd, Bloodhound, Linus, and SeaBass (joined by @Gobbler). They delivered the NEW standard PT test of 40 HandRelease Merkins, 50 Butterfly Sit-ups, and a 2 mile run. The strict grading called for the extra 2 hours to get through all the PAX and the graders themselves. It looked to be a strong percentage of “PASS” on the flash cards. The group that had “FAIL” on the PT got taken off to the side for what looked like some additional instruction and admonishment.
Personally, I loved the strict PT test, it brought things up a level. The extra 2 hours are kind of dead any way, what the hell else would I be doing from 4-6pm? Execute the plan now and in a violent way. Why wait?
AG Beatdown
During this time, each cadre had a chance to intro themselves and give us some background. The expertise and experience level of these guys is top-notch.
There was a gear check routine and instructional sessions throughout this time led by the cadres, but it was the PT that started to wear down some PAX. From my vantage point, there were some PAX that were having a hard time getting through this part. Down goes Snoop, Down goes Fountainhead, Down goes a few others…okay, better water up some more. Those guys want this and still had to drop. After the dust settled on this rotation, we got in a large formation and ended up getting split into 4 platoons: Red, White, Green, Blue.
Instruction Sessions
Our first movement as single platoons leaving AG was not far, but the terrain was a challenge. We did get comfortable moving around some beastly sandbags. We posted up in MPHS lot to rotate through the cadres for a series of instructional type sessions. Security, Recon, Water refilling, etc. Each of these were well done and unique in there own way. From there, we picked up our sh!t and moved out for a longer movement.
Movement to Freedom Park
Through the heart of Myers Park, all platoons rolled to Freedom Park where we took a dip in the pond. It’s not a clean pond by any stretch of the imagination. Get in, get wet, do burpees, and move on with your life.
After that we headed through the creek up towards Morehead. The movement through the creek was a beast, footing was bad, visibility was not good, under the bridge our little sandbags wet, and everyone was uncomfortable. This is what this event is supposed to be about. It was easier to walk holding on to your brother than by yourself. Keep moving in periods of high-stress and limited visibility.
The creek was followed by a long movement up Morehead and past the Panther stadium until we hit Cedar street headed towards community matters cafe.
Community Matters Cafe
Once we got to CMC, we had some rest and were introduced to the custom logs. Pick up those beasts and take them to the mutha. I’m sure all platoons began to strategize on how best to carry and rotate men in and out of the log. Blue team easily smoked all competition on it’s way to the muthaship. #JustSaying
It started to get lively in Uptown as the scenery, spectators, and overall energy was all about the NIGHTLIFE. We are about that different kind of night life.
The Muthaship
Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Up the spiral to the top with your coupons. Take your rucks off, hit the stairs and the ramp.
Then it was time for conveyor belt races. Red team took a major head start on it’s way to a disputed victory in both conveyor belt races.
Overall, a nice and painful set at the mutha with that many pax. Who does not love the view of the city as you puke from running up the ramp. I know some out of towners really appreciated seeing what the hype was about. Come visit, we hit that bitch all the time. Okay, out of the mutha to a lot in Uptown, hit the water delivery system aka THE UDDER. @Forge is something serious. He has #IndividualInitiative and innovation, what a stud on the Support Q for us.
The Platoons then dropped the logs and headed out to the greenway towards the gravel lot at Freedom park.
Freedom Park to Myers Park – Dutch Babies
Pickup the dutch babies, assess what the heck it is, and take it towards Myers Park. Forge is a maniac..did i mention that? 2 known innovations: Dutch Baby and Water Delivery System aka The Udder…….The dutch baby was really painful to carry, but it was good for us…..shut up and get on it. We have to take it all the way to Myers Park, what platoon will make it first? it is a race. Red seemed to make it first. Not confirmed. they looked beat up and tired though. Blue came in fresh as a daisy and ready for more.
Sunriser
Moonshine and @Mr.FixIt delivered a strong message to the PAX and injected life into the platoons. This is important, it’s men being vulnerable and having hard-straight talks about our brokenness and need for each other to help us stand up and be who we need to be for our family, community, and brothers. You could see the PAX get a little more relaxed and ready. PAX who were tight and useless 12 hours ago were now in leadership positions that they have never been in. #GetUnlocked
Homestretch
It’s just a matter of picking up your DutchBaby and bringing her home at this point. Yeah, they killed the PL and a few others, but you should have a spirit of strength by this point. Pick up something and keep moving forward. you don’t need a switch on the coupon or any help carrying your own weight. You already made it this far, get it in your head that nothing is stopping you from now until we end up back where we started. Do what you need to do in service to those around you.
Back at AG…time to wrap it up. Strong words from the cadres. Those guys are top-notch. Seasoned, skilled, purposeful, calculated, and well-spoken. Finally, there was a Metro Nantan handoff to WhatDid. #SharedLeadership #LFG
Men, you should be proud and humbled by what you completed. It’s a meaningful accomplishment and milestone for you. It will be more meaningful when you take what you learned to other men. To your family and community. Then you are going to have to do it again and keep creating a new standard of acceleration for yourself. Live out your #G3L, it’s all right there for you.
Uncle
PAX Moleskine
Here is a collection of backblasts from the PAX.
Backblasts by Platoon
From Uncle….
GTE24 was special, a true prime time event. I knew all the big players would bring their A game with this being hosted in Metro. And they did. Early on in the planning process I smelled something serious was brewing after talking it through with @Booty and @WhatDid. Those guys had a vision for this event and were serious about it, so I followed their lead and contributed where I could. Working with Snoop, Tormund, Forge, and GOP was a bonus. I am proud of all these guys.
I knew I needed this weekend very bad. My marriage and my kids needed it, they deserve a better and more disciplined version of me than what they had been getting. As far as the event, I felt ready and focused throughout the night. The early start and PT test made it even more challenging and special. Having a pass/fail standard that is strictly graded was refreshing.
When we divided up into platoons, I looked around to see who we had on the squad. Ice9, Titan, Boyscout, CSPAN, Italian Job, Shady, and Hoover. Got it, i know these guys. We’ll be alright. If nothing else, I felt like Ice9 and I could bring the overall energy of the team up a level. Early on, I knew we had some brothers that were going to need our help and we were going to make sure they pushed through the end and got what they needed out of GTE. #LFG
the 120 Sandbag double shoulder carry with Ice9 was a highlight. We were #intimate.
After we got out of the pond at Freedom Park, @Gobbler selected me as PL with @LinkedIn as APL. I came into the night secretly hoping for an opportunity at a leadership position to see how I would react. As I got started, it took me a while to get comfortable though I learned a few important lessons. The first was to #KnowYourPax, I found myself just yelling “Hey” to all my guys to get stuff done. Then it hit me, learn their names you jack@ss and speak clearly on what you expect them to do. I really loved our Blue platoon, those guys sold out for the greater good. The hardest part of leading was to NOT jump on the log or the conveyor belt and help, but that made me realize that I am not of service to them if i am caught in the weeds.
I led our guys through the creek portion, up morehead to CMC, and then for the muthaship segment. It was a lot more of a mental game in that role. Making sure I had a handle on how the whole group was performing, looking for gaps, exhortation, and delegating appropriately. My guy @LinkedIn came out of his shell in his APL role as the night wore on. Tclaps brother.
