Green Beret Foundation

Get Your Rucksacks On for the Green Beret Foundation

I’m always leery about stumping for charities because far too often, you end up reading horror stories about misuse of funds and the hard-earned money that people give in good conscience to help those in need don’t end up going there. But there are two organizations that I will freely support without the slightest bit of compulsion about adding a caveat. One is the Annual HMEA 5K Walk/Run here in Massachusetts. HMEA is a tremendous organization that helps children and adults with disabilities and every year puts on a great event where 98 percent of the proceeds go to their programs.

I know this because after supporting it for several years, after the organization was a tremendous help to my son who was diagnosed with Autism at age 2, I became a member of the planning committee that puts on this event every year.

The other organization I’m speaking about and the purpose of this column is the Green Beret Foundation. The Green Beret Foundation is one of the many great organizations that have started up to take care of Special Operations warriors.

The Green Beret Foundation provides direct and continuous support to the Green Beret Community and its families. The Green Beret Foundation facilitates the transition of Green Berets and their families whether that transition is from wounds sustained in combat, illness, injury or “merely” from numerous deployments and/or retirement.

They provide casualty support for the Special Forces soldiers who are wounded in combat, extended support for those who are seriously injured and require a long rehabilitation program, family support and transition services for those warriors who are leaving the service. Over 88 percent of the monies raised goes to their programs. They have provided support to more than 2,515 Special Forces families since inception and have invested over $8M supporting our community.

The Foundation is constantly being recognized by the Regiment and USSOCOM for the outstanding work that they are doing for the members of the Special Forces who have been injured in the line of duty. While we were in Tampa for SOFIC, we had the opportunity to touch base with some of the great volunteers who give so much time for the troops. Especially Ms. Frances Arias who is well-known within the community.

The Foundation is recognized by the Regiment as a tremendous resource for the soldiers. So what is up with the Rucking for the GBF? Glad you asked.

The good people over at GORUCK are holding a fundraiser with all of the money raised being sent to the people at the Green Beret Foundation. And after the battle recently in Niger where four men of the 3rd Special Forces Group were killed and two others wounded, the need for support from the Foundation is even higher right now. The founder of GORUCK Jason McCarthy is a former Green Beret and serves on the GBF Board of Directors. The President Blayne Smith is also a former Green Beret, and over 75 Green Berets lead GORUCK Events.

GORUCK has created a fun and intriguing way to raise money for the Green Beret Foundation. The cornerstone for all Special Forces training is rucking and so everyone who gets involved in the fundraiser will be rucking for a great cause.

It is done in just three simple steps:

PRE-PURCHASE A PATCH THROUGH NOVEMBER 15 – Pledge miles & pre-order your patch online with GORUCK. Your donation amount is based on the distance you pledge to ruck: 5K, 10K, 13.1, 26.2, 50 miles, 75 miles, and 100 miles. T-shirts are also for sale with all proceeds benefiting Green Beret Foundation.
COMPLETE YOUR PLEDGED MILES – You choose the weight (we recommend 20-30 lbs.) and complete the distance whenever you want (you’re on the honor system). Don’t forget to tag all your social media posts with #RuckingForGBF so we can keep up with all the action.
GET YOUR GEAR – The beginning of December you will be rewarded for completing your miles and all patches and tees will be shipped. Shipping and handling fees for patches cover overhead and the cost of the patch in addition to shipping.

All of the money raised in this event will go to the Green Beret Foundation for use in taking care of our warriors. Many of our readers will remember the group of former Green Berets from the SF Brothers, a Facebook group who hiked the length of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine to raise money for the GBF this summer. We had a piece on those men that you can read here: The former SFers hiked the entire 2200 miles of the Appalachian Trail starting this spring and going thru until the summer. One of the brothers, Will Melton a former 7th SFG NCO hiked nearly 600 miles, over 25 percent of the trail by himself this spring/summer.

A couple of us here at SOFREP, Scott Witner from the Loadout Room and myself have already pledged miles as participants in the fundraiser. For those of you who follow our Special Operations Forces PT Prep workouts, it will be a fun way to pledge some miles to the brothers in the Regiment, while preparing to join their ranks. And the money goes to some really deserving people from the Special Forces community. Ones that really need our help after protecting all of us here.

So….who’s up for some rucking this week?

Photos: GORUCK, Green Beret Foundation

Green Berets Giving Back, Supporting the Regiment, Going the Extra Mile

“Never Leave a Man Behind”

A couple of months ago we ran the story of a group of retired Green Berets who have been hiking the length of the Appalachian Trail to raise money for the Green Beret Foundation.

This group of SFers, from the Facebook group SF Brothers, put teams together to hike from Georgia to Maine to support the cause. