‘Raider Brigade’ warriors sweat through CrossFit workout to support Wounded Warriors

Photo By Sgt. Emily Knitter | Capt. Jacob Cross, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, and a Norman, Okla., native, finishes the 3 1/2 mile run during the Raider Brigade Supports the Wounded Warrior Project Workout on Camp Liberty, Iraq.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

11.20.2010

Story by Pfc. Emily Knitter 

1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division

BAGHDAD — What type of workout incorporates deadlifts, “burpies” in the sand, and a 3 1/2 mile run, to be completed as fast as possible?

One that sucks.

That was the point, according to Capt. Jeffrey Luffman, the “Raider Brigade Supports the Wounded Warrior Project Workout” event coordinator medical planner for 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, and a Grant City, Ill, native.

“This workout was designed to suck,” he said. “It is important to remember the hardships our Wounded Warriors go through every day, so if we can make one workout painful, it is worth it.”

For soldiers and civilians at Victory Base Complex, Iraq, supporting the Wounded Warrior Project, a program designed to provide support to service members injured during combat, was a good reason to put themselves through the torment of the workout.

“A lot of soldiers have been wounded here in Iraq and Afghanistan and can’t do these physical activities,” said 1st Sgt. Roy Dyer, first sergeant of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st AAB, 3rd Inf. Div., and a Knoxville, Tenn., native. “I just feel that as long as I can do my part, I want to support them.”

The civilians that participated in the event also shared the desire to support the wounded warriors.

“Our company is a private security company, so we, too, have ex-military [personnel] who were wounded in action supporting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,” said Andy Ward, the theater-wide coordinator for reconstruction liaison teams with Aegis Defense and a Nottingham, England, native. “Anything that is affiliated with the Wounded Warriors, we will always participate in, wherever we can.”

The workout itself just added to the appeal of the event and brought in more participants.

“CrossFit is something I have been involved in for about a year now,” Ward said. “The events are really good. It’s a good atmosphere here and everybody competes quite hard.”

The real motivation came from the cause, though.

“People put a bit more effort in since they know it is for a good cause,” Ward said. “Rather than slack off like you normally [might], I think you just push yourself a little bit harder.”

This was the second CrossFit charity competition 1st AAB has hosted in Iraq this year.

The first, “Amazing Grace, Barbells for Boobs,” was in support of breast cancer awareness, and raised approximately $2,200.

Now that the Raider Brigade has begun to focus on supporting the Wounded Warrior Project, Luffman said he wants to organize many different types of charities to get Soldiers involved and hit their goal of raising $10,000.

So far, the brigade has raised $1,000 for the project.

“I want to do whatever gets Soldiers involved,” Luffman said. “I got the recommendation to integrate the Wounded Warrior Project into the Brigade’s motorcycle mentor rides from one of the soldiers on the ‘Raider Brigade Supports the Wounded Warrior Project’ Facebook page. It’s amazing all the services the Wounded Warrior Project provides and there are even more ways to support it. People have had golf tournaments, fishing tournaments, picnics; you name it. This event was a great start. I’d love to do [these competitions] as often as possible and it’s something that could easily be done during [physical training] hours.”

The participants finished the morning feeling exhausted, but content.

“[These competitions] build esprit de corps among soldiers and civilians here and are always a good chance to give back,” said Dyer.

• Date Taken: 11.20.2010
• Date Posted: 11.25.2010 06:58
• Story ID: 60866
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