My guys in the Blue Platoon, Seabass, and Gobbler became a unit. We were going hard and for the right reasons. Titan, KidRock, Ice9, Hoover, Shady, E-tool, and all the other folks were straight out studs. Other brothers who were hurting bad i know like Lt Dan, Shield (who stepped up to lead), Vega — all pushed themsleves to a level that i know they did not think they had. That is why we are doing this stuff.
As the event wore down and we got patched, I was emotional. Grizz talking about “Man in the Arena” hit hard for me, I love that mindset and quote. Shout out to Dredd who has been a stalwart for me over the years and who I know was excited about this one. Ice9 has been a force in my life, it was special to be side by side with him again. Yet another push to be dedicated to invigorating male community leadership with F3 and bringing a new level of virtuous leadership to this world starting in my own house and community.
From Wild Turkey…
It was brutal, but very well planned. I really was worried I was going to get yelled at the whole time, but the vibe was very uplifting and encouraging. I really appreciated the positive leadership and lessons along the way.I really can’t even believe we did what we did. Kudos to everyone who made this thing happen.
From Hoover…
Solid. Beatdown. Appreciate that we had an awesome support crew and the pictures/video, etc. were great. Cadre Seabass was our main cadre (Blue Platoon) and he was tough but fair as advertised. Platoons being assembled randomly was a solid plus because it forced us to get to know strangers. The enthusiasm from all the pax and cadre certainly helped make the event go smoothly and enjoyable at certain points. Trekking through the damn creek was a shit show, but it was only 1.5 miles or so. The one drawback was the heat of the day for the opening salvo of the event. It did take a lot for me to get my heart rate back down after the initial heat started to wear off. There were a few moments of fear there that I would succumb to the heat like the others, but I persevered thanks to C-Span during the welcome party. That’s a true #HIM.
From E-tool….
Startex at the original F3 AO with one of the F3 founders in attendance was surreal. My low point was the PT test right off the bat. I knew coming in that I would struggle with the Merkins and I did, and failed the test as a result. Cadre Danny made sure to let us know that they were disappointed in us and that he personally didn’t feel like we should be allowed to continue. That was hard to listen to but deserved imo. After the event started I enjoyed it for the most part. I mean sure a lot of it was sucky and hard and I suffered but that’s why I came ya know? I enjoyed the first evolution after we picked up our coupons and made the first movement, rotating through the Cadre and learning about military movement, command and control. Each Cadre obviously knew their stuff backwards and forward and you could tell that you were just getting the very tip of the iceberg when they had to wrap up their portion of the lesson. I liked all of the lessons but Dredd specifically stood out, he really is a very charismatic individual. You can see how F3 has become what it has by listening to him teach. I felt like there were enough coupons to make the movements uncomfortable, with the PAX having to switch out on the carries to avoid exhausting individuals. When we got to the duck pond and got in for the hydro burpees, that was fun and I didn’t mind it at all. But the creek walk was hell. Thankfully I didn’t break anything the several times I actually fell down. That was the suckiest part of the whole night for me. I wasn’t feeling as low as I did about the PT test but I did not enjoy it. The log carry portion was challenging because not all of the PAX could participate, we had some that were too tall and some too short so the rest of us had to go under the log more frequently. It was hard not impossible though and there were some true HIM under that log! Carrying the log up the MUTHA? Priceless! That whole evolution will be a memory I will always cherish! The conveyor belt relay race and then down the stairs and back up The ramp, solid gold. Once we dropped the log and rucked “slick” for some distance, that was actually enjoyable. Just being able to walk relatively unencumbered (I mean the rucksack was like a body part by that point) was very freeing. But oh man those Dutch babies. The same men that were singing Forge’s praises earlier were cursing his name and family now. They were truly evil contraptions. There was no way to handle them comfortably. At least the log was round and didn’t have edges that cut into you. That whole evolution just turned into a sufferfest. We rotated in and out as much as possible, but again some of the taller/ shorter PAX couldn’t participate. More: in not complaining, and they were working carrying the C- gear, but they were denied a lot of the pleasure of getting under a large weight with their brothers. The sunriser was uplifting and a welcome break from the Dutch baby. We heard two inspiring testimonies. I really empathized with and identified with the brother that spoke about his struggles with addiction. You are not alone brother! The last carry back to the middle school was brutal but at that point we knew the end was near so that made it more bearable. Also at that point the Cadre started “killing” some of the PAX so that even the tall/ short PAX has plenty to do. We were struggling because at that point there were very few bodies to rotate in and out carrying the Dutch baby. Once we arrived at the endex, of course Cadre Seabass had to point out where we failed to perform adequately and dish out punishment. Whatever, Blue could have chewed iron and spit nails by that point. The second hardest part of the event was standing there waiting for all of the speeches to wind down! Talk about suffering! I want to mention a few PAX that I had three pleasure to get to know. I had two battle buddies. Hoover, 6 feet and at least 5 inches of pure beast. He never met a coupon he couldn’t carry whether it was a sandbag or a downed man. Near the end when we were all exhausted, he carried a casualty all by himself, getting up two other men to help with the other casualty and the Dutch baby. And Billy Bob, born without fingers, but did everything he needed to do with skill. He could ruck up faster than YHC! It was an honor and a pleasure to serve with them. Uncle really shined as PL, he was a natural leader. Ice 9 was beast mode all night . Wild Turkey stayed under load consistently, only taking short breaks before jumping back in. My fellow Marine CSPAN was injured early on but you never heard him complain, he just quietly carried his coupons and did the work. I mean I could go on and mention every member of Blue, they all pitched in and we stayed the course and finished strong. It was definitely the experience of a lifetime. I’m still trying to digest lessons learned and connections made. A big thank you to the host region for such an outstanding event and weekend!
From LinkedIn aka @SwipeRight
Where to start with this one…I guess the beginning. I failed the pushups, which I expected. Hearing Dark Helmet count the same number, one after another, as he called out my poor form was frustrating…but necessary. Somehow, I passed sit ups with a couple seconds to spare. I had 1.5 laps still to go when time was called for the run. I failed the PT test. Anyone who failed one or more of the tests was gathered off to the side of the field. None of us knew for sure what would be next. I didn’t know if I would be able to continue or if I had done all this preparation for nothing and would have to head back to the hotel room. We were told what we already knew. These were the basics. Anyone should be able to do this. Cadre made sure we knew we had failed and should not continue. We were given a conditional option to continue. We had to agree to retake the PT test at some point during the event and we would have to pass it the second time. Since I was given the chance to continue, I agreed. This agreement would continue to weigh on me through to EndEx. During the welcome party, we were taught a little bit of military formation terminology. I knew none of this beforehand, so I was one of the super confused dudes just trying to stand in a straight line and listed to someone who looked like they knew what they were talking about. We learned that if we were moving, we had to move with some speed. If we were remotely sluggish, we’d be called out. Throughout the welcome party, the group gathering on the bleachers grew steadily.
