Finisher! Army 10-Miler 2020

 My 10th Army Ten-Miler is in the bag! 

The first annual Army Ten-Miler (ATM) occurred in 1984, the same year I received my commission as a Second Lieutenant of Engineers and long before I ever dreamed of running more than the required 2 miles. Time goes by, does it not? Life happens.... A few 5ks, a few 10ks, and soon running becomes a joy and the joy of running becomes habitual. 

Upon returning to CONUS in 2000, I ran my first ATM in what is still my best time. I have run the Fall Classic a total of 10 times (9 officially--I'll explain later). Now I'm 20 years older and hopefully somewhat wiser. With knees of papier mache and ankles that crackle like dry spaghetti, I am content to finish! 

Race day! DC hat, outlaw/motorcycle kerchief/mask, racing bib, and "Never Quit!" training shirt

My string of ATMs includes these years: 2000, 2001 (unofficial), 2002, 2010, 2011, 2013 (the week before my first (and possibly only) Marine Corps Marathon), 2014, 2015, 2016 (not my best effort--okay, my worst, by far), and 2020--the comeback kid! 

As you can see, I last competed four years ago and that was my poorest outing to date. The sordid tale is detailed HERE. Then in 2018, though determined to improve my trend, I was forced to sell my bib due to some lower back issues. Last year I did not even sign up, as 2019 was all about sailing (in lieu of running).

This year's edition was particularly sweet for personal reasons. You see, in the fall of 2019, I experienced a bizarre medical emergency. Blood clots from DVTs I did not even know I had dislodged from veins deep in my legs and clogged my lungs. The blockage in both lungs was bad enough to land me in the hospital. Obviously and thankfully, I pulled through, but I remember the day I came home. I thought, "Wouldn't it be awesome to run my 10th ATM less than a year after a serious medical emergency? From struggling to move around the pulmonary ward with supplemental oxygen, a walker, and those infamous yellow "fall risk" slipper-socks to gliding over the 10-mile racecourse in my Brooks Beasts in under a year? 

Game on!   

And so wheels were put in motion! Walking. Walking faster. Walking further. Jogging. Walking and jogging, i.e., wogging. One foot in front of the other! Keep moving forward. That's the way you do it! 

Shirt, bib, coin / medal, and Brooks Beast 20

And the results? 

Glorious!   

This year was a virtual race, which gave me the freedom to choose my own course. I trained in my neighborhood, but for race day, I went to the familiar bike trail alongside the Potomac. 

The map shows the start and finish line of my 10-mile loop. 

The best part of the course was the bridges--I ran twice over 14 in all, plus I enjoyed a great view of the mighty Woodrow Wilson bridge. I ran from the start north to cross the stone bridge over Hunting Creek, and then south over wooden bridges 24, 23, 22, etc. down to 12 near Fort Hunt where I turned around. About half-way from the start to the southern turnaround, the bike trail crossed over the G. W. Parkway on a magnificent stone arch bridge. 

One of my favorite bridges on the bike path beside the George Washington Memorial Parkway, Bridge No. 12 is near Fort Hunt. At this point, I had just reversed course and was heading back north to the finish. 

I wore my race bib and saw one other racer who was also drawn to the beautiful, winding, riverside course. I made friends with bikers and other pedestrians who saw that I was racing and cheered me on. This crowd support was perhaps not the same as throngs of supporters lining the streets of DC in a typical ATM, but it was nice all the same.  

Along the way, I made a new, well-camouflaged friend (foggy glasses not for turtle vision but for scale)

This was my second virtual Army 10-Miler. The first was years ago and not officially sanctioned. After 9/11, organizers canceled the race for obvious security concerns. Back in those days, we still had snipers on the roof of the Pentagon and anti-aircraft weapon systems on the 5 corners. But a group of us ran anyway, wearing Family Support Group shirts of our own design. Unlike the "shadow" races that have been sanctioned for forward-deployed Soldiers, our 2001 race was not recognized officially. However, in my book, it was the best. 

Detail of this year's shirt confirms that ATM 2020 was a virtual race

I think it was a clever idea to provide a ribbon and clip to convert the coin into a medal if the runner so desired. This was the first year MDW offered this option, in response to runner feedback. Great idea! 

The coin comes on a ribbon to wear like a medal

Personally, I never wear the official race t-shirt until after I've earned it. I've seen a lot of runners wearing them during past races, and that is fine, just not for me. 

