Date: 23 May 2024
AO: Iditarod – Russell Middle School, 172nd & Q, Omaha, NE
Weather: 52°, clear skies and little to no wind
PAX (15): Bullet Proof, Tee ball, Boji, Foxhole, Ketchup, Mr. Toad, Homerun, Shark Week, Switchfoot, Da Fridge, Oscar, Stripes
FNG’s: none
QIC: Stripes
YHC arrived to the AO a little after 0500 to survey the area and see how wet the football field was to determine whether or not to use it. It was wet, so I decided to keep the PAX dry and use the parking lot on the south side of the school. I set up a couple cones and my speaker for some Memorial Day-themed tunes and returned to the flags to be ready to kick things off at 0530. I welcomed the PAX to F3 at Iditarod, stated the three F’s, mission statement, butchered the five core principles as if I had never Q’d before, stated credo, disclaimer, and asked if there were any FNG’s or anyone new to Iditarod. There were none. We then proceeded to the south parking area for the warm-o-rama, pre-thang and thang.
WARM-O-RAMA
SSH (IC 20)
Cherry Pickers (IC 20)
Sun gods (IC 20 forward/20 reverse)
Raise the roofs (20)
Seal Claps (IC 20)
PRE-THANG
Stripels (variation of Steinl)
Stripel arms
Plank x 30 | Chilcutt Plank x 30 | Zebra Kicks x 10 each leg | Alt Shldr Tap x 10 IC | Merkins x 10 | Plank x 30 | Chilcutt Plank x 30 | Zebra Kicks x 10 each leg | Alt Shldr Tap x 10 IC | Merkins x 10
Stripel abs
Plank x 30 | Chilcutt Plank x 30 | flutter kicks x 10 IC | Heels to Heaven x 10 IC | Hello Dolly’s x 10 | Plank x 30 | Chilcutt Plank x 30 | flutter kicks x 10 IC | Heels to Heaven x 10 IC | Hello Dolly’s x 10 |
THE THANG
Black Jack 21s – Merkins and Big Boy situps (modify for any ab exercise). Pax started at one end of the parking lot and did 1 merkin then ran approximately 50 yards to the cones and did 20 big boy situps then ran back to the other cone and did 2 merkins then ran back to the other cone and did 19 big boys and so on and so forth until Omaha was called at 0603. We picked up the cones and slowly mosey’d back to the flags. Upon returning to the flags, we did American Hammers rancid-style, name-o-rama, announcements, prayers, and finished with the COT.
Prayer Requests and Announcements
- Announcements: Iditarod flag pass next week to Oscar, Homerun is organizing Pickle Ball Sunday at 0700 at Dragon’s Lair
- Prayer requests: Prayers for safety this Holiday weekend, Da Fridge’s friend Kelly cervical cancer and blood clots, Homerun’s friend Jim cancer, the family and loved ones of Boji’s close friend Marlon who passed away, everyone affected by the recent stretch of damaging weather
COT – Memorial Day
Tee ball tee’d up my COT (no pun intended) during announcements when he touched on remembering the true meaning of Memorial Day. It’s always a very emotional holiday for me due to the time I spent in the Marine Corps, particularly my time in Iraq. I don’t speak about very often, but I shared my experience being deployed to Iraq in early 2004 and how I was appointed Officer in Charge of the Mortuary Affairs Platoon for a short period of my seven months there. Sadly, I experienced far too many fallen Heroes during that time firsthand and up close. The Mortuary Affairs Platoon was responsible for processing those who were killed in action and preparing their bodies to be sent home in a coffin with the American flag draped over it. That experience gave me new meaning to the phrase, “Freedom isn’t free.” The expression has very deep meaning to me as it comes with the cost of so many brave men and women who have laid down their lives in the line of duty. I asked the PAX to remember the true meaning of Memorial Day this upcoming holiday weekend. While it’s known for being the unofficial start of summer, pools opening, BBQs, beers, lake parties, etc, all those freedoms we enjoy come at a very high cost. Amidst all those things we’ll enjoy this Holiday weekend, I asked the PAX to remember the fallen Heroes as well as the loved ones they left behind and keep them in our prayers especially this weekend and Monday. I closed with a Bible verse and a quote…
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. -John 15:13
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather, we should thank God such men lived.” -Gen Geroge S. Patton
OORAH!
Stripes