We were divided up into 4 platoons and assigned a shovel flag and some coupons. 3 water bladders, a ridiculously heavy ammo can, and 3 sand bags (approximately 60, 80, and 120lbs). I was in the Blue Platoon. I learned that I had lined up in a squad leader position. This meant I was responsible to report the status of my squad to the APL. No problem. During the first couple miles or so, we figured out whatever we could with regard to moving this weight around these narrow trails through the woods. There was a lot of mumblechatter about how to do what things. Eventually, we got to a parking lot and got some tips from Cadre. Some of those started with, “I was wondering how long it would take you to figure that out.” We learned some more operational type things at this location which gave us a short break from the coupons. After that, we moved everything out to a lake in a park. This is where I learned that hydro burpees are a thing. The lake was 3-4′ deep or so and who knows what was at the bottom. Most of it was soft and tried to swallow your shoes. Except that one thing that decided it wanted to add a welt to my right shin. My left shin, feeling left out, decided to be lazy on the way out of the water and got a knock and a scrape on the concrete edge of the lake.
At this point, we had a change in leadership. The PL and APL were fired and Uncle and I were promoted. Uncle at PL, me at APL. I somehow had a feeling I was going to end up in a leadership position. I have held leadership positions at work in the past so I didn’t think I would have any problems with this. I didn’t realize that office leadership didn’t exactly translate very well to this gloom we were all in. I also didn’t realize it would be during the most grueling part of the night. The first thing we had to deal with was moving up a stream. The rocky terrain made the stream treacherous. It was a mile and a half or so of slow and careful steps. Those rocks were slick and varied significantly in size. There was no way to know how your foot would land. I would be shocked if anyone made it the full length of the stream without falling. But we were all there for each other. I stuck near the rear of the pack to make sure we never lost anyone out of the 6. Once we were out of the stream, we made our way a couple miles up to the Community Matters Café. At that point, we had an opportunity to rest for a few minutes and do some much needed foot care. This was one of the most important parts of the night. As we had marched on, I was…encouraged…by the cadre to be a bit more vocal in my leadership. My office voice wasn’t sufficient. Over the course of those miles, I had felt improvement. At the CMC, I got confirmation. After each group of leaders was fired, we got feedback. I learned things I did well and things I could improve upon. That feedback was huge for me. As many have said, men don’t take compliments well. We don’t get them often. Getting both at the same time was meaningful. But it turns out, that would not be the end of my leadership. At the CMC, we were able to leave the sandbags…but they were replaced with the log. It took 6-7 guys to carry this thing…and we would be moving it for miles through Charlotte. Over the course of those miles, I took the feedback I had gotten and worked to improve. Eventually, we ended up at the Mutha. If you know, you know. If you don’t…well…find some photos/videos and you’ll get an idea. We made our way up the spiral with the log. I don’t remember the specific order of things but at one point, the platoon had to sit down and pass the log across the top floor of the parking garage. Standing up and running to the other end of the group to keep passing it along. Once it reached the end of the garage, we had to race another platoon on the way back. We also had to run down the stairs to the ground without our rucks and back up the ramp. We carried the log down to the ground and out to a parking lot. There, it would be loaded onto a trailer. We were finally done with that. But far from done with the night. I was fired from my position as APL. One of the hardest things I experienced as APL was that I was not supposed to carry any of the weight. I had to figure out how I could help these men move this huge log without physically helping them. Once we dropped the logs off, we made our way back down the greenway, along the stream we had hiked up earlier to a gravel parking lot.
This is where we were introduced to the Dutch Baby. I don’t even know how someone would come up with such a contraption. This is what I imagined the thought process was, “ok, let’s start with a pallet. No. TWO pallets. But pallets are kinda light. This thing needs to be heavy. Let me build something custom the size of two pallets but with heavier duty wood. That still isn’t heavy enough. Let’s see…what else can we do. AHA! Here are these giant metal turbo lookin’ things. Let’s just get some steel strap and put this right in the middle! Yes! This is what they’ll have to finish everything off!” This thing was big. It was heavy. It was WIDE on some narrow sidewalks. We really had to work together to make our way through the city with these things on our shoulders. We swapped in and out as needed and tried to group together by height. We made our way through the city with this thing in the early hours of the morning in what seemed to be a very nice neighborhood. We were repeatedly told to make every effort to get through this without talking. I think it was partly so we did piss off any of the rich folk and partly so the Cadre could sip their lattes they just got delivered to them in peace. We arrive in yet another parking lot. This one looked like it was a country club of some sort. At this point we got a little sunrise service. A bit of inspiration to get us to the finish line. I saw some eyeballs sweating during this time.
Now it’s time for the home stretch. We were told that we were 1.2 miles from AGHS where this thing kicked off. Piece of cake. Until Cadre kills your PL. APL had to take over and promote someone else to APL. We had to carry PL and his gear. Then someone else got killed. While we’re sorting out gear and getting the last dead guy picked up, the rest of our platoon proceeded on with the Dutch Baby. We had gotten split up. The Blue Platoon’s desire to be first had resulted in a dangerous situation for the 6. Leave no man behind but leave no man where you found him. Word made it up to the PL and we had to pull over to regroup. Unfortunately for us, that means plank for a bit while other platoons march by. After we were all back together, we get everything and everyone picked up and proceed to the end together. One of our casualties was healed which freed up a few men to help with the Dutch Baby. Until then, swapping out wasn’t really an option like it had been. The same men had been under that thing for a long while and needed some relief. Eventually, we all made it up the stairs to the field where it all started the afternoon before. We were done. Kinda. We should not have gotten split up. That was unacceptable. As punishment, 10 men loaded their rucks onto the Dutch Baby. The platoon had to lift it up and hold it overhead for 30 seconds without dropping anything. Needless to say, the HIM of Blue Platoon knocked that out together like we were one giant human forklift.
In the middle of some speeches, those of us who had failed the PT test were asked to raise our hands. Here it is. Right at the end. Now I get to do that again. What if I don’t pass this time? Would I still get a patch? Luckily, we were told that we would not have to retake the test. Eye sweat.
This weekend, I was reminded of Roosevelt’s “Man in the arena” speech:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
This sums things up well. We learned about hard work, perseverance, teamwork, and leadership.
To those of you who have thought about doing something like this but have been hesitant – Just. Do. It. Even if you don’t think you’re in shape enough. Train. Even if you don’t think you can afford it. Reach out. Even if you don’t think you can get there. Reach out. Work hard. BECOME an ASSET.
TCLAPS to all the HIM who put this thing together, rucked with me, and helped me on my journey to my first patch.
SYITG
LinkedIn
From Whaler….
This event pushed me to my limits and past them. I know I can do anything with the support of my brothers. I can already see how this event is life changing
From GOP…
I broke down very emotional during the sunrise prayer and hearing Mr. Fixit’s story of surrender and sobriety. I myself have been alcohol free for close to 6 months and it’s only by strengthening my faith muscle and surrendering to my higher power that i have been able to do this. God has put many men of F3 men in my life to help point me to the LOVE of Christ.
From Gretel….
From Radar…
from Chelms aka Tater Tot….