The back of this year's shirt looks like a billboard or something out of  NASCAR 

The Army Ten-Miler is conducted by The U.S. Army Military District of Washington and is the third-largest 10-mile road race in the world. The ATM traditionally starts and finishes at the Pentagon with a course that travels through Washington, D.C.

“The Army Ten Miler is a demonstration of the Army’s commitment to readiness, fitness, and our communities. This annual race is a symbol of these commitments and of our dedication to the health and safety of the entire Army family.” --Maj. Gen. Omar J. Jones, commander of The U.S. Army Military District of Washington.

The 36th Army Ten-miler virtual edition entry fee was $59 and all race proceeds benefit U.S. Army Family and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation programs. 

"Having fun doing good!" 

You can view my updated Army Ten-Miler Shirt collection HERE.

Finisher! Army 10-Miler 2016

The Army Ten-Miler (ATM) is an annual event hosted by the Association of the United Stated Army (AUSA) in conjunction with that organization's yearly symposium and exposition. Organizers say the race is the third largest ten-mile race in the world but it's certainly the largest race I've ever participated in. The field of 35,000 included at least one runner from every American state. 

I love the ATM. I always see people I know, the entrance fee supports military charities, the statue- and monument- and museum-lined route is inspiring, the event attracts world-class competition, and the after-party is a blast. 

Officially, this was my 8th year participating in the big race. If we count 2001 when I ran a shadow event because the main race was cancelled due to post-9/11 security concerns, then this was my 9th ATM. Either way, with all that experience, I certainly ought to know better than to do what I did this year....  

For a variety of reasons, this was my slowest outing--by far. In fact, I was plodding along, listening to TED Talks, when I noticed a man with a stop watch and a clip board writing down my bib number. I thought that was odd, so I removed my earbuds and looked around. Someone else was sliding a barrier across the route right behind me. Turns out I was the last person allowed to remain on the course, and everyone behind me was diverted to a shortcut route back to the Pentagon. 

I knew I was moving slowly. My pre-race exercise and diet had not been optimal and I was suffering the effects of those choices. I could feel the blisters on my feet--confirmed when I got home, removed my shoes, and saw my bloody socks. To avoid getting shin splints, I was exaggerating my ankle rotations and pausing frequently to stretch and flex my ankles and calves. At one point I had to wait in line for a porta-john. So yes, I was aware that I was way off my target pace, but I had no idea that I was so close to the maximum allowable pace of 15 minutes per mile. I crossed the 5-mile mark blissfully oblivious to the fact that I was just about to barely pass the pace count cut-off!  

Seeing that barrier slide behind me at the pace check point bolted me into a heightened sense of awareness. Naturally, I had to pick up the pace for the remainder of the race, because the course closes at 11:30. or 2.5 hours after the last  heat starts at 9 AM. The only thing worse than getting shin splints and blisters is getting shin splints and blisters and having nothing to show for it! I did manage to complete the second half faster than the first half of the race, and I lived to tell the tale! 

For me, "running" ten miles is a matter of falling slightly forward and just barely catching myself, 20,000 times. Having run the darn ATM a time or two, I certainly knew how to train and prepare--yet this year I seem to have relied on luck. Luck alone got me past the pace-count check-point with seconds to spare. I saved all my brilliance and wisdom for a little poem, which I have titled, "But If You Do." I composed most of it in my head as a distraction from the burning sensation in my feet, ankles, and shins. 

But if you do...

Don't get old, but if you do

Don't slide yourself out of shape, but if you do

Don't sign up for the Army Ten-Miler, but if you do

Don't wait too late to train.

But if you do, don't train all at once

But if you do, don't give yourself blisters

But if you do, don't rely on Epsom salts,

But if you do, remember

Only starters finish

Only movers blister or chafe

Only those who risk falling advance and

Only the lucky get old

Links to previous post-run photos:

2010 http://philosfx.blogspot.com/2010/10/finisher.html

2011 http://philosfx.blogspot.com/2011/10/finisher-atm-2011.html

2012 did not run and I don't know why not

2013 ran, but did not take a photo and I don't know why not

2014 http://philosfx.blogspot.com/2014/10/finisher.html

2015 ran, but did not take a photo and I don't know why not

And, for a post containing my ATM shirt collection, n = 10 (including the shirt we made for the 2001 shadow run fund-raiser for the ODCSPER Family Support Group), see HERE.

