FITNESS
In 2011, Iron Tribe Fitness created the Workout for Warriors event to raise funds for Team RWB
LIFE AFTER WAR PROJECT: TEAM RED, WHITE & BLUE
I 42
magine you’re a 23-year old soldier deployed to western Afghanistan. Every day, your life – and those of your comrades – depends on you bringing your ‘A game’ to the battlefield in pur- suit of the shared mission. You’re a valued part of a team and, if the day came when you had to sacrifice your life in pursuit of the mission, or to pro- tect a comrade, you’d do it – all would – because you’re a team.
But what happens when the mission ends and it’s time to return home to life as a civilian? Life after war should be a far simpler mission, but for far too many US military veterans it’s one they’re poorly equipped to deal with. Adjusting to the rhythm of civilian life becomes a daily challenge because it now lacks purpose, and those unique skills acquired and honed on the bat- tlefield are not in demand here. For many, this can lead to depression and addiction to alcohol and drugs.
Step up Team RWB Mike Erwin, a US Army major, had the foresight to recognise that the reinte- gration of war veterans into civilian life would become increasingly challenging given the rise in overseas deployments; an estimated one million US military personnel will retire or separate from the military in the next five years. So Team Red, White & Blue (Team
RWB), a non-profit organisation, was founded in 2010 with its own mis- sion: to enrich the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to people in their community through physical and social activity. War veterans often report feeling ‘disconnected’ when they return home; Team RWB’s vision is to increase the connection between America’s combat veterans and their communities.
Team RWB Chapters The organisation has created local groups, which are known as ‘chapters’,
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across the United States. These chap- ters host regular activities that provide an opportunity for veterans and the community to come together. This can be any type of activity, such as a weekly running group, hike, ball game or post-race gathering, where other war veterans meet each other – but, more importantly, it is where they meet members of their local com- munity, because it’s the sense of belonging that the veterans truly crave.
Enter Iron Tribe Fitness Iron Tribe Fitness is a fast-growing American functional training brand that was also founded in 2010. Iron Tribe Fitness does not have members or clients but ‘athletes’, and there are just 300 of them at each gym. These small ‘tribes’, drawn from all parts of a local community, meet as a group for 45-minute classes based on a sim- ple system of full body movements in addition to personal coaching.
ISSUE 4 2014 © cybertrek 2014
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