The training we put in in Metro and Area51 was huge. I was well prepared for the event and never even thought of quitting during the event. The opportunity to meet new guys in such an intense environment was awesome. It brought out the best in the men in Red Platoon. We pulled together all night and did what had to be done. My favorite memory is when PL Caesar ran ahead to clear a downed branch and then put it back in place so the team behind us had to overcome the same obstacle. I can’t think of a lowlight except maybe not being able to nap when I got home after the event because my hips were so tight. Some ice an Aleve helped with that. This event helped me to remember that age should not be a limiting factor. Even though well over 50 I put in the training to prepare my body for the event. I want to use the experience to push other men to accelerate faster and push themselves beyond the “limits’ they place on themselves. I also want to use it to built a better STL for our Bull Dogs Matters work at AG Middle School.
From LilSweet…
Got me some GrowRuck! CousinEddie EH’d me but it didn’t take too much effort. The F3 Foothills CSAUP Mortimer 100 relay earlier in the year gave me some insight to F3 brotherhood events and getting shoulder to shoulder with some new F3 brothers at GTE24 did not disappoint. Getting truly tested while being loved by my brothers was something that F3 has made happen…and is what will make F3 men the HIMs we can be for our families and communities. Cannot find that elsewhere. Support staff was great. Hotel was great, J&W was great. Italian Job was great! GMO was great! Get the 2022 schedule posted!
From Sloppy….
Questions. Throughout the event there were lots of questions rolling through my head. Often the question was what lies behind the black door?What’s coming next? The unknown caused significant struggle because the next question that would follow. Would I make it through the door? These questions started early in the event when my triceps cramped up during the Crab walk. I was already beat down and tired and we hadn’t even started the ruck. Men were dropping like flies all around. Strong men that I knew to be hard men. And now my tris were cramping. It happened again when I was hold my ruck above head. How was I gonna get through it? The answer, became clear. I wasn’t, we were. Dredd called my number to lead the platoon out of the gates. I had to get my mind right. I had to focus. My team was counting on me. So I massaged my triceps, licked my wounds, drank some electrolytes and put one foot in front of the other. If I was gonna make it through the marathon portion of the event, I just needed to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Just like the other men beside me.we were in this together. So that’s what I did until I 0800 hours the next day. 16 hours of questions. What lies behind the black door? Freedom. And we walked through the unknown together and found it.
from monk….
Leading up to the event, my concerns were primarily around having the physical strength to persevere through the night. As very much an ectomorph, cardio conditioning is not as much of a problem, but rucking and carrying heavy weights was a concern. Through my training, this only worsened as I unexpectedly lost 10 to 15 lb., from what I believe to be a combination of both the exercise and stress associated with work. At work this came to a head one week prior to the event, plenty of ego, misunderstanding and the related… it was about me. The actual event allowed me to break through some real mental barriers that I had been holding onto.. focus on what is important in the moment, your fellow man. The weight I was concerned about actually felt good at times, and took my mind off the ruck sack or the hours remaining and to the mission. Focusing on the moment and how to help then and now is what was important. That is a lesson, I knew, but in life, find it all to easy to forget. That morning after we concluded, I felt more invigorated than I have in months. Clearly the fog had lifted and I could see through to the other side. From here I want to continue to remember those lessons and how important it is to actively engage and help your brother. Do not let the isolation from working at home or any other excuse stand in the way. Big shout out to the Red Platoon, Dredd and F3.
From Ruby Slippers
As stated previously I am a visual learner. I’ve often heard the term HighImpactMan used in F3 a lot and understood the general definition. HIMs are intentional and move with a sense of purpose, mission, and focus because they are on task. They have answered the call to something bigger than themselves. HIMs focus on a life of legacy that shapes generations to come. They honor God, their wives, their children, their family and friends, their communities, and their country. Praying, planning, and preparing so they can act with precision and intent on a daily basis in an effort to positively impact all those around him. I have grown in this area for a long time. My relationship with God is stronger today than it was even yesterday. The same can be said for most of my other relationships- wife, children, family & friends, and community. But within some of those circles I struggle with a certain demographic – other men. As I have matured in my spiritual walk it has become as natural as breathing to intentionally, positively impact my wife, children, most of my family and friends, and the community. There have definitely been failures but the victories far exceed those momentary lapses in judgement. I never had a positive male influencer for most of my life. My father-in-law fills that void to some extent, but we are not that close. Then came F3 and I was introduced to positive male influence that I had never experienced before. My involvement in F3 has led me to become vulnerable to other men, to share more of myself than what I have been comfortable with sharing with other men. So there has been growth and I thought I understood a little more about the concept of being a HIM and then came GTE24!. I was profoundly impacted by several HIM in my platoon like I’ve never experienced in my life. There were 2 occasions where I wanted to quit, but HIMs came to my side, and with word and deed took me to a place where quitting was no longer an option. I not only experienced this first hand, but I observed this phenomenom occur the entire night. Different HIMs stepping up, leading courageously with the intent to complete the mission. The real mission became very clear. It was not moving heavy objects from one place to another. It was completing those tasks together! I found myself following the examples I had experienced andobserved by charging into the fray whenever, wherever, and however I was needed. So, I found the piece of the puzzle I was missing when trying to be a HIM to other men – COURAGE!!! To lead courageously! Real HIMs lead courageously no matter the circumstances. That statement is not limited to physical acts, and in fact, after reflection, I believe a greater impact is to lead courageously to help other men combat the afflictions of the mind, body, and soul!!! I never understood how courage could lead to hope until I experienced it first hand. Witnessing other men’s courage in our platoon gave me the hope I needed to pull me from the jaws of defeat. So now my prayer moving forward is to give hope to the men in my life by living courageously! Thank you to the men of Green Platoon for showing me how to be a more complete HIM!!! Love you brothers!!!
from Zohan,,,,
It was all about Fellowship for me. I don’t think I realized that right away, but when I thought about the backblast it came out as the main theme. I clowned car with E-tool, Fudd and Bloodhound, which was great by itself. The Rally was an opportunity to meet different PAX from different regions and in 2 cases at least I found we shared a common brother who moved between our regions. I admit I came to Charlotte as some sort of pilgrimage, hoping to see “the ancient ones” and disappointed Dredd and OBT weren’t there, but meeting and talking with DOAH, IJ, CSPAN and so many others was totally worth it. Kingbuilder was good. A solid Saturday BD. The Growschool was awesome. I was totally moved by GMO’s story and was happy to share today, with my brothers at home, what I took from that. The Q Source discussion convinced me I need to bring back Q Source into my region, after the Q Source discussions died down due to covid. GTE – I’ve had my highs and lows. First high was passing the PT, doing better than I thought I’ll do on the run. The BD was clearly a low point. I struggled and I questioned myself what am I doing here and why. I felt alone and disconnected. Once the ruck started, my mood begun to pick up. I love rucking and enjoy the extra weights. The initial immersion welcomed, though the walk in the water was terrible. My mind went again to dark places and I found myself questioning again what am I doing there. I will say that a different part of my mind did enjoy the unique experience. Once we went back to dry land, I felt better and the mood improved. It was easier to talk with other PAX and the shared suffering helped a lot. For me, it’s what made the event so great. Some people kept going under the log, others kept encouraging others. Everyone gave their best. Mumble chatter was great. I surprised myself in the run up the Muthaship and in my heart thanked my brothers at home for helping me get physically ready. When we picked up the Dutch Baby I lost some heart. Not because they were heavy, but because I was assigned APL and wasn’t supposed to get under it. I run back and forth, checking up on my brothers, keeping eye on who’s struggling and what can be done to help, but I wasn’t THERE with them. Being one of the shorter guys, I wasn’t much help under the log either but at least then I could pick up some of the other coupons. I was happier when the position was given to someone else, at the sunrise ceremony. It was a good ceremony and very moving. The last stretch was challenging and I enjoyed it. All in all, I mostly felt good when I felt connected to the other men, and bad when I felt alone. If this is how a few minutes of disconnection felt like for me, how much worse must it be to sad clowns who feel like that all the time?? Special T-claps to my battle buddy Olaf who kept uplifting me and others.
from Betamax…
I know many men have given a good, full summary of the event and I appreciate them taking on that task. For me, this event was a chance to train for something, again, which I haven’t done for about 2 years. Since then I’ve had bicep tendon repair surgery as well as spending 7 days in the hospital with Covid so I was hoping to see if I still had what it takes to handle to GrowRuck event. It was good to get back to training although I didn’t think I trained as much as I needed to before this event and was very anxious the week leading up to it. I was glad to have 6 other Columbia PAX coming with me and the fact that this was the first ruck event for 3 of them helped me to at least have to act like I was confident in how it would go. The surprise at GrowSchool that we were starting 2 hours early was exciting and fun. Having to arrive 2 hours earlier than expected to the start was a blessing and a curse as it gave me less time to stress over if my gear was packed right or if I was wearing the right clothes or the other silly things that wouldn’t matter once we got started anyway, but it also gave me less time to get a longer nap…and then there was the 2 extra hours of sun on that field that took 3 of my buddies from the event and made me question if I wanted to continue after the PT failures. I failed the merkins and wasn’t even close on the run…training solely in the early mornings was a mistake. But Fountainhead told me the cadre were gonna f@$% with my head when they took us to the side so when the cadre said we would have to redo the PT test and pass at some point in the event and asked us if we wanted to drop I said ‘no’ despite feeling somewhat otherwise. F-head kept me in it at that point. The rest of the Welcome Party was lousy, too, and I got light headed several times. At one point after running back and forth across the field a few times Dredd looked at me as he was walking our line and said ‘What’s the matter, Betamax?’. When I told him I was just a little light headed he was kind enough to tell me to sit down for a minute (made me nervous that he was nice) which I declined but in hindsight I wonder if he knew my guys were already having a struggle with the heat, too. I just caught my breath, took a sip and kept going. During the gear inspection I broke one of my water hoses to a bladder and was down to one 3-liter bladder for the rest of the night which turned out to be fine. After the Welcome Party when we were getting ready to leave the school is when I heard one of the Columbia guys, Crab Daddy, was out for a medical pull. I was sad for him since it was his first event but glad he was ok. Then McNugget came up and told me they pulled him due to dehydration which was tough, too, since he’s a badass who can easily run circles around me at any workout. But when F-head came up to me with those sincere, no bullshit eyes and told me they had to pull him it hurt a little different. I’ve admired F for many years and he’ll always be my Nantan since he was the first for the Columbia region and I’ve had the honor of spending many hours with him working out and days with him in Haiti and he’s easily the best of us. But it was time to move out, anyway, with the Green platoon so move out we did. The creek was horrible and we saw another PAX drop there but we kept going. We got to the logs and it felt like home. Being under a log just seems like what ruck events are really about…it’s a comfort zone. And getting cat–called by the club-goers of downtown Charlotte was one of my favorite parts of the night. I almost dropped at the top of the MotherShip when an ab cramp set in and wouldn’t let go for a couple minutes. I was rolling around cursing on the ground with our support staff (amazing support staff!) bringing me water and helping as best they could to keep me in it. I was on my stomach trying to meditate and it started to release, but when I rolled back over and McNugget and Fountainhead were standing over me making sure I was ok I knew I’d be just fine for the rest of the night. We dropped another PAX from our platoon before we left the MotherShip and found those Dutch babies (thanks for NOTHING, Forge). We figured out a good-enough routine as we walked past a thousand mini-mansions with those stupid, weighted skids. As always, when the sun came up I felt renewed and, although I was pretty pissed when Blood Hound starting killing dudes on the final push while we were still negotiating that Dutch crap it was good to see the PAX pushing hard and not giving up. And when I sneaked a peek at cadre’s watch after we had gotten into final formation at the school and saw it was 8AM I knew we had made it. I’m very glad I signed up, showed up and completed and swore I was just going to burn my rucksack and retire when I got home…but I washed it this morning in the front yard. See y’all in the gloom. -Beta
From Merrill….
This was like a normal patrol in Ranger school, but even 20 years later it was tough. I don’t know why I got emotional at the end. It wasn’t because I was proud that I completed it- I knew I would. I think part of me was finally relieved that my perceptions of those in F3 who are largely white, conservative, and incapable of seeing my point of view would be willing to work with me. We will see if this continues, but it was refreshing and I feel as though I can trust some of those in Metro to call them “brothers” (Mutiny, What Did, Olaf, and a few others).
from What Did
It’s now a week, almost to the hour of the start of the RuckEvent, that I’m writing my general AAR for GrowRuck. I’ve been waiting, contrary to the recommendations of many, to write mine as my experience continues to jostle in my mind like a poorly packed rucked. So many thoughts, so many points, that jump from that was awesome to what was I thinking. As the HostQ, I had a unique vantage point of the event by knowing what to expect for parts of it, and completely in the dark on others (mostly the Ruck Portion). Friday Night Rally achieved, for me, everything I wanted. Which was to be surrounded by as many HIM that would be participating in the weekend event in some way – full participation, only GrowSchool, or supporting the men. Snoop’s electrifying personality and welcoming building was on point for me. And my first interaction with another F3 man, MyShirona, started the night off right. He was there at the gates, just before the rain started, to help me and others park our cars. He was excited and owning his role. He didn’t complain about the rain – he welcomed it by putting on his rain jacket and moving forward with his task of getting cars parked. Each man, regardless of assigned role, made a meaningful impact and that’s a lesson for me, for all of us, that we own our role to achieve the mission. The Rally also offered a chance for me, along with everyone else, to meet one another. Tormond and I had unique post of checking everyone in for a registration. Tormond came up with the bad ass idea, using Booty’s other bad ass idea of getting a GrowRuck24 Branding iron, to make name tags that can be used as mementos. Operating the registration desk afforded me the opportunity to say hi and shake the hand of every man participating (that registered that night). This was my way of connecting the effort to organize the event with my why, which was to make a intentional impact, small or large, in the men’s lives that stepped into the GrowRuck24 event. Having both GMO and Italian Job there to get the men focused on what F3 is about and what to expect for Saturday was critical. They teed us for what to expect Saturday morning. Ending the night was equally exciting for me. I planned, and planned for some time, to recognize the men that worked tirelessly to pull this thing together. Booty, Forge, Tormond, Uncle, Snoop, GOP and the many others on the support crew and along the way. As I had the chance to recognize them, I was overblown by Snoop’s presentation of a brand new Shovel Flag. His story of my limped and poorly constructed flag made me laugh and was 100% true. Now, thanks to him, I have a sturdy and strong flag to carry forward with me. Thank you Snoop! Saturday morning KingBuilder went off without a hitch thanks to Tormond’s planning, including a walk-through workout with Italian Job two weeks prior. It was amazing to see about 117 guys out there, including three FNGs. Welcome to the brotherhood Mr. Mom, The