April 30, 2024

November 4th, 2023 is a day I will remember for a long time. At 12:00 AM, I met the Battalion at the grinder and we started a grueling workout called the October Breeze that lasted over 8 hours and would take me weeks to recover from. Apparently, I’m not as young as I used to be, and I am not in as good of shape as I was when I was younger. At the beginning of the workout, people were jolly and nervously joking with each other. Halfway through the workout, things were much quieter and guys were really struggling.

I knew the men before the October Breeze, but we got to know each other in a much different way as we all struggled and hung in there together throughout the morning. These types of experiences have a unique ability to build relationships in a way that easy, relaxed activities do not. In the ALERT environment, we incorporate challenging events as a regular part of the schedule. I believe that the combination of these events, combined with our shared values and faith in Jesus, is what tends to create so much camaraderie among the men at ALERT.