My Hero - This We'll Defend

We all have our idea and definition of what makes a hero. For some it would require a fancy suit and epic tale, but for me it’s in the little things that are truly not so little when you add them up, that makes a hero.  In this story, my hero’s suit is a U.S. Army uniform.

I have the honor and privilege to be surrounded by real heroes, though they would argue with me for calling them such a thing.  One of my friends, and he knows who he is, often argues and disagrees with me for calling him a hero.  But, regardless of his own definition and interpretation - he will always be a hero to me.

Who are my heroes?  They’re all men and women who wouldn’t want their names to be mentioned or even referenced, yet I have the honor and privilege to call them ‘friend’.  They will probably not want to read this post just because their mouths and stomachs are stuffed with humble pie. But this isn’t their blog, it’s mine.  It’s made for me to express MY opinion.  The admiration and love I have for these men and women sometimes brings me to tears it’s so overwhelming.

One of my heroes is a friend that currently serves as a Drill Sergeant at Fort Benning.  I’ve never seen someone work so much.  The hours he puts into his job brings new meaning to the phrase, “Thank you for your service.”  This man is LIVING to serve.  He sacrifices seeing his family.  He has no time for a social life or recreation.  He works so much that most of the time I’m around him, or while communicating with him, he’s falling asleep on his feet.  Some women would get upset about that, but not me.  I’m honored.  He’s a soldier in the U.S. Army, he’s seen combat and stood against our enemies, yet finds enough comfort in my presence to let down his guard and rest.  It’s the highest compliment he could ever pay me.

My Drill Sergeant friend is one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever seen, not because he’s very handsome, but because of his dedication to what he does.  He cares about his job; his mission.  He cares about the impact he makes on the men he’s training.  I recently got to spend some time with those young men and I listened to how they spoke about my friend, and I heard the admiration and respect they had for him.  It brought me to tears while sitting in a circle of about 20 of them and one of these young men stood up and said, “I’m not afraid of what Drill Sergeant would do to me; I only fear disappointing him.”  You can’t buy, instill, or force that kind of respect.  It’s earned.  He never has to tell me anything else about himself  for me to know he’s a hero.  The respect in his men’s eyes are witness enough. I hope my eyes reflect the same respect.

I’ve watched my Drill Sergeant command, I’ve observed him lead, I’ve witnessed him teach, and I’ve never admired anyone more.  I appreciate him more than I could ever express.  I know not everyone who wears a uniform operates at his level of excellence and dedication, but he alone has restored my faith in the majority of those who do wear the uniform.  When I see the Army logo now it is his face that has become the face of that symbol.  Because of his leadership I have more confidence in those he sends out to fight, to protect, and to serve, because I know they’ve been taught by the best. I love and admire him deeply.

My Drill Sergeant wouldn’t want me to mention his name, and I will respect his privacy not to do so, nor mention the names of my other Army friends who I also love and admire and think of as heroes.  They know who they are … Ranger, Bestie, Major and Sergeant.  But I will share with you all a picture of my hero Drill Sergeant in service.

Till next time,

~T.L. Gray

4 For The Core

With reaching the 90lb loss benchmark of my 17-month get healthy journey, it’s again time to change my routine.  I believe that’s been one of the biggest keys to my continued success.  I like routine, but routine can become uninspiring and boring, causing me to lose interest.  Being healthy and active should never become boring - much like a relationship and requires constant work.  But it’s not going to change by itself.  It will take just as much dedication and determination from you in the middle of the journey as it did at the start.  There is no end, so don’t set one.  This isn’t a temporary fix - it’s a lifestyle, something that will carry you through until the day you no longer care about your health.  This is a battle of the mind.  You have to decide that you’re going to fight it to the end, never giving up, never surrendering.  If not, you’re wasting your time.

Routine also causes your body to hit plateaus, because it gets used to the effort you’re putting into changing it.  It doesn’t want to work.  It doesn’t want to change. It doesn’t like to be pushed, denied, stretched, exhausted, or exercised, and will fight you. It would rather be pampered and lazy. However, it can come to love the benefits and rewards of a good workout.  It will walk straighter with pride and confidence as it gets healthier, stronger, and sexier.  It will reward you with a rush of endorphins and pleasure.  Greater activities become possible and making love becomes so much more fun because you’ll have more stamina, strength and sexiness.

 

Speaking of sexy, and totally getting back on my initial topic of changing up my routine, I asked my good friend, Sergeant T. Emilio Solano – Army Drill Sergeant at Fort Benning to recommend a good workout to target my middle and lower body specifically.  He recommended 4 for the Core + a 1-minute plank. 

Wow! Ouch! Umph! … Whew! These may seem like simple moves, but they’re not!!!!  Within 15-20 seconds of the first routine, my muscles began to shake from strain.  I wasn’t able to hold each position for the full minute as required, but I’ll keep it up until I can.  I made it on average about 15-30 seconds for each one.  I repeated the process twice, but I’d like to be able to hold the positions correctly for the full minute each. I broke more of a sweat with these five moves than I do when I run a mile. I now have a new goal.

Thank you, Sergeant Solano! 

I’ve included a video below for those of you brave enough to try this on your own.  Take control of your body. Take control of your health.  Take control of your life.  When it gets hard, tell yourself you deserve to be happy, healthy and sexy as hell.

http://www.armyprt.com/special_conditioning_programs/4-for-the-core.shtml Army Physical Readiness Training: 4 For The Core The abdomen, lower spine, and pelvis comprise the trunk (core) of the body. This area must be stable so the limbs have a fixed base from which to create powerful movements. The abdominal and back muscles form a supportive ring around the spine. Soldiers are only as strong as their weakest link; so all these muscles must be trained in a manner that mimics their function. In reconditioning, 4C and HSD are performed daily before engaging in other PRT activities. During the toughening phase, 4C is performed after preparation and prior to strength and mobility activities. Four for the core may also be performed outside regular PRT sessions as supplemental training. Do not exceed 60 seconds for each 4C exercise. The following commands are used for 4C exercises. Exercises 1 and 3 (bent leg raise and back bridge): Starting Position, MOVE. Ready, EXERCISE. Starting Position, MOVE. Position of Attention, MOVE. Exercises 2 and 4 (side bridge and quadraplex) are both performed on the right and left sides. The commands for execution for this exercise and changing sides are as follows: Starting Position, MOVE. Ready, EXERCISE. Starting Position, MOVE. Change Position, Ready EXERCISE. Starting Position, MOVE. Position of Attention, MOVE. The goal is to hold each exercise position for 60 seconds. If the Soldier is unable to do this, he will follow the instructions for each exercise to momentarily change position and return to the prescribed exercise position. Detailed descriptions of each 4C exercise follows.

From: FM 7-22 October 2012    (Page last modified Feb 1, 2013)

Related links 4 For The Core Exercise 1: Bent-Leg Raise 4 For The Core Exercise 2: Side Bridge 4 For The Core Exercise 3: Back Bridge 4 For The Core Exercise 4: Quadraplex

Don’t give up.  You can do this.

Till next time,

~T.L. Gray

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