Category: Pre-Blast

CSAUP: 9/11 Remembrance

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What:  11 Year Remembrance of the events of 9/11/2001

What to bring:  30lb Ruck  If you have a sandbag, bring that too.  If you don’t have a sandbag, come anyway, we will have plenty.

Where:  NAFO/Honey Badger

Why:  We all remember the events of 9/11.  I know EXACTLY where I was and what I was doing when I received word the first plane had struck the North Tower.  It is the reason many of the Cadre I have encountered through GORUCK went into service.  Our country was rocked and we don’t honor anything without it being hard.

When:  9/5 (Labor Day) at the Honey Badger. 0600 START TIME  Plan on 2 hours.

 

Here it is:

North Tower/Flight 11

0846 – Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower

76 passengers + 11 crew = 87 people

Round 1: 87 total reps

  • 30 Plank Jacks
  • Top of bleachers and back with sandbag
  • 30 plank jacks
  • Top of bleachers and back with sandbag
  • 27 plank jacks
  • Top of bleachers and back with sandbag

Round 2:  87 total reps

  • 30 Curls
  • Top of bleachers and back with sandbag
  • 30 curls
  • Top of bleachers and back with sandbag
  • 27 curls
  • Top of bleachers and back with sandbag

1028 – North Tower collapsed killing >1,600 people

  • Run 1600 meters (1 mile)

Move to South Tower (Right Side of Home Bleachers)

South Tower/Flight 175

0903 – Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower

51 passengers + 9 crew = 60 people

Round 1:  60 total reps

  • 20 Bentover rows
  • Top of bleachers and back with sandbag
  • 20 Bentover rows
  • Top of bleachers and back with sandbag
  • 20 Bentover rows
  • Top of bleachers and back with sandbag

Round 2:  60 total reps

  • 20 Overhead Press
  • Top of bleachers and back with sandbag
  • 20 Overhead Press
  • Top of bleachers and back with sandbag
  • 20 Overhead Press
  • Top of bleachers and back with sandbag

Bonus Round:  Welles Remy Crowther aka “The Man in the Red Bandana” (see write up)

  • Boston college Lacrosse jersey # 19
    • Perform 19 Man Makers

0959 – South Tower collapsed killing >800 people

  • Ruck 800 meters

Move to The Pentagon (Football Field Endzone)

Pentagon/Flight 77

0937 – Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon

53 passengers +6 crew = 59 people

59 total reps

  • 59 Burpees (slick)
  • Run lap
  • 59 Man Makers
  • Ruck Lap
  • 59 Big Boys (slick)
  • Run Lap
  • 59 Freddie Mercurys (slick)
  • Ruck Lap

125 people in and around the pentagon killed by the impact

  • Bear crawl 125 yards with ruck on

Move to Flight 93 (pull up bars)

Flight 93

1003 – Flight 93 crashed in a field near Shanksville, PA after passengers and crew storm the cockpit

33 passengers + 7 crew = 40 people

Round 1:  Start at the bottom of the hill

  • Bear crawl to the first tree
  • 2 Peter Parkers
  • Run to the pull up bars
  • 8 pull-ups

Round 2:  Start at the bottom of the hill

  • Bear crawl to the first tree
  • 2 Peter Parkers
  • Bear crawl to the second tree
  • 4 Peter Parkers
  • Run to the pull up bars
  • 8 pull-ups

Round 3:  Start at the bottom of the hill

  • Bear crawl to the first tree
  • 2 Peter Parkers
  • Bear crawl to the second tree
  • 4 Peter Parkers
  • Bear crawl to the third tree
  • 6 Peter Parkers
  • Run to the pull up bars
  • 8 pull-ups

Round 4:  Start at the bottom of the hill

  • Bear crawl to the first tree
  • 2 Peter Parkers
  • Bear crawl to the second tree
  • 4 Peter Parkers
  • Bear crawl to the third tree
  • 6 Peter Parkers
  • Bear crawl to the fourth tree
  • 8 Peter Parkers
  • Run to the pull up bars
  • 8 pull-ups

Round 5:  Start at the bottom of the hill

  • Bear crawl to the first tree
  • 2 Peter Parkers
  • Bear crawl to the second tree
  • 4 Peter Parkers
  • Bear crawl to the third tree
  • 6 Peter Parkers
  • Bear crawl to the fourth tree
  • 8 Peter Parkers
  • Bear crawl to the fifth tree
  • 10 Peter Parkers
  • Run to the pull up bars
  • 8 pull-ups

(Total of 40 pull ups)

1 Mile Run Finish

Move to North Tower (Left Side of Home Bleachers)

 

 

Welles Remy Crowther

On September 11, 2001, nine minutes after United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower between floors 77 and 85 at 9:03 a.m., Crowther called his mother from his office at 9:12 a.m., leaving the message, “Mom, this is Welles. I wanted you to know that I’m OK.” Crowther made his way to the 78th-floor sky lobby, where he encountered a group of survivors, including a badly burned Ling Young.  Young had been one of about 200 people waiting at a bank of elevators to evacuate when the plane hit the South Tower and was one of the few survivors. Crowther, carrying a young woman on his back, directed them to the one working stairway. He escorted them 17 floors down and then returned to the 78th floor while wearing a red bandana around his nose and mouth to protect him from smoke and haze. He found another group of survivors, Crowther assisted in putting out fires and administering first aid. He then announced to that group, “Everyone who can stand, stand now. If you can help others, do so.” He directed this group downstairs as well. As occupants of the Tower headed for the street, Crowther returned up the stairs to help others. He was last seen doing so with members of the FDNY before the South Tower collapsed at 9:59 a.m.

Crowther’s body was found in March 2002, alongside several firefighters and emergency workers bunched in a suspected command post in the South Tower lobby. The New York medical examiner’s office said his body was found intact, with no signs of burns, and that authorities speculated that he was aiding the rescue effort as a civilian usher when the building collapsed. Crowther’s family was unaware of the details of his activities between his last phone call to his mother and his death, until Allison Crowther read survivors’ firsthand accounts in The New York Times of being saved by a man in a red bandana, which led to Allison meeting with the people Welles had saved.  They confirmed from photographs the identity of the man who aided them. According to survivor accounts, Crowther saved as many as 18 people following the attacks.

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The Fort: Ten Year Anniversary

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  • QIC: Fishstix, Uhaul, Grassy Knoll, Double D, 38 Special, Console, Nasa, Band Camp
  • When: 09/17/2022
  • Posted In: Pre-Blast

On September 29, 2012, clown cars from Metro and Area 51 pulled into Walter Elisha Park to plant a Shovel Flag and give birth to The Fort. In gratitude for the gift given to us by our Charlotte brothers and to celebrate the hundreds of pax, past and present, who’ve shaped us to this point, there’s 10 days of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd F activities built around what this region has done for the past decade–invigorate Male Community Leadership. We’re going to honor some PAX we’ve lost, hammer down challenging workouts, make a little extra time for fellowship, and sharpen ourselves for service.

1st F:
(All AOs are open EXCEPT for 9/10 and 9/17)
9/7 Pantheon Games @ Pantheon
9/8 Honoring Badger @ The Ranch
9/9 APFT @ Stockade
9/10 CSAUP FINAL COUNTDOWN 0600 @ WEP*
9/12 Honoring ShopVac @ Honey Badger
9/13 Take the Hill @ Currahee
9/14 Honoring Cash @ Ring of Fire
9/15 Board of Pain @ Laces
9/16 Kettlebell Khaos @ The Hive
9/17 Operation Sweet Tooth 0515:WEP
9/17 CONVERGENCE 0630:WEP*
*all other AOs are closed

2nd F:
9/6 Qsource @ Baxter Starbucks 0615
9/7 Coffeteria @ Carolina Ale House 0615
9/9 Friday Lunch @ Inizio in Tega Cay 1200
9/13 Qsource @ Baxter Starbucks 0615
9/13 Happy Hour @ Amor Artis Downtown FM 0500
9/14 Coffeteria @ Carolina Ale House 0615
9/17 #NoSpeeches Gathering @ Amor Print Shop 0500

3rd F:
9/9 McGospel @ Red Bowl in Tega Cay 0615
9/15 Blood Drive Forest Hill Church – use the sponsor code “FThree”
9/16 McGospel @ Red Bowl in Tega Cay 0615
9/24 Trash Pickup on Hwy 21 @ Peach Stand 0745

So, whether this is your personal 10-year anniversary as a REDWOOD of the Fort, your 1 month anniversary since you were an FNG, or anywhere in between, COME JOIN IN.  With this strong of a foundation, it’s the end of the beginning. Here’s to 10 strong years of Impact and the next 10 years ahead!

Special 10-Year swag is available from Battle Bot. Just reach out to him on Slack or show up to the Armory on a Monday. For $10, you can have a customized item; just provide the item you want cut and a treasured 10-Year item is all yours.

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How Are We Doing?

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  • QIC: Double D
  • When: 08/05/2022
  • Posted In: Pre-Blast

“How are we doing?”  I’m continually asked this question in varying forms.  For those who’ve asked, you know my immediate response – “You tell me. How are we doing?”  I’m not trying to be evasive or play games.  The most important perspective on how we’re doing is yours, the Pax.  We’re a bottom-up, peer-led organization.

