Full Mission Profile – “First Ammendment”
Operation “First Amendment”*
Situation:
Recently a rogue insurgent cell bent on making a statement took an American Journalist hostage and moved into an abandoned, war-torn village in Southern Iraq. The cell has released videos with the hostage demanding the release of all American-held Iraqi prisoners.
Intel indicates approximately 18 members of the insurgent cell in the village. Tangos do not appear to have affiliations to larger terrorist cells; however, multiple informants are expected to inform tangos of any air approach. Tangos are armed and deeply embedded in the village.
As of 0600 this morning, they threatened to kill the journalist if their demands are not met within 24 hours.
Objective:
Insert undetected and subdue tangos. Rescue hostage and call for air extract to a secure medical facility.
Insertion:
Special Operations unit will insert offshore from submerged Submarine in Persian Gulf and swim up finger to landing point east of Umm Qasr. Upon reaching the beach, the team will travel on foot approximately 5 miles overland to a point 1 mile from the abandoned village (half way between Umm Qasr and Basrah).
Actions at the Objective:
Special Operations team will set security elements around village, to include sniper and security teams. Teams will survey enemy movement to determine location of hostage and points of entry into village.
Assault element will enter village as soon as points of entry and hostage location has been established. Assault will be fast and furious. Mission success is dependant on speed, surprise, and violence of action.
Once scene is secured, make radio communication with Medevac helo and prepare hostage for movement. Expect hostage to be unable to ambulate on his own due to injury and shock.
Extraction:
Move quickly from village to extraction landing zone (LZ), approximately 1 mile from village, where Black Hawk medevac helos will pick up hostage and rescue team.
Timeline:
Due to the time constraints of the tangos demands, rapid execution of the mission is essential. Upon execution of the actions at the objectives, violence of action is required to sustain the momentum of surprise. Until the hostage and rescue team are on the helos, it is imperative that there is not a break in the intensity of the assault.
FMP WORKOUT
Insertion
- Swim 2000 yards or meters with fins
- Run 5 miles
Actions at the Objective – Start timeline
5 Rounds of:
- 10 Kettlebell swings
- 10 Burpees
- 10 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls
- Run 400 Meters
Extraction
Run 1 mile with 45lbs (sandbag, barbell, plate, kettlebell, etc. Must be held, cannot be in backpack.)
Special Notes:
It recommended (but not required) to do this FMP Workout as a team with at least one other person.
Note your timeline from the beginning of the assault (actions at the objective) to finishing the extraction. Remember that the life of the hostage depends on your ability to push harder and faster than your enemy thinks you can.
Post your fire team’s time in “comments” below.
Mission is fictitious.
- Warning -
This workout is for elite athletes.
Not there yet? Check out the Training Programs
Full Mission Profile – “Mending Bridges”
OPERATION: “Mending Bridges”
Situation:
It is widely known that Taliban cells have aggressively targeted NATO and US Military travel routes with improvised explosive devices (IEDs). In general, due to the armored equipment now in use, damages have been minimized. As a result, Taliban forces have sought out larger targets to disrupt the flow of transportation.
Due to a heightened awareness of the enemy’s intentions to cause breakdowns in movement, Military intelligence has been watching closely for any indications of activity. As of 2230 last night, that increase in alertness paid off.
Taliban forces have rigged an important bridge with an unknown amount of explosives, and what is thought to be a pressure sensor in the middle of the bridge to function as a detonator. There may be other detonation sources. A precursory look at the explosive chain shows that it is fairly rudimentary and can be safely removed.
The entire area around the bridge is secure.
Objective:
Make safe and remove explosives. Once explosives are removed, safely blow all ordinance.
Insertion:
EOD team will free fall into area and proceed to bridge on foot under heavy packs. At approximately 2 kilometers from bridge, team will transition to diving equipment and swim remaining distance to bridge.
Actions at the Objective:
Once at the base of the bridge, and still underwater, inspect and remove charges. Once all charges are removed underwater, team will transition to harness and climbing equipment and ascend bridge from bottom to top, removing charges along the way.
