Over the past 14 years, I’ve participated in triple-digit GORUCK events, both as a participant and/or organizer. I consider all of these events worthwhile, with several that I would call life-changing, and two of which I would classify as perfect. I personally define a perfect event as one where there is nothing I would change, not even a minor improvement. There is also an element of surprise — an aspect or element that I admittedly did not expect and did not come up with on my own.
The first perfect event took place in 2014 in Worcester, Massachusetts, where I participated in what is now known as a Tough Challenge, led by Garrett Noonan. There was an added layer of pressure leading up to that event, as several Reebok executives (ahem, Paul Litchfield) joined in on the good livin’ to explore a potential partnership. Suffice it to say, everything (minus the partnership) went splendidly and far exceeded my expectations.
But enough about old events in New England from a decade ago — let’s talk about the perfect event in New England from this past weekend: the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Memorial GORUCK event.
As background, in the wake of the unforgettable tragedy that struck a small Connecticut town on December 14, 2012, local members of our GORUCK community began rucking together to help cope with the loss and grief that had hit home. A small group approached GORUCK about holding a memorial event to honor the students and educators lost at Sandy Hook Elementary, and I worked with them to launch the first Sandy Hook Memorial event in December 2014. Every year since then, ruckers from near and far have made the pilgrimage to carry twenty-six sandbags marked with first and last names, say their names, and honor their memories through communal suffering and donations to related causes.
This year was no exception…except for the fact that this event wasn’t on the regular event schedule. Call it a miscommunication or a misunderstanding, but it was a mistake to not have this event on its tenth year, which fell on the actual anniversary date. Gratefully, the Blue Blaze Ruckers community and a new Cadre stepped in to fill the void. Blue Blaze Ruckers is a ruck club in Connecticut that grew closer during the pandemic quarantine and who care deeply about their community. Because of their commitment to Sandy Hook, they ensured that this event would indeed take place — and in a way that I think was absolutely singular.
I regret that this oversight occurred, and I was humbled by the efforts of this community, which has continued to support this event over the past decade. The silver lining is that I was forced to face the tough emotions that come with such a memorial event. For years, I had voiced that I needed to get up to Sandy Hook, but I always found an excuse not to go: too many conflicts, too close to Christmas, too far away, too cold, too sad. I am incredibly thankful that the universe made me realize that it was time to pay my respects. After doing so, I feel less alone in my grief and more connected to the beautiful souls who were taken too soon.
What made this a perfect event, you might ask? It was not the 18-degree (but sunny) weather. Rather, it was how we spent those six hours rucking around Sandy Hook, doing the following:
It started with the Cadre directing us to form up in three ranks of eight in alphabetical order by first name. We had two minutes to do so or face a penalty in the form of a physical task. Basically, it’s an icebreaker to help everyone learn each other's names without being corny. There’s a healthy amount of stress, which forces people to work together right off the bat.
Once we were organized, the Cadre set the stage beautifully by explaining the purpose of the event. While he didn’t have a personal tie to Sandy Hook, his life experience in the military allowed him to relate to such loss. The Cadre explained that, while this event would likely bring up some heavy emotions, we would work through those feelings as a group. He also wanted to give us a simulated glimpse into the life of becoming a Green Beret, as a way for us to endure something hard (albeit temporarily) together.
Thus began a PT test consisting of timed sit-ups and push-ups, followed by a ruck march of unknown distance and duration. When someone didn’t meet the standard, the Cadre quietly handed us a notecard. Everyone received at least one notecard, and the significance of these notecards was not disclosed.
The penultimate movement required us to reintegrate as one large group, everyone carrying a sandbag or two in addition to our weighted rucks, which we did as an honor and privilege. We ended up at a brewery where we did more PT before being allowed to recuperate by using the facilities and refilling our water bottles. Much to my surprise, the Cadre touched upon Robin Sage, the premier unconventional warfare exercise and the final phase of the Special Forces Assessment and Selection course. He created some fun missions that our group had to collaborate on to obtain the coordinates for the endpoint. The missions included intel collection, elicitation, paroles, concealment devices, and more. More team bonding occurred as a result.
The final movement had us rucking two miles through another part of town to avoid backtracking. The endex point was close to the start point but also unique and at a different brewery. This time, the Cadre had us get back into our small units, and we were given a final mission to convince a stranger inside the brewery to complete a task on our behalf. We ended on a high note as all three small units succeeded in the task. We had our patching ceremony, took a team photo, and, unfortunately, I had to say my goodbyes before the celebratory drinks and pizza to catch my last flight home. But that couldn’t change the fact that this was a perfect event that I will never forget.