Natural, and Joanne Gains. Ijob and GMO led us nicely through Frazier Park, Community Matters Café Area and 3rd Ward. I was thoroughly impressed with their leadership of the 100+ men and the way they incorporated 40 Thieves and the FNG into the workout. My takeaway there was for me to ensure that new men are quickly assimilated into leadership roles at our workouts. After a quick wrap from KingBuilder, we hustled back to Johnson and Wales University to change, grab an amazing breakfast and sink into GrowSchool. This hour flew by quickly. I knew it would as GrowRuck Gus advised me to make sure breakfast was ready to keep the pax moving. Booty did and amazing job to make sure that was possible. Entering the amphitheater to kick off GrowSchool I felt the men beaming with energy and were prepared to dig deep into Qsource. For each of us reading Qsource means something different. We’re all on different paths along our journey and with that, the delivery style of GMO and Ijob resonates differently. For me, I know Ijob from prior workouts in region. I don’t know GMO so I didn’t know what to expect. What I saw in both of them was a true desire to connect with all of us, to share their perspective, to help ignite a fire to be better. Their personal stories added to the delivery of the G3L, VAPE, 5C’s and more. Their openness allowed me, along with the 5 other guys in my breakout group, to feel comfortable talking about all these topics and more. I left there feeling fired up, even after watching the class get hit with the shock that we’d be starting 2 hours early. It was time to roll!!!!! Personal side note here, I still had administrative items to handle. Was the roster ready for the Cadre’s? Wait, how do I make sure the pax where all informed, even if they were not there, to be ready at 4? I need to stop and write up a blast (ok…I knew it was coming so the blast was prepared) and send it out. I hoped my hot spot works, what if it doesn’t. What about the guys I knew that had challenges in the afternoon – I better inform the cadre’s. Seek an exception if they can’t make it. That was a bit chaotic, but I was more prepared than unprepared. Post shooting the note out, I hit the house, moved the gear to my car, watched some Ted Lasso to chill, and then headed to StartEx. It was time, time to connect with the pax, give them instructions to head to the field and get lined up by 4 PM. I wanted to balance lining them up with time spent in the sun. It was hot – but if we were not lined up the Cadre’s would hit us hard. I knew they’d hit us hard regardless; I just didn’t want to give them a softball pitch to do it. Thanks to Marv for getting us rolling. He checked us in and made sure we hit the field. However, the line up on the field was not quite right. I asked to have them lined up in columns of 10, F3 alphabetical order, all the way until we had X columns 10 deep. Somehow, we ended up with 4 or 5 columns of 20+ men deep in almost alphabetical order. The Chaos was starting….for me. Cadre’s roll up right as 4 as expected and we’re assembled – sort of. Dredd asks why the men are not in 10 columns. I told him that I wasn’t given that instruction so now was time to make that happen. Shit, that basic and easy direction isn’t so easy until you’re given or taught the technique to do it. It’s the difference between knowledge and wisdom (experience). Sure, I can tell you what 10 columns mean and what it looks like, but it’s tough to move 100+ guys into that formation. GrowRuck was in full effect and after about 3 failed attempts of trying to get it right, Dredd kicked in and showed how easy it is to do with the right orders. This clearly stuck with me from the first sting and the fact that Dredd provided us the direction throughout the event. At this time, C1, Shredder, started to take over. I had a good idea of what to expect, some PT. I wasn’t told this in advance, but I knew where we were starting, new requirements (shared on social media) of PT and the fact that we were on a track. I wasn’t overly concerned about PT because I’ve been training with the pax of Metro for months on PT and I know the workouts I attend in Metro require PT+ to perform. But the heat was bad, the mental stress of what to expect was tough, and I didn’t want to see pax fail. I was worried for the pax. If someone fails, will they be resilient enough come back? Will they let this be a negative lesson or something that moves them forward? I hope it’s the latter because we all will fail a PT challenge at some point – it just may not be called a PT challenge. It may be a life event, it may be a work meeting, it may be family issue. Yes, PT is physical but if we can’t mentally overcome a physical failure, how can we expect to pass something more difficult like a conflict resulting in a personal failure, the former is clearly easier in my view. The latter, well that’s why we have each F3 brother. I’m happy to report, after the fact, that the GR24 PT pass rate is the highest yet. I do expect this pass rate to be beat as F3 is accelerating, men in other regions will accelerate faster than our event as we continue to get better, this has been the case from GR01 to now GR24. Post the PT, we got a round of the welcome party. This part really sucked. Pax are gassed, pax have been standing 2+ hours, pax have depleted their water, now we have to empty our rucks? Listen to commands? See who’s got or who doesn’t have gear. I’ll tell you, personally for me, this part was more mental than physical. I was mentally frustrated because I watched pax already start breaking down and saw pax that tried to shortchange some aspects of the event. From pax that didn’t bring the full fluid requirements to pax not being ready to unload and reload their rucks. Why should I care..that’s their stuff? Well, these are the brothers I’ll be rucking with all night. If they are not prepared with those basic items how can we count on them during the night? Well you know…I had to get over that because this is the purpose of GrowRuck. You prepare for the expected to be ready for the unexpected. So while my gear was ready, I was there to help these men through the night, not get frustrated because they brought 6 1L water bottles vs. a bladder. Get over it I did and looking back I realize what poot attituded I had. Now that the PT, Ruck Unload/reload was done, it was time to roll to some 4 corners with the cadres for some beatdown. For what would become my platoon, we opened up with Bloodhound’s tunnel of love through the mud. I kind of welcomed it as the muddy water was cool and, in my mind, if we’re going to do hard stuff, let’s get after it. Getting muddy set my mind right – men, it’s time to keep putting in work. And that’s what we did. This group of men I was with turned into the Green Platoon and we were, randomly, led by Cadre Bloodhound. That was awesome! Post PT, Ruck unload/reload and the beatdown, we headed out of AG Middle with our rucks and heavy stuff for a ruck march over to Myers Park High. The ruck was barley a mile, if that. But, as I know Dredd likes, it covered dark and uneven terrain. The pax had to form in single file line, figure out how to pass weight, and do so with quiet voices. We were led by a PL and APL. They did a good job, basic movement to get us warmed up. At MP High we learned some basic movements from protecting our perimeter and reconnaissance missions. Post MP High, we rucked miles over to Freedom Park passing coupons and keeping our voices down. Once at freedom park Cadre Bloodhound wasn’t pleased so he dumped us in the pond where our platoon proceeded to knock out burpees in the duck poop filled pond. Nothing fun about this. Post the pond we switched PL and APL. PL was SpeedSquare from Kinston and I was the APL. I was looking forward to the role and happy to help the PL lead. My job was to support him and lead the squads. At this point we were carrying a 60#, 80#, 120# sandbags and 4 20L water bags. Pretty easy for a platoon of 26 pax. That was until we had to get in Sugar Creek and traverse rocky terrain in 2-4 feet of water for a mile. Our platoon struggled at points but brought it together. I focused on the men that I could help, which included bringing Milk Bone along by carrying his ruck to helping to make sure Carrier (oldest pax in the event) got out of the water after he went down hard and had leg cramps. For me, being the APL was less about leading