Extraction:
Upon reaching the top of the bridge, team will radio for helo pick up. All explosives, including chain and detonator will be safely disposed of approximately 1 kilometer from bridge, where helo will rendezvous with team.
Timeline:
Although the area is secure, this is enemy territory. Once the actions at the objective have begun, the entire operation should not exceed 35 minutes.
FMP WORKOUT
Insertion
Rucksack Run 1 mile (50lbs)
Swim 2000 Yards or Meters
Actions at the Objective - Start Timeline (35 minutes)
50 – 35 – 20
- Pull Ups
- Push Ups
- Sit Ups
- Box Jumps
- Thrusters (65lbs)
Extraction
Rucksack Run 1 Mile (50lbs)
Notes:
Work fast, but remember that when dealing with explosives it’s more important to do it right. Use perfect form on your exercises.
Mission is fictitious.
- Warning -
This workout is for elite athletes.
Not there yet? Check out the Training Programs
Friday 10/24/2008 “Rest Day”
Tomorrow’s Full Mission Profile is going to be a tough one. Take it easy today so you can successfully complete your mission tomorrow.
Max Out!
“To think is easy, to act is hard. But the hardest thing in the world is to act in accordance with your thoughts.”
~Goethe
It takes real strength to act on what you know is right.
Workout of the Day – From the Brass Ring Basic Training Program
Warm Up
3 Rounds of:
- 10 Push Ups
- 20 Sit Ups
- 30 Squats
Workout
5 Rounds
- Max Overhead Press in 1 Minute (Light = 45lbs / Heavy = 65lbs)
- Rest 1 Minute
- Max Front Squats in 1 Minute (Light = 45lbs / Heavy = 65lbs)
- Rest 1 Minute
Keep a running total of your overhead presses and front squats.
Post your totals.
“Endurance”
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.”
~John Quincy Adams
Workout of the Day
Run 1 Mile
Swim 1500 Yards or Meters
Run 1 Mile
Use Combat Swimmer Sidestroke for 1500 yard or meter swim. Check out the link to the instructional video for the CSS.
“Fran”
“Character is, for the most part, simply habit become fixed.”
~C.H. Parkhurst
Workout of the Day -From Brass Ring Basic Training
Warmup
Run 1 mile
Stretch 10 minutes
100 Jumping Jacks
Workout
21 – 15 – 9
- Thrusters (heavy = 95lbs / light = 65lbs)
- Pull Ups
Take the warmup nice and slow. Do a nice easy mile, a thorough stretch, and a single set of 100 jumping jacks.
This is a quick workout, but should be pursued with great intensity. Try to accomplish this workout in less than 5 minutes. You should finish with nothing left.
“Running with Angie”
“What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for some goal worthy of him. What he needs is not the discharge of tension at any cost, but the call of a potential meaning waiting to be fulfilled by him.”
~Victor Frankl
Workout of the Day – From the Brass Ring Extreme Training Program
Warmup
3 Rounds
- 10 Kettlebell Swings (35lbs)
- 10 Windmills
- 10 Squats
Workout – “Running with Angie”
100 Pull Ups
Run 1 Mile
100 Push Ups
Run 1 Mile
100 Sit Ups
Run 1 Mile
100 Squats
Run 1 Mile
Time the workout only.
The warmup should be done nice and slow.
Restlessness and Discontent
“Restlessness and discontent are the first necessities of progress.”
~Thomas Edison
The beauty of understanding the meaning behind this quote is in the realization that it’s OK to not be satisfied with where you are now. Oddly, the realization allows you to be satisfied with not being satisfied.
If you were completely satisfied with your current state in life – whether that be your level of fitness, your current career, or your proficiency in that career, or any other catagory – your progress would slow dramatically. It is the hunger to leave the current state in pursuit of greatness that fuels our efforts.