Oh, the Irony! A Look at Values in a Changing World

Forty years have passed and a lot has changed for me, my Army, and my Nation. 

I was 15 years old and something of an aspiring athlete when Bruce Jenner won the 1976 Olympic Decathlon in fairly dramatic fashion. From 1979 to 1984, I attended Notre Dame on an ROTC scholarship (read: not an athletic one!) and was subsequently commissioned an officer in the Army Corps of Engineers. I served in the Army on active duty from 1984 to 2012. My regard for Bruce the athlete was so high that I paid little attention to his demeaning and confusing appearances in reality TV shows in the role of Bruce, the husband of Kristen Mary "Kris" Houghton Kardashian Jenner beginning in 2007, or indeed to his surprising decision to come out as a woman in 2015. Now, 40 years to the day after Bruce Jenner was the hero of the Games of the 21st Olympiad, the world seems to be very different. Are we moving in the right direction? Is society evolving in a manner that will be seen as successful in hindsight? 

This post is not about irony, per se, but irony is involved in the telling of it. Given all the buzz around the ironic absence of actual irony in Alanis Morissette's song, "Ironic," I'd like to begin by stipulating to the following definition of irony. With a little help from our friends at Merriam-Webster, we believe irony is the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect. So, irony is similar to sarcasm, causticity, cynicism, mockery, satire, and sardonicism, but quite different from, say, coincidence, such as rain on your wedding day.

Are we good?

I want to dispense with the terminology question because I am more interested in a deeper issue. This post is also about intrinsic values and the evolution of values in a social context. Our subjects for exploring this question are Olympic Champion Bruce Jenner, erstwhile commentator Terry Coffey, artist, photographer, and survivor Mark Hogancamp, psychologist Carl Jung, and the US Army. We'll look at how the values espoused by groups such as the Army can, do, and should change over time. Our success as a species depends on it.   

Here we go...  

Bruce Jenner in the 1976 Olympics and Caitlyn Jenner on the July 2015 cover of Vanity Fair.

“As I see post after post about Bruce Jenner’s transition to a woman, and I hear words like, bravery, heroism and courage, just thought I’d remind all of us what real American courage, heroism and bravery looks like!” --Terry Coffey, June, 2015

Insert grainy black & white photo of a wounded major being hauled through the mud to safety while defiantly firing a pistol at his attackers, and--BOOM!--an Internet meme is born.

Like millions, I saw the original post as it flew around . Were you one of the 800,000 who not only saw it but shared it? Did I see it because you shared it? For any of you who somehow missed this message and image that touched such a nerve, here is is again:

As an career Army officer, now retired, I place a high value on personal courage. The image Mr. Coffey attached to his comment and the courage it represented was one that resonated with me. I saw lots of my Army friends "liking" this image and commenting on social media. For some reason, I held back and did not share my opinion one way or the other. More on that later.

I can relate to the example of courage in the photo. Honestly, the example of Bruce transitioning to Caitlyn is harder for me to relate to on a personal level, but who am I to question or judge another's struggle? Truly, I am not sure which battle would require more courage.

Whether Mr. Coffey's comment was intended as a mockery of Jenner or merely a rebuttal to all the attention being paid to Jenner's public transition is unclear. However, supporters and detractors of rights for trans-gendered people soon took up sides. Mr. Coffey was praised by some, and slammed as a "trans hater" by others.

Who is Terry Coffey? 

As it happens, Mr. Coffey's commentary about "real" courage was ironic in a way that he couldn't have imagined. In an interview following the popularity of his post, Coffey admitted he had conducted a quick image search online, and simply chose an image that fit his words. Again, I think lots of people like me might have selected the same image as a depiction of true courage. After Coffey's post went viral, he decided to identify the photographer so he could give him or her proper attribution. Imagine Coffey's shock when he realized that the photographer was actually a cross-dresser who had been savagely beaten by a gang of five hate-filled and bigoted thugs.

“In an ironic twist, I have discovered that the photo is part of a documentary created by a man who was beaten nearly to death outside of a bar in 2000,” Coffey posted.

The photographer, Mark Hogancamp, spent nine days in a coma and suffered severe brain damage and other injuries, Coffey learned.