You’re asking an important question…initiating a conversation, really.  And the more Pax involved in the conversation the better.  So, let’s talk about how we’re doing.  Here’s what I see in August 2022 based on your input and my experiences in our region and through my posts in 6+ other regions across 5 states in recent months.

The Fort is Accelerating from a Solid Foundation

  • Choices – Most of us have 2-3 options of various formats every day within a 10-minute drive of home (extremely rare across the Nation).
  • Consistency – our execution in the Gloom is strong, led by a committed Site Q planting a Shovel Flag along with a Q who’s well-prepared to deliver the DRP.
  • All 3 Fs – Consistent execution and participation also applies to our 2nd F and 3rd F activities.
  • A strong brotherhood – The bonds of love are tight as seen by Shield Lock engagement and the active care, support and TAPs flowing freely among the Pax.
  • Still growing – FNGs continue to emerge each week, and those who stick are making an impact as Qs, Site Qs and more.
  • Dynamic comz platform – Other regions envy the ways we’ve embraced and leveraged Slack.
  • Vibrant I2– The Pax are constantly introducing new initiatives across all 3 Fs.
  • Community impact – Our local community has never benefited more from our activities.

I’ll share a few of the many stories comprising this Acceleration.

  • Flounder is our reigning War Daddy. At 76, he posts 3 days a week in the Gloom and joins McGospel consistently on Fridays.  He first posted amid Covid, when Planet Fitness was closed, and he needed a safe outlet to stay active.  He posted regularly, meeting his fitness objective from a safe social distance.  When vaccines arrived, he started recognizing his brothers in the neighborhood and the marketplace.  Just as importantly, they (you) recognized him.  The Fellowship kicked in…the Glue.  Now Flounder and the rest of us are seeing the fruits of his deeper (and closer) engagement.
  • This summer brought the consistent presence of several college bound 2.0s. Importantly, their I2 influenced their fathers, in some cases bringing Kotters back into the Gloom, and in all cases, ensuring consistency from the dads.  I know I never had an opportunity like The Fort at 18, and if I did, I’m not sure I would’ve recognized it.  The dads, the 2.0s and the rest of us are growing through these weeks together.
  • This week we welcomed our brother Uncle Sam back to the Gloom. He was a regular with us before returning to his native Colombia (back in 2017 maybe?).  He was in town for a few days this week on his way to Virginia where he will spend a year while his wife completes a graduate degree.  He shared that his F3-like group for youths in Colombia has strongly embraced “Leave No Man Behind / Leave No Man Where You Found Him.”  And the most inspirational news was how he used “Freed to Lead” principles to revitalize his house church ministry in Colombia with powerful results.  Yes, The Fort’s impact is international.

So, the bottom line as I see it – we’re blessed.  I’ve heard Pax say we’re “spoiled” or “we don’t realize how good we have it.”  I have two immediate reactions when I hear those comments.  First, my heart fills with gratitude for each of you and all Pax across our history who’ve brought us to this point.  This adventure is truly a gift.  Second, my curiosity gene kicks into overdrive, searching for the next challenges and ways to adapt in the 43 Feet of road ahead, because what got us here won’t take us to the future.

I’ll save the 43 Feet topic for another post.  In the meantime…

What are you seeing in The Fort today?  How are we doing?

Chime in on Slack, discuss your thoughts in COT and 2nd F venues and share your ideas with our Site Qs and SLT.  After all, this is your adventure, one you choose several times a week.  So, speak up!

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HIMs for Humanity

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We all understand the level of humility that’s needed to ask for help, especially in instances where we feel as if it’s within our scope of abilities. Now imagine having to ask for help to take care some of the basic human needs.

I’m grateful to grow up in a privileged home and seeing the example set where my parents were willing to give back and help those who could barely help themselves. That’s a huge drive for me to be a steward of humanity. It’s our responsibility to help take care of those who don’t have the means to do so regardless of the reason.

That’s the principle the Fort Mill Care Center is built on. They are an organization fully operated by a non paid staff willing to help those in need. They are fully funded by individuals, businesses, and organizations who give to help them make a change. As HIM and leaders in this community, it is also our responsibility to help out in any way we can.

Lookout for notices from PAX and Site Qs that will be accepting donations at their AOs. There’s a convergence being planned near the end of the month to wrap this up.

Thank you in advance for your efforts to help make a difference.

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Burpees for BBQ

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We will converge on Peachland Polkton Elementary at 0630. Hour long beatdown followed by some delicious BBQ at Jon Gs BBQ. Plan is to be in the line waiting around 0800. Coffeteria to follow in the BBQ line. The place will have free beer for those interested and we will coordinate additional breakfast items for those that wish. Oh, and yes, there is a patch. This is definitely the most true definition of a CSAUP. Getting up super early to travel an hour to go get BBQ with a workout before hand.

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The Forts fastest AO

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Tuesday July 12th seabiscuit becomes the Forts newest official AO. Join us in the parking lot of Blues smokehouse @5:15am at the corner of Doby’s bridge rd and the bypass. This is going to be a speed based running AO, geared towards improving overall speed. If you’re not fast, then this is for you. If you are fast, this is also for you. It’s kinda like Disney, there’s something for everyone.

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The Final Countdown

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Growing up, my dad had several inspiring quotes on his office wall.  One read “Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.”  This quote has been instrumental in my life especially in times of uncertainty or doubt.  My F3 journey started very similar to most, out of shape, in need of others to embrace the power of going through life as a community.  I was encouraged to participate in a CSAUP to stretch myself beyond what I thought I could do.

Anchorman here, speaking from experience, the encouragement of Change Order, Twister and The Chaser for my first CSAUP (mud run) was instrumental in my becoming more committed to The Fort. The impact is more than you know.

We wanted to create a team-oriented event where all pax could experience a relay similar to Dam to Dam.  Most pax have found it to be a positive 1st and 2nd F opportunity.  So, grab your two buddies, your shieldlock, or maybe that Pax you see working hard next to you who hasn’t ever done a CSAUP. Look them in the eye. Tell them he’s on your team. He can do three miles.

Here are the details:

Name:  The Final Countdown

Why:  The mileage of the relay gets progressively lower after each leg.  Real reason, who doesn’t love listening to ’80 hair bands.  If you listen to the song, you’ll be hooked.

Date:  September 10, 2022

Time:  0600

Team:  minimum of 3 Pax, if you don’t have a team, we’ll find one.

Relay details:   The first Pax will run 3 miles and return to the starting point.  The 1st and 2nd Pax will run 3 miles and return to the starting point. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd runner will run the final 3 miles.  Each route will be unique.  If you get lost, just run 3 miles and return back to the park.

Total miles:  3+3+3 = 10 F3 math   (Runner 1 – 9 miles, Runner 2 – 6 miles, Runner 3 – 3 miles)

The routes:

Leg #1:  https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/5043563176

Leg #2:  https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/5043544048

Leg #3:  https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/5043537712

Routes can be downloaded using Mapmyrun App

Some FAQ:

Do all the teams run together?

All teams will start at the same time.  Each leg will end at Walter Elisha Park.  When the first runner on the team completes the first leg, they begin Leg #2.  Same for Leg #3.

Does everyone arrive at the same time?  

It depends on your team.  It is important to get your team together to understand the time it will take to complete each leg of the relay.  Make sure you have ample amount of time to warm up before your leg of the relay.

What do the guys do while their teammates are running? 

Stretch out, do burpees, or whatever you need to do to get ready for your run.  There will be bootcamp activities at WEP during the CSAUP but save your energy for the relay.

 

Link to the signup sheet – Click on guitars:    🎸🎸🎸

 

 

 

 

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Paddling Q (no this is not hazing)

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WHAT: Standup Paddleboarding Popup Workout (Kayaks OK)

WHERE: Nivens Creek Landing
https://goo.gl/maps/tKmnh3yh7e5b9J1R6

WHEN: Friday, June 8
0500 – start inflating boards, gearing up, etc
0530 – hit the water, please don’t roll in at 0528
0630 – COT

Seriously, if you need to borrow a board, loan a board or inflate your own, please get there 0500 to prep.

This will be a trial to see what we can do with a paddling workout.

GEAR:
Towel
Extra clothes for after
Waterproof phone case (if you want it, I will have my phone)
Headlamps (it could dark to start on the water)
PFD (your choice)

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A Halftime Brew: Wed AM Coffeeteria

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WHEN: Wed mornings
TIME: 0615 – 0700
WHERE: Carolina Ale House patio in Kingsley
LAUNCH: Wed, June 22nd

Weekday parking lot 2nd F is running hot the past few weeks with a break in school morning duties. It’s great to see the Glue flowing among the pax, right Crab Cakes?!

So let’s formalize it (sort of) with a weekly summertime mid-week morning outlet for that 2nd F boost you need to get you through the week.

Whether you just crushed a run at Clydesdales, got smoked at Ring of Fire, got walloped at Pantheon or need a jump start after that smartsack, head over to Kingsley with your favorite home brew or Starbucks/Panera cup a joe and sharpen yourself and your brothers — informally 2nd F style. You’ll be 1% better for it!

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