This is not to say that we cannot be content to be where we are on the path, however. In fact, if you look at your Brass Ring pursuit like the summiting of a great mountain, while the goal is to climb to the top, the beauty of the goal lies in the journey.
I really enjoyed a post I saw on CrossFit Endurance. “Sometimes we have to stop and appreciate why we do what we do.”
Enjoy your rest today.
OPERATION: FINAL SUNSET
OPERATION: VBSS Final Sunset
Situation:
While the US and NATO efforts have severely improved the living conditions in Iraq for the general population, there are still cells that remain well armed and determined to undermine efforts to restore peace. It is widely known that they are receiving their financial and arms backing from outside the country. A main tactical strategy in finishing the work in Iraq is to disrupt the shipments of arms and supplies to insurgent groups.
Intelligence sources report that the Yemeni cargo ship ‘Setting Sun’ is being loaded with supplies and weapons in the port city of Mukala, Yemen. The destination of for the off load of the cargo is suspected to be Bushehr, Iran, where it will most likely be smuggled into Iraq to resupply insurgent groups.
MISSION*
Objective:
After Seting Sun leaves the port of Mukala, Yemen, board and take control of ship. Search and record all cargo on ship. Make radio contact with higher authority and await further instructions.
Insertion:
Upon report of target ships movement, SWCC fast boat will move into position to intercept. Seas are expected to be rough, and speed is of the essence.
Actions at the Objective:
SEAL and SWCC team will board via caving ladders and take over ship. Resistance is expected from crew. Once ship is under control, radio US Destroyer to rendezvous and deploy EOD team to assist in searching and recording all cargo.
Rules of Engagement:
All crew are to be treated as Tangos until they are handed over to proper authorities.
Timeline:
Insertion timeline will be determined by the target’s movement. As much as is possible, insertion will be done under the cover of darkness. Actions at the objective must be fast and furious. The keys to success are:
SPEED – SURPRISE – VIOLENCE OF ACTION.
FMP Workout
Insertion
4 rounds of:
Actions at the Objective:
5 Rounds of:
- 5 Commando Pull Ups Right Side (or substitute 10 Pull Ups)
- 5 Commando Pull Ups Left Side (or substitute 10 Pull Ups)
- 10 Burpees
- Run 400 Meters
Notes:
As noted in the Mission Timeline, Speed, Surprise, and Violence of Action are required for mission success. In the workout this means that you cannot take a break to catch your breath. You are moving through a large ship that seems more like a maze of catacombs where one mistep could mean you missing a cue, which could cost you your life.
Mission is fictitious.
- Warning -
This workout is for elite athletes.
Not there yet? Check out the Training Programs
“Perseverence”
“Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.”
~Samuel Johnson
Every one starts the race fresh and motivated. Some that did not prepare themselves physically are the first to fall behind. Then slowly those that did not prepare themselves mentally are the next to go. In the end, when the rigors of the race have worn everyone down to their base levels, it only those with the will to persevere in the face of any obstacle that finish strong.
Is strength required? Of course it is. The tougher the challenge, the more that is required. Does it win the day? Not by itself. Eventually physical and mental fatigue set in, no matter what the challenge is, and it is then that strength of will separate victor from vanquished.
Workout of the Day
Today’s workout is designed to be light in the shadow of tomorrow’s Full Mission Profile.
3 Rounds of:
Post your comments, questions, and time.
“Ghandi”
“The future depends on what we do in the present”
~Mahatma Ghandi
Some of my most rewarding experiences come from mentoring and training individuals who are actively pursuing their Brass Ring. The lessons I learn and the opportunity to see progress and improvement is amazingly satisfying. Recently, one of my trainees turned to me after our session was over and made the following comment (because I did not record or write down what he said as he spoke, I’ll have to paraphrase):
Every day I take a good hard look at who I want to be, and then who I am now, noting the differences. I try to think of something that will bring me closer to who I want to be, and then do it that day. While some days are better than others, I can see the progress already.