Hogancamp coped with his pain afterward by creating an imaginary world set in World War II – where he created the image that went viral years later – but Coffey was gobsmacked by something else he learned.
“Why was [Hogancamp] nearly beaten to death by 5 strangers?” Coffey asked. “Because he was a cross-dresser.”

“I could have chosen any one of hundreds of photos depicting bravery, but I chose this one,” Coffey said. “Do I think it was an accident? No, I don’t. What happened to this man was cruel, wrong, and unforgivable,” Coffey said. “Hate helps nothing, love wounds no one, God heals all, and irony makes you think.”

Oh, the irony! And, even though no one could have scripted Mr. Coffey's comeuppance, there is a script accompanying Marwencol, a 2010 American documentary film that explores the life and work of artist, photographer, and survivor Mark Hogancamp.

On April 8, 2000, Mark Hogancamp was attacked outside of a bar by five men who beat him nearly to death. After nine days in a coma and forty days in the hospital, Mark was discharged with brain damage that left him little memory of his previous life. Unable to afford therapy, Mark creates his own by building a 1/6-scale World War II-era Belgian town in his yard and populating it with dolls representing himself, his friends, and even his attackers. He calls that town "Marwencol," a portmanteau of the names "Mark," "Wendy" and "Colleen." The film was shot in New York State between 2006 and 2010. The film received widespread critical acclaim, holding a 98% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The site awarded the film their "Golden Tomato" Award for the best-reviewed documentary of the year. The Los Angeles Times called the film “an exhilarating, utterly unique experience” while the Village Voice said that it's “exactly the sort of mysterious and almost holy experience you hope to get from documentaries and rarely do.”

Suffice to say, this is a movie I would like to watch. Again, forty years have passed and a lot has changed....

As a person who grew up worshiping Bruce Jenner the athlete and then served 28 years in the Army, how did I get to the point where Terry Coffee's public excoriation leads me to an interest in a documentary about Mark Hogencamp's struggle to recover from senseless brutality?

I am what pioneering psychologist Carl Jung would call an ENTP (Extroverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving). As an ENTP, my preferences are to:

• interact with others as a means of generating ideas and soliciting feedback in an environment that fosters interaction and synergy (Extrovert, E); 
• use my intuition and deductive reasoning rather than facts and inductive reasoning to fill in the gaps in my knowledge (Intuitive, N); 
• to think as opposed to feel my way through the world (Thinking, T); and 
• to look for ways to improve processes and products rather than to judge them against a standard (Perceiving, P). 

As a consequence of my ENTP personality type, I spend a lot of time studying and perceiving (P) others such as Bruce, Terry, and Mark without judging them. Despite my extroverted (E) tendencies, I saw but did not share the original Coffey post. Now that the rest of the story has come to light, I am glad I listened to my intuition (N) and did not comment right away. How I felt about all of this at the time is not as important to me as is what I think (T) about it now.

How I respond to the Caitlyn Jenner story is a function of my personality type combined with my experience serving in the Army. The Army experience can be summed up as shared hardships around selfless service. In this environment, an individual Soldier's worth to the squad, platoon, company, and battalion is based on what he or she can do under pressure. I love this about the Army. If you can shoot, move, and communicate, you can succeed--regardless of your race, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

Most folks think of the Army as a very conservative institution. Bear in mind, the Army has long been at the forefront of important social change. The Army integrated minorities before the nation as a whole (1948). The Army integrated women before the nation as a whole (1948). The Army integrated gays and lesbians before the nation as a whole (2011). The Army integrated trans-gendered people before the nation as a whole (2016). The Army is leading the way in terms of valuing people based on who they are and what they do, not where they are from, who they love, or how they pray.

The Army's current values statement expresses seven distinct and important values captured in the acronym, LDRSHIP. These Army values are: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. Although this particular value statement is fairly new (2003), I doubt there is much in there to which our WWII veterans would not ascribe. 

Seven values is a nice number of values to keep track of, but I think we can safely bump that number up to nine or 10 without undue burden--particularly if we are clever enough to do so, and spell LEADERSHIP properly to boot! And why would we want to do such a thing? Because times have changed. The core values are timeless--service before self, and merit-based promotion. What needs updating is how such selfless service and merit is recognized, valued, and rewarded. 