and more about finding ways to help the pax keep moving forward. This was the part I enjoyed the most. How can I be an asset for the men under my watch? What stress can I relieve and or help them through? My shift as APL ended at Community Matter’s Café where I nominated Merrill, a new friend through F3 and neighbor, but also a paratrooper. Easy decision. Merrill led the pax well from the café, to the Muthaship, while we carry a 350# log. This was no easy task as it was all urban, pax where frustrated and tired. Not to mention, those of Metro knew that the Mustaship required a 12 story climb up a 25 degree incline. The end was only the beginning. Finishing up the Mothership we got water break at the bottom and the platoon needed it. After recovering with some food and water, we rucked 4 miles back to Freedom Park where I found the logs again. Damn Forge – he brought them back. I wish. The Cadre’s then introduced us to the Dutch Baby contraption – a +350# coupon that required 6-8 men to move. The task, move this to the EndEx through the street of Myers Park. Not so easy. Men were frustrated. In the moment, in fighting was happening not on purpose but out of frustration. The cadre called us on it. Told us to work together – even told us that nobody but the PL and APL could talk. This got real. I think men hit a low point here but I didn’t see anyone ready to break. They all stepped up. Kept rotating. Kept moving. We made it to our Sunriser event. That’s where Shine, who I asked to do the sunriser, shared his testimony. As expected, men connected with hit. Romans 5: 3-4: Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces character; character produces hope. We needed this to make the final 1-1.5 miles to AG. Our platoon started off in the 2nd position, quickly, before leaving the parking lot, we fell to the 3rd position. Damn that sucked. But the pax kept driving. We started to really move. We found ourselves passing the next platoon and made it back to position 2. Chasing the lead platoon, the cadre killed out PL. Then he killed Olaf, then he killed Zohan. I was in the middle of it all, down men, I carried my ruck and Olaf as far as needed. I couldn’t let someone else carry my ruck. Men were needed on the Dutch Baby. I trained to carry 100% and maybe 125% of my weight if needed. This was the time…time, as Dredd reminds us, ends at some point. For me, I know that end point was within a mile. I just didn’t know how long that would take but sure enough, I can go the distance. We all did just that. The pax really kicked into high gear. We finished on the heals of the front platoon and Cadre Bloodhound was so impressed he didn’t pull some PT chaos off at the end. I believe Cadre Bloodhound got back to the EndEx, looked at our crew, and patted himself on the back (or he should have). He broke us down, pounded us, watch us stumble, watch us yell across one another, and finally, watch us work as a full unit that last 1.5 miles to land back in the middle of the field as a much better performing unit. I sure know that’s how I felt, I sure felt proud! Go Green Platoon!!!!!! WhatDid
From FIAB
After Action Report – GTE 24 Support Team My Failures: – I failed to have 6 PAX available to grade the PT test at the start of the GTE 24. – I Inadvertently included What Did in texts between Forge, Gobbler, Dredd and myself regarding the staging of coupons and water stations on the course. As soon as Forged advised me of my error, I took responsibility with What Did in a direct text to him. – I failed to secured the Communication channels prior to the event. As our ranks swelled I could not maintain Accountability of those additional PAX because I could not add them to our text chain because (according to my tech support) some participants did not have Apple Phones. – Though Dr. Seuss did a Yoman’s job on doctoring the PAX until midnight (under stressful conditions), it would have been Advantageous to have a medical person replace him once he left. Sustain: – Forge staged the water and coupons in all of the correct locations and at the required times. They were also expeditiously collected removed once used including the trailer with the logs at the Mutha. – Forge delegated the purchase of the (150) index cards and (10) Pens to b hi hi e available at the beginning of the event. – FIAB encouraged the dropped PAX to join the Support Team by either shadowing the Platoons (if they were able) or being available for mobile support. (When Italian Job dropped in the middle of a Myers Park neighborhood – mobile medical support was there to scoop in up in minutes). This was Advantageous on two levels- we needed the help and the dropped PAX needed to be useful and part of the event. – Forge graciously provided (20) Bacon Cheese Burgers and (10) coffees out of his own resources for the Cadres and me during the night / morning. – When CSPAN scraped his shin in the Freedom Park Pond, our Mobile Support Team had one of the first aid kits on hand to bandage him up. – The Support Team Shadowers conscientiously monitored the PAX keeping a close eye on the Brothers struggling to finish.
From Forge…
Really for me, it’s the power of team work and proximity. How one man’s actions can inspire others to step up, to act, to perform at a level they either thought they could not achieve, or simply did not want to even try. This applies to our workouts, personal life, the ruck event, the SLT, and the support staff for the event. I am hesitant to even name people because there were so many and I don’t want to leave anyone out. Let me just say that y’all inspired me first before I ever got into motion as Support Q. It’s your actions that gave me the push. During the event there were many, many men, that if just that ONE MAN was not present, doing what he was doing….things would have been really bad. You really have no idea how important you all were. Kinda like links in a chain holding a Dutch Baby over my head while I am sleeping. Every single one of you saved my ass.
#GrowRuck24 was a winner, winner, chicken dinner event, starting with an excellent senior leadership team that was balls-out committed to putting on a F3Metro-worthy kick in the cod-plate. Noted at sunrise service for the beaten and downtrodden, men are bound together when they suffer together. St. Paul told us shared suffering builds perseverance, perseverance yields character, and character delivers hope. Dirty, difficult, and dangerous (D3x) is a powerful adhesive bond. Our politically-correct culture, anthropology, watered down nonsense, etc. is all gooey, sure, but it ain’t adhesive; however, nothing compares to getting deep down into the pain cave with other likeminded men of purpose that will not give up, will not leave anyone behind, will not surrender to the weakened mind trying to convince the battered body to quit. #GrowRuck24 did its job.
Amen on that Dirty + Difficult + Dangerous bit.
Aye! Well said ‘Shine
I sure do identify with what my brothers, above, have to say. They got it right.
My chief concerns going in were about what part of me was going to break under the load: knees, back, ankles…Turns out, nothing did. Every mile we moved that something didn’t break, I felt like I had dodged disaster just a bit longer. (I am old enough that I think about those things.) As for general fitness and strength, I felt confident that I would not be out-rucked or out-carried by anyone else. My mornings at Shorecard and my nighttimes rucking with Snoop showed me that I could do it, and I went into the event with a never-say-quit attitude that served me well. For example, when we arrived after all those miles at the Muthaship I had full confidence we were going to haul that frigging log all the way to the top with gusto. Now, some confessions: A)I did not pass the pushup PT test and was short by 3 pushups (I have resolved that that is NEVER going to happen again), B) we had one man who was struggling to carry his ruck the entire way and I got grumpy about that, thinking that he was a pansy and shouldn’t have signed up anyway, and I was stupid to let that get to me, and C) I found it super interesting, intellectually, how easy it is to become selfish and less team-oriented when you’re totally stressed by unending fatigue and pain, and I guess the antidote to this is self-awareness and hopefully avoidance of it, and D)I confess that that last 500 yards in the creek was a low point.