Who you want to be = Your Brass Ring. If you don’t know what that is, who knows what you’ll become. Like Gandhi said: “The future depends on what we do now”. Knowing what your Brass Ring = knowing what to do now to attain it.
Workout of the Day
Run 1 Mile
5 rounds of:
- 20 Back Squats (Heavy = 135lbs / Light = 95lbs)
- 15 Pull Ups (Can break into multiple sets)
- 10 Deadlift (Heavy = 135lbs / Light = 95lbs)
Run 1 Mile
Catch Your Breath
“Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow.”
~Doug Firebaugh
Workout of the Day -
“Catch Your Breath”
5 Rounds of:
Post your comments, questions, and time.
“Pursuit”
Envision Your Brass Ring
Your Brass Ring, or main goal in life, has got to inspire you to take action. It has to be something that you are passionate about. If it doesn’t get your heart beating a little faster and motivate you to take action whenever you think about it, then you might want to give some thought to why you really want to accomplish it.
For those of you that are interested in a life in Naval Special Warfare, this clip is for you. Enjoy.
Workout of the Day
Pick a good trail for this workout. Wear running shoes or boots.
Run
- 10 Minutes Easy Intensity (you can talk normally)
- 15 Minutes Moderate Intensity (only a couple words at a time)
- 5 Minutes High Intensity (you can hardly breath, much less talk)
Rest 5 Minutes
Turn around and go back in less time than it took you to get there.
Post your return time.
“Eureka”
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear”
~Mark Twain
To resist something, to master something, takes determination and practice. Both of these require that time is spent in the presence of what you fear. Do not run from what you fear, rather run to it – either physically or mentally, and face it down until you are victorious.
Workout of the Day
“Eureka”
Warm Up – 3 Rounds (easy pace):
5 Rounds for time of:
- 10 Hang Squat Clean (Heavy = 95lbs / Light = 65lbs)
- 15 Kettlebell Swings (Heavy = 50lbs / Light = 35lbs)
- 20 Box Jumps (20″ Box)
Deep Survival
Take today off to rest the body and feed the mind. I suggest the book Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales.
Gonzales has written 12 Rules of Survival. Here is rule number one:
Perceive and Believe
“Don’t fall into the deadly trap of denial or of immobilizing fear. Admit it: You’re really in trouble and you’re going to have to get yourself out.
Many people who in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, died simply because they told themselves that everything was going to be all right. Others panicked. Panic doesn’t necessarily mean screaming and running around. Often it means simply doing nothing. Survivors don’t candy-coat the truth, but they also don’t give in to hopelessness in the face of it.
Survivors see opportunity, even good, in their situation, however grim. After the ordeal is over, people may be surprised to hear them say it was the best thing that ever happened to them. Viktor Frankl, who spent three years in Auschwitz and other Nazi concentration camps, describes comforting a woman who was dying. She told him, “I am grateful that fate has hit me so hard. In my former life I was spoiled and did not take spiritual accomplishments seriously.”
The phases of the survival journey roughly parallel the five stages of death once described by Elizabeth Kubler Ross in her book On Death and Dying: Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. In dire circumstances, a survivor moves through those stages rapidly to acceptance of his situation, then resolves to do something to save himself. Survival depends on telling yourself, “Okay, I’m here. This is really happening. Now I’m going to do the next right thing to get myself out.” Whether you succeed or not ultimately becomes irrelevant. It is in acting well–even suffering well–that you give meaning to whatever life you have to live.”
Full Mission Profile – “Up in Smoke”
OPERATION: Up In Smoke
Situation:
The United States has identified opium trafficking in Afghanistan — the source of more than 90 percent of the world’s heroin supplies — as a primary target in the stepped-up battle against the Taliban insurgency. According to the recent United Nations survey, 98 percent of Afghanistan’s opium comes from seven provinces in the southwest, with no opium at all produced in half of the country’s 34 provinces. The bulk of the NATO troops operating in the southwest come from the United States, Britain, Canada and Denmark.