Therefore, thanks to the lessons we have learned at Terry Coffey's expense, to the Army's list of seven core values I would add three more: Equality, Acceptance, and Ethnic Diversity. Biases of bygone days must be challenged and the unhelpful ones removed. Expressly emphasizing the values of Equal treatment of all persons, Acceptance of various backgrounds, and appreciation for Ethnic diversity takes nothing away from the old values but strengthens the core.

• Loyalty
• Equality
• Acceptance
• Duty
• Ethnic Diversity
• Respect
• Selfless Service
• Honor
• Integrity
• Personal Courage

The Army is not a homogeneous bunch of xenophobic, misogynistic, bigoted, middle-aged white Christian men, so the Army's Values should explicitly reflect the institution's commitments to promotions based on merit and character and achievements independent of religion, race, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The Army is a high-performing organization. The Army is a self-governing profession with a body of knowledge worthy of study and thought. The Army takes volunteers, transforms them into Soldiers, and provides society with Veterans who espouse the values inculcated into them. The Army can and should espouse values that enable Veterans to be the strength of the Nation.

This realistic depiction of personal courage was created and photographed by a talented human.

Are we moving in the right direction? Is society evolving in a manner that will be seen as successful in hindsight?  Ironically, er--I mean, coincidentally, Terry Coffey has the best answer to that question.

“Hate helps nothing, love wounds no one, God heals all, and irony makes you think.”--Terry Coffey

Finisher!

Evidence of a morning well-spent

Along with Melanie Grace (#21,223) and 35,000 of our "closest friends," I participated in the Army 10-Miler on Sunday, October 12th. This was my 7th running of the ATM and the 30th annual edition of the event. I have observed quite a change in the nature of the event over the years. 

When I first ran it in 2000, the race was like a party. People wore outlandish costumes. There were jugglers and acrobats and people playing instruments while they ran. The atmosphere was fun--even frolicsome.

The 2001 edition was canceled due to post-9/11 security concerns, although many people ran shadow events anyway. I formed a team of 6 runners from the Army M&RA and G-1--a group of people who suffered 20% casualties including 29 killed in action on 9/11. We had special t-shirts made with the names of our fallen comrades, and we collected pledge money for the Family Support Group.

After 9/11 and the 12 years of war that followed, the event has gotten more somber., with this edition being by far the most poignant. Instead of birthday cake hats, bare feet, and kazoos, I saw: 

• people running in memory of someone who was lost, or in support of someone injured. 
• a Gold Star mother running in memory of her son, SFC Bowen from Maryland Army National Guard. 
• more hand bikers and wheelchair racers than ever before. 
• two blind runners, with escort and guards, and t-shirts declaring that loss of sight is not loss of vision. 
• a number people on prosthetic limbs. 
• many people carrying Old Glory, or unit guidons, or banners depicting such things as Purple Heart medals 

I suppose the most touching moment came after mile nine when we passed a man on two prosthetic legs. His stumps were sore, and he had his arms around two other men who were helping to carry him across the finish line. I gotta tell ya, stuff like that just really tugs at your heart. 

After the race, the vendors included not just the typical Army recruiting tents, but tents for adaptive sports and tents recruiting people to join Red White and Blue, Ward 57, Wounded Warrior Project, and many more. Of course my brother (fighting brain cancer) was on my mind today. I was running for him and others who cannot.

It's not as if there was no joy or reward in the effort. Melanie and I started and finished the run side-by-side. After being brought to tears on more than one occasion over the 10 mile course, we crossed the finish line hand-in-hand, exuberant and joyful.

Bottom line, I am proud to be affiliated with Armed Forces Services Corporation, a corporation which values service and is the champion for Warriors, Veterans, and Families. As an AFSC employee, I am working for the DoD's Wounded Warrior Program, helping to make a difference in the lives of our wounded, ill, and injured Warriors from all services and components. 

Know Thyself, and Seek Self Improvement

Lately, I have been on a bit of a pseudo-para-popular psychology kick, as evidenced by posts about Graphology, my Tarot Reading, Astrology (Capricorn), Numerology (Destiny Code 4), and Jungian Personality Types / Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator-ology (ENTP). There are plenty more where these came from! Future posts may well include results from any or all of the following:

• ACT / SAT / GRE Scores
• ITBS / Mensa / IQ Scores
• Play to Your Strengths / StrengthsFinder Profile 
• Johnson O'Connor Research Foundation 
• many, many more

One thing I have not done is explain why I am taking such tests in the first place. Neither have I yet shared my motives for posting such personal information here on PhilosFX. Honestly, I am not exactly sure why I am doing this. I don't know the answer. Part of this exercise in openness makes no sense! Therefore, in a true Extrovert fashion, allow me to write about these questions so that I may learn the answers for myself and at the same time, share the answers with others.