Having said all of that, I loved the exhaustion, the pain, the team vs team drive against other men, and the long hours we spent right up against the Not-Gonna-Quit edge. That’s why I did it, and I got what I signed up for.
Valdez
Strong Post Valdez. Thank you for sharing your low and high points.
I’ve been at the fails part, plenty. I made a similar commitment to not failing PT.
https://www.f3metro.com/backblasts/back-from-the-beach/
SYITG!
Back Blast by Short Sale on August 12, 2021 (posted by Medball)
QIC: Muthaship
PAX: You know who you are
Date: 8/7-8/8
AO: The Mount
It’s been a couple of days since the Dutch Baby was laid to rest softly at the feet of the Blue Platoon. As the weight was lowered, Twenty Four men who came together for an “event” shared exhausted smiles, a few speechless hugs, and a deeper understanding of who they were.
YHC, is not a “rucker” and was certainly unprepared for what has taken place.
Somehow proud, in awe, and in disbelief all at the same time.
So many questions.
So many answers.
Like a great book or an extraordinary movie that won’t leave your thoughts alone once you have finished it. YHC knew this event was going to take a long time to unpack. “Go home and write down what you learned here” our Cadre said. “Don’t let this event go wasted. Remember what you learned.”
To help YHC remember and to maybe help some PAX out there understand what this event is about, here is a recap:
It was about 10 days out from the event and my brand new Ruck Sack arrived in the mail. GrowRuck. I had signed up on a whim because Cousin Eddie kept poking at me. Halfway committed and partially to silence the constant EH chirp from one of the best EH MF’rs on the globe. The thought to order the pack was in reaction to a previous text that read;
July 18th – “You thinking about starting to train for growruck anytime soon?” -CE
I hadn’t
I borrowed some weight from my buddy, Flex Seal and took a two hour walk around the neighborhood. Uncomfortable. Sore feet. No problem.
1600 hours arrives and as we’re walking toward the Startex, GMO asks “Is that a cotton shirt?” “It is” I reply. GMO then insists he has a shirt and I should change. Aye.
PT.
40 merkins. No problem
50 situps. No problem
2 miles in 18 mins. Got it.
Form is a necessary evil. Doing something correctly is the foundation of a man’s character.
As the merkins began I was smooth and fast.. 1, 2, 3, 4,
32, 32, 32, ????
Cadre – “Lock those elbows!”
33, 34, 35
35, 35, 35
Cadre – “Keep that back straight!”
60 merkins later, my card read: 42
Same with the situps.
56 out of 70 isn’t bad, right?
passed. (barely)
Next up, 2 mile run.
No problem.
Was it 85 or 89 degrees? No shade..
PT is over and with barely hanging on, I am spent. We haven’t even placed the weight on our shoulders yet and my mind begins to question the point of these boys playing army in the f’n blazing sun. Paying to be out here while some jackass yells at us like a bunch of kids.
Next up: A round of quick instruction with packs on. Merkins. Crab Walks. More yelling. More merkins. Hold plank.
As we were told to recover after planking and headed to fall in, we looked back and one of our brothers lay facedown motionless on the field.
Medical assistance was immediate and the help rushed in. We were instructed to hydrate and keep moving. This was not our concern.
The lump in my throat grew and as the siren from the ambulance approached, the man inside me begged for reasoning.
Why are you here?
You didn’t train,
What is the point?
That man just died. (he in fact did not die)
This is ridiculous.
The men around me were in great shape and well prepared and I was not.
Fear spread like cancer and picked men off one by one.
I was waiting for someone to run up and tell me I had to go because my wife saw what happened on the live feed and insisted I stop.
I stepped deeper into myself and told my mind to take the rest of the night off. This was grown up stuff and I needed to focus.
Clarity when called on is like water to your soul. Suddenly there was silence. Suddenly I was alive.
Men dropped around us and our platoon was whittled down to 24. The heat pounded but so did we.
Our Cadre told us again and again that we were going to be “unlocked” and what they had prepared was going to be difficult. We didn’t know what was coming and I sure as hell am thankful for that.
As the sun went down we settled into form. One man’s burden became a shared ownership of pain.
Who are you here for? The man on your left and the man on your right.
The weight through the night got heavier and somehow lighter. As men navigated dark roads and grey minds, the unit became one.
The creek came with slippery footing and grinding weight we trudged through.
“You’re feeling sorry for yourselves and no one cares” our Cadre would rain down on us. “Stop being selfish, stop thinking of yourself.”
It’s amazing how little pain you feel when you are concerned for your brother more than yourself. It is unbelievable how strong you can be when you are being strong for your brother and not yourself. It’s unfathomable how much a man can accomplish when he works as a team with his brothers who share a selfless mission.
The lesson would come later but the “pain cave” was only real when you let it inside. The “ouch couch” tried to weasel it’s way into your mind and invite you over for a cozy rest and the “hurt locker” would yell occasionally and justify some much deserved attention.
Next came the logs and the march to the Apex of our journey. Somehow the arrival at the Muthaship was more celebratory than ominous. We knew it was coming. It’s the poster child for the event. We knew it was going to suck. It’s bigger in person. It’s steeper too. We don’t got those in Hick’ry.
The cramps lasted the night and at one point I thought I had a hernia.
After the ship, we rallied down to an empty lot and placed the logs back into their trailer and silently prayed they would not return. (Not at all aware of the torture or name we would soon come to know as “Dutch Baby”)
We suspected it was the wee hours of the morning because the parking lots were empty and the clubs were closed.
There was a long march and soon we found ourselves back in familiar territory. Our PL was called away and returned.
“We have to carry a Dutch Baby?” he said. “I don’t know what it is but it looks heavy”
It was.
I’m not sure of the mileage we placed under weight of the DB but it was pretty close to “f’n forever”.
We arrived at a rest point for our Sunrise Service. Feeling a bit energized and foggy, the reality of what we had accomplished this far danced in my mind.
120lb sand bag, 80lb sand bag, 60lb sand bag, 3 water weights, an ammo case of gold, a big ass log, a friggn’ Dutch Baby made of iron and lead forged in the sewers of Charlotte by Dredd and his minions. Through the streets, through the sewers (or creek) up a space ship, and through the woods.
None of those items would have made it a mile on my back alone. None.
One of our platoon brothers shared about his drug addiction and what he was battling in his life at that moment. 6 months clean and prior to F3 carrying that weight alone.
Just like the physical weight we had all just shared, the lesson whispered into my mind:
“Why are you here? For your brother on the right and for your brother on the left. “
The weight is not always physical blocks and bricks. Sometimes it’s divorce or drugs.
No man should carry that alone.
…
It took every one of the men in our platoon to carry the weight.
But we carried it.
For the man on our left.
For the man on our right.
The last mile and a half was brutal. Every man under weight with no breaks and chaos ensued. We kept pounding.
So many lessons and this recap was only a tip of the iceberg.
To my brothers in the Blue Platoon; Thanks for carrying my weight. It was an honor to help carry yours.
-Short Sale
YHC spoke about this in my Backblast, but no amount of times expressing pride for the finishers and gratitude for those that helped me will ever be enough. Thank you HIM for your love and support for the “man to your left and right”. Until next time….
SYITG
Mr. Clean