Backblasts

QIC: Italian Job and Catfish

Date: 07/13/2019

PAX: Fallen Five Reflections

AO: The Dame

Backblast for 2nd Annual Fallen Five can be found here:
https://f3chattanooga.wpcomstaging.com/2019/07/16/2nd-annual-fallen-five-memorial-event/

I’ve only gotten into rucking fairly recently but am really enjoying it.  I especially love the team focus and how it incorporates the 1st and 2nd F’s at the same time.  I was looking for an event like the Fallen Five as a measuring stick for how much more I need to train for GrowRuck and knew this was a great opportunity for that and to meet some fellow PAX from another region.  After listening to the Round Table podcast, I realized how important this event was in honoring the men who gave their lives on that day in 2015 and I also how little attention this terrorist attack has received since it happened considering how horrible it was.  From a physical standpoint, the event didn’t disappoint as the beatdowns were hard, the coupons were heavy, and the distance was long enough to leave me feeling it the next day. Beyond that, I was moved by how many civilians stopped to say hello and thank you, honk, wave, and take pictures as we were rucking to the park and back.  It was very evident that the community was appreciative of what we were doing and I felt humbled to be a part of such an impactful event. Learning more about those who were killed from I-Job during the convergence and visiting the scene of the attack and seeing the 5 flags hanging from the bridge really brought this home for me. It was truly an honor to participate in this event and even more so to do it alongside my F3 brothers.  Aye!

SYITG,

—Whiz (Alpha)

Thanks again for putting on such an awesome event! The purpose behind it all was truly humbling, being back where it all happened and seeing those five flags was an unreal experience. It was amazing seeing the support in your community, not only from those who showed up, but all the honks, engine revs, people stopping and taking pictures and asking what we are doing. This is just an awesome event you guys put on, I was proud to be a part of it.

—Inseam (Alpha)

Mr Clean, thank you giving us the opportunity to take part in honoring the Fallen Five  in Chattanooga yesterday. Here are some of my thoughts that stood out to me during the event.

We’re appreciative of you and all the Qs that led workouts, and these are the ones that stood out to me.

Catfish and Italian Job’s BDs seemed to complement each other – the Buddy Carry up the hill was appropriate for what we’re sometimes called to do – it’s hard, not sure you can do it, but it has to be done.

Italian Job Q where he read the background of each man killed and gave us an insight into each life was powerful. The COT we did at the end of the bootcamp was well done.

Fissure and Ducktales Qs at the end – Stretching and the running with 1/2 burpees and other things was good variety.

More reflections:

Ducktales and Vila keeping us together and steady on the Ruck, Dixie Chick keeping us safe at the crossings.

Gut Check always with a smile and words of encouragement.

Iron Butt telling me how he got his name.

Zohan – whenever I looked always seemed to be carrying something, more times than his share with the 80# I think.

Billy (can’t remember the other part of his F3 name) telling me about the ruck club he belongs to and his martial arts background.

Vila putting up with my BS when he could’ve squashed me like a bug.

FNG Echo thinking we didn’t have enough coupons and brought his own pole which we had to carry while he carried a flag sometimes!

Echo confusing the cadence count – he didn’t know how so we all got confused!

Getting patched by Mr Clean at the end! This patch is among my most cherished.

The most powerful  experience was were we stopped for a minute’s silence at the depot where the shootings took place. 

Hope to see you again soon!

—Mufasa (Alpha)

I wanted to thank you very much for organizing the Fallen Five this year!

I found the whole event, start to end, a great combination of all three Fs. I admit that initially I came to experience a teaser for the upcoming GrowRuck but I got much more of it. 

I think that it was on the back of Italian Job’s ruck, a patch that said “if you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together” and I think it was an apt patch for the Fallen Five. At times I begrudged having to slow down often and even stop but it was a good reminder that the focus was doing this as a group and not a competition. There is much that we can achieve working together and it’s well worth the cost to slow down when needed to make sure you’re staying together. Otherwise, whatever you set out to do might not have any value if you end up alone. This is why Fellowship is not just an outcome of F3, it’s a commitment.

Thank you!

—Zohan (Alpha)

Thank you F3 Chattanooga for hosting a great event yesterday. I was impressed by everyone I met there; and the initial beat down right away laid the foundation for the deep meaning of why we all converged. In the blazing Tennessee sun the group dug deep for a 6mi Ruck moving multiple coupons and crushed the second brutal beat down at what would surprise me as our ultimate destination – I was not aware we’d visit the place those five brave souls lost their lives; the moment of silence was touching and heavy – it was a moment I won’t soon forget. I think the group appreciated the audible on the return trip, and I have to say the dip in the lake may have been the most glorious swim I’ve ever had. The second F lunch was fantastic, I made many new friends and I look forward to seeing many of you at GrowRuck 15 in my neck of the woods next month.

—Dosido (Alpha)

To everyone involved in planning and coordinating this event, I sincerely thank you for your attention to detail, execution and leadership. Mr. Clean great coordination across all facets of the event and even bigger thanks for coming up with the idea last year! Ducktales/The Count/Fissure/Iron Butt/ Ringwald/Mr. Clean– awesome work with promoting the event so well across several media outlets! Fissure/Ducktales/Vila for the route planning, ruck specifics and procedures. Italian Job & Catfish– thank you for making the trip, providing a proper butt-whoopin’ and delivering some points of leadership throughout. And finally, thanks for all the pax/ruckers  who traveled distances from out of town to join us; that was such a special feeling to lock shields with all of the pax around the region.

I had a great time and I don’t think there was a dry body after 3 minutes into the boot camp. I must say that aside from the GoRuck Tough I recently completed, I have not been challenged like this in all my life. It was a total group effort, and everyone was positive throughout. Yeah, sure the dead heat of summer upon us gave us reason to be sulky, but as mentioned before – those horns honking from passing cars or just passerby’s on foot giving us encouragement was a really cool experience. The reason for the event was also not lost on any of us – a great and purposeful boot camp beat down in the beginning was super touching and the moment of silence at the point of the attacks was so surreal. After that point, the “embracing the suck” moniker so widely shared in Go Ruck was not so difficult, all things considered.

I probably speak for most of us and say that I cannot wait for next year’s installment of the event! This will be a huge event going forward.

Now for some personal musings:

• The barbell American Flag gave me real soreness days later. I don’t think I’m carrying that thing right and it wasn’t my first rodeo in the thunderdome.
• 80lb sandbags…. damn…
• Endex at a water source is a must for any/all Ruck events; regardless of distance covered
• Future event consideration – we should ruck/carry a boot or treasure chest for more donations. People would have thrown money at us for the cause!
• I’ll do any event Zohan wants to do – that guy carries everything and doesn’t shy away from anything hard
  – Prosciutto (F3 Chatt)

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