Is that what "living out loud" is really all about? Asking and sharing in the open? Writing into the answers together? I mean, we could either be hermits and read old books, or we could ask our own questions and seek our own answers and leave books for others to read.

Or perhaps, a bit of both...

IN THE BEGINNING, I used to draw a lot of self-portraits. I learned about basic proportions. As I got more observant and more skilled at recording my observations with a pencil, I notices subtle muscle movements that define an entire mood. In turn, this made me much more observant about the proportions of other people's faces, and more aware of subtle changes in mood conveyed by muscles around the mouth, nose and eyes.

The inward-looking insights translated to outward-looking insights with proportional intensity, The better I knew myself, the more clearly I saw similarities and differences between myself and others.

I have learned a lot about myself from taking many personality (MBTI) and proficiency (ACT / SAT / GRE) tests. As I learn more about my strengths and weaknesses, I begin to appreciate more the similarities and differences I have with others and others have with each other. The things that attract me to or repel me from other people can often be traced back to my own preferences.  I might dislike something someone does because I see the same thing in myself and I don't like it. I may see something in you that I lack, and so yearn to be more like you in that regard. I might seek peace by increasing diversity, or in another situation I might crave similarity for the same reason.

Plato said, "We are all born whole, but we need each other to be complete."

We are already whole, sufficient, and enough. But we need the challenges and rewards of interaction to prove our uniqueness and true worth, Therefore, it is helpful and good to be awake and self-aware. Give me more personality tests! I'll take 'em! And I'll share the results! Moreover, I would encourage everyone to do the same--knowing in advance that many people will be disinclined to do so and accepting that as just fine.

Why share this information? Well, let me flip the question: why not share it? What good is a bit of knowledge if it's never used? I have benefited from a great deal of introspection, and in my opinion, the world would be a much safer, saner place if more (if not all) people did the same! This and similar posts are not offered because I truly believe anyone else in the Universe gives a crap about my scores. Rather, I believe that knowing oneself and seeking self-improvement is an important part of a life well-lived.

I think everyone should operate with the humility that comes from realizing that there may be more than one right way to do things, that we are all in this game called life together, that some differences are normal, and that tolerance of differences is the aim and evidence of education. I am willing to lead by example.

Leading by example is a principle of Army leadership. As I learned in the Army, the first principle of leadership is: Know thyself, and seek self-improvement! Leading by setting the example is #5.


The PhilosFX tagline is, "If your life were a movie, would anyone watch?" By the way, don't worry overmuch about this rhetorical question. Remember: people watch Duck Dynasty, Honey Boo Boo, and My Big Redneck Wedding. The bar is not all that high. Your personal "Reality TV" script does not have to be elaborately produced or expertly choreographed to be interesting. If you are grateful to be alive, act like it, and people will tune in.

"Real life can be almost as good as TV, if you let it."

Let's go!

Courage (NaPoMo 3/30)

Today I am celebrating poets, poetry, and poems by highlighting researcher and story-teller Brene's Brown's definition of courage and contrasting it to the definition I grew up with while serving 28 years in the US Army.

Different types of courage are needed for different situations. Brene Brown's 5-point definition of courage covers the waterfront in an admirably poetic fashion, suitable, in my opinion, for today's National Poetry Month submission.

Here is the Army's definition of Personal Courage, one of the seven Army Values contained in the acronym, LDRSHIP.

Face fear, danger or adversity (physical or moral). Personal courage has long been associated with our Army. With physical courage, it is a matter of enduring physical duress and at times risking personal safety. Facing moral fear or adversity may be a long, slow process of continuing forward on the right path, especially if taking those actions is not popular with others. You can build your personal courage by daily standing up for and acting upon the things that you know are honorable. -- U.S. Army  

When I read the Army's definition of courage, I understand and admire it on a deeply personal level. I see a culture imbuing its values in the individuals. I see instructions and examples, both implied and explicit. It's very clear to the reader that each person who strives to live up to the Army value of courage must be willing to overcome fear, face danger, and deal with physical or moral adversity. The message is, We are the Army. To be part of us, you must do what is expected. I have tried to live up to the Army values for most of my adult life.