Helmand Province in the southwest, is the heartland of the opium trade and one of the most intensive battlefields of the insurgency. The southern districts of Helmand Province border with Pakistan.
Mission
Objective:
Destroy with high explosives known drug and weapon cache prior to meeting between drug lords and Taliban leaders.
Insertion:
Insert upstream in Halmand River under the cover of night and swim to patrol point.
Patrol to objective through rugged terrain. Contact with small bands of enemy fighters is expected.
Actions at the Objective:
Overrun and defeat small guard element.
Document with photo and video all weapons and drugs.
Destroy all weapons and drugs with high explosive charges.
Extraction:
Patrol to helo LZ through rugged terrain. Contact with small bands of enemy fighters is expected.
Helo extract at precise time required due to impending explosion and notification of presence.
Escape and Evasion:
In the case of a missed helo pickup, proceed on E&E south over the border into Pakistan and make radio communications for alternate pick up.
Rules of Engagement:
Lethal force is authorized. Due to the time of the raid and the need to move light and fast, no prisoners will be taken.
Timeline:
Due to the volatile nature of this operation, speed is essential. Therefore, from insertion to extraction the mission window is 1 hour. After that time it will be impossible to safely bring in a helo for pick up and you will have to go on E&E.
FMP WORKOUT
Insertion:
- Swim 500 Yards
- Run 1 mile
Contact:
3 rounds of:
Actions at the objective:
21 – 15 – 9
- Thrusters (35lbs dumbbells)
- Pull Ups
- Kettlebell Swings (Heavy = 50lbs / Light = 35lbs)
- Run 400 meters
Extraction:
Run 2 miles – Dropping for 15 push ups every minute.
Escape and Evasion:
Do this only if you go over 1 hour.
Notes:
Prepare for this mission by setting up prior to starting. There is no stopping the watch to get dressed after the swim, or to go from one area to another. You are going to have to move with a purpose throughout this entire workout as if you were really on a mission where your life depended on it.
GOOD LUCK
Smoke This Sucka!
* (Situation information culled from New York Times article, “NATO Agrees to Take Aim at Afghan Drug Trade”, 10/10/08)
Mission is fictitious.
- Warning -
This workout is for elite athletes.
Not there yet? Check out the Training Programs
“Unarmed”
“Action precedes progress; analysis precedes more analysis. Act first, analyze later”
~Charles Staley
Workout of the Day
3 Rounds for time of:
Workout taken from www.blackboxathletics.com.
Post your comments, questions, and time.
“Swab the Deck”
“He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander”
~Aristotle
Workout of the Day
Shuffle a deck of cards and then go through them, performing the following exercises for each card.
Hearts = Pull Ups
Diamonds = Push Ups
Clubs = Sit Ups
Clovers = Squats
Jokers = 1 Mile Run
Face cards (jack, queen, king) are 10. Aces are high (11). All other cards are their face value.
Post your comments, questions, and time.
“Pool Party”
“Life is tough, it’s tougher if you make stupid decisions”
~Unknown
Workout of the Day
Swim 500 Yards
- 50 Push Ups
- 50 Flutter Kicks
Swim 400 Yards
- 40 Push Ups
- 40 Flutter Kicks
Swim 300 Yards
- 30 Push Ups
- 30 Flutter Kicks
Swim 200 Yards
- 20 Push Ups
- 20 Flutter Kicks
Swim 100 Yards
- 10 Push Ups
- 10 Flutter Kicks
Swim any stroke you want (CSS preferred). Post your comments, questions, and time.
“Strength and Honor”
“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.”
~Einstien
This is one of my favorite quotes of all time. A trumpets call to action that inspires a desire to stand up and make a difference in the face of indifference.
To the men and women of the armed services that fight on battlefields in countries near and far…
To the men and women of our law enforcement and fire services who fight in the cities and towns of our great land…
To the mothers and fathers who provide for and stand in defense of the next generation that will inherit what we have built…
To the teachers that bring their very best to touch as many lives as they can with their craft…
This workout is in honor of you. Strength and Honor.
Workout of the Day
25 Pull ups
21-15-9
- Sumo Deadlift High Pull (Heavy = 95lbs / Light = 65lbs)
- Overhead Press (Heavy = 65lbs / Light = 45lbs)
50 Push Ups
5 Rounds of:
- 10 Deadlift (Heavy = 95lbs / Light = 65lbs)
- 10 Thrusters (Heavy = 65lbs / Light = 45lbs)
75 Sit Ups
3 Rounds of:
- 15 Flutter Kicks
- 15 Knees to Elbows
100 Squats
Go to www.CrossFit.com to search for exercises that you are not familiar with.
Post your comments, questions, and time.
“Junkyard”
Success is the sum of small things, done day in and day out.
~Robert Collier
It is so often the norm to see procrastination and then a flurry of activity in accomplishing something or meeting a deadline. It is also the norm to embrace a get there quick mentality that suggests that there is some short cut or a secret passage way to reaching your goal.
The fact is that it is the consistency of the tortoise that beats out the inconsistency of the hare. Now if the hare was consistent, then the story would be somewhat different.
Workout of the Day
Swim 1500 yards with fins
5 Rounds of:
- Max Push ups in 1 minute
- Rest 1 minute
- Max Pull ups in 1 minute
- Rest 1 minute
Swim 500 yards (CSS no fins)
Post your comments, questions, and time.
Sunday 10/5/2008 Rest Day
“Six days you shall do work, and on the seventh day you shall rest”
~Exodus 23:12
Enjoy today. Eat plenty of good food, drink plenty of water, and reflect on your Brass Ring journey. Where did you start? Where are you now? What is your next step? Where are you going?
Be sure to take at least a day off each week to rest, recover, and be refreshed.
“Hard Day in the Woods”
Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.
~Sun Tzu
Treat each day as the most important in your preparation for the literal or figurative battle that will be required to reach your Brass Ring. If you wait until you are at the doorstep looking out at the hurricane to start your mental and physical preparation, you have missed your opportunity and can only hope to survive, not be victorious.
Workout of the Day
“Hard Day in the Woods”
2 rounds of:
Uneven trail with elevation change is preferred. Wear the backpack when doing the squats.
Post your comments, questions, and time.
“Reno 911″
“In the absence of clearly defined goals we become strangely loyal to performing daily acts of trivia.”
~unknown
So often I see people that seem to be motoring about at sea without a rudder. They say they have a goal, but it’s not specific, it’s something like “I want to be the best I can be”. While that is not a bad answer, it’s not a clearly defined goal. They seem to be doing most of the right things, but are going no where. They may make marginal gains in their conditioning, but never seem to develop to their greatest potential, or gain that heart of a warrior that it takes to grab their Brass Ring.
To get an idea of whether you are living your Brass Ring, answer these questions: What is the first thing that you think of when you wake up, or go to sleep? What book are you reading right now? What do you think about when you are training? How much TV do you watch, and what programs?
If you’re planning on being successful at reaching out and grabbing your Brass Ring, then at least some of the answers to these questions should involve elements of your main objective.
Today I want you to write out your ultimate goal (your Brass Ring) and put it in a place that you will often see it. Share it publicly in the comments if you want with others that may be on the same path as you are. By clearly defining your goal and posting it in a prominent place, you make it a constant reminder of why you are here.
Workout of the Day
I did this workout for the first time about a little under a week ago in Reno, NV. I think you’ll like it.
“Reno 911″
Run 1 mile
3 Rounds of:
- 10 Pull ups (dead hang)
- 10 Thrusters (30lb dumbbells)
- 10 Flutter kicks (4 count)
2 Rounds of:
- 50 Walking lunge (25 each leg)
- Walk back
50 – 40 – 30 – 20 – 10
- Squat
- Push up
50 Squat Jumps
Post your comments, questions, and time.