I feel that Brene Brown took the prosaic elements of the Army's value of Personal Courage and elevated them to poetic. Follow the Army's or Brene's prescription and the result is the same. However, Brene's approach speaks to vulnerability of individuals and power of connections. She repudiates "An Army of One" and validates "Be All You Can Be" and "Army Strong."

According to the Army's definition, a lack of courage is the same thing as weakness. To show weakness is to be unworthy of the Army. According to Brene Brown, to show weakness is to show humanity. It takes courage to accept one's weakness and ask for help, reach out for support. Implicit in this vulnerability are two powerful ideas:

• One must be open to the truth and willing to know oneself deeply and seek self-improvement
• One must trust in and rely upon the surrounding network of fellow vulnerable and imperfect humans 

All of us are smarter, stronger, and more courageous than any one of us. Choose your network, use your network, and let your network use you. If more Soldiers interpreted the Army value of Personal Courage through Brene Brown's eyes, perhaps we'd have more behavioral health visits and fewer suicides and mass shootings such as the one we experienced at Fort Hood April 2, 2014.

How do YOU define Courage?

  

Like Brene, or TED Talks, or both? Check Brene's TED Talk on vulnerability HERE

#NaPoMo

The Rich Perspective of Age + Experience

A portrait of Colonel Collins the week before he retired from the U.S. Army

Today is Christmas, and I received a wonderful gift in the form of a Thank You letter. With the author's kind permission, I'd like to share his words which so beautifully capture the spirit of living on purpose and giving back.

By way of the briefest introduction: I am a member of a group called the Warlord Loop (http://www.warlordloop.org/). John Collins is the 92+ year old founder and leader of the group. Though John is very active, he recently handed the reigns of Warlord to a successor. We now reverently refer to Colonel (Ret) Collins as Warlord Emeritus. Today this dear old gentleman took the time to express his gratitude to the 500 members of the Loop he created and has nurtured for 15 years. 

Please take a moment to read John's words. We have so much to learn from our older brothers and sisters, and we can only hope to have as much to offer others, should we reach such a venerable age. 

=============================== 

Your Grandest Gift to Warlord Emeritus

Thank God every day when you get up that you have something 

to do that day which must be done whether you like it or not.

Being forced to work and forced to do your best will breed in you           

temperance and self-control, diligence and strength of will, cheerfulness

and content, and a hundred virtues which the idle will never know. 

--Basil Carpenter

Gainful employment in my case ceased on January 6, 1996. Beginning sometime in 1998, for the last 15 consecutive years to be exact, members of the Warlord Loop have blessed this nonagenarian with the grandest gift possible by giving me intellectual stimulation every day in ways that almost literally are keeping me alive. Basil Carpenter, who checked out of the net in 1979, would applaud their assistance from his afterlife perch. 

Most email nets devoted to national security consist of predictable input from particular segments of the opinion spectrum, whereas daily debates by this broad-based group open up endless windows on the real world. Back channel correspondence bolsters me whenever I wonder whether the time we expend every day of every month is worthwhile. One message from Captain (now Vice Admiral) Mike Rogers gave me particularly great aid and comfort when he was Special Assistant to JCS Chairman Peter Pace and Director of his Chairman's Action Group: "I am one of those silent members who normally chooses not to engage directly....but I can assure you that your thoughts and the thoughts of so many other members of this strong dialogue are a part of the input I provide my boss (and by extension which he provides to his bosses) on the national security challenges facing us today - and tomorrow." 

God bless you all for enriching the twilight of my life. I wish you and yours the happiest holiday season imaginable, good fortune throughout the coming year, and hope that your most treasured dreams come true.

JOHN COLLINS (aka Warlord Emeritus)
Age 92.5 Years and Counting

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Beautifully written, Sir.

I thank you for expressing such profound gratitude on Christmas Day. Your words offer proof that the gifts one gives really do come back magnified. The group you created and have nurtured has flourished and now gives you back something even more valuable to you than what you offered in the beginning. Your verse is like a homily for Christmas and good living.

Respectfully,

Dave

Aged 52.9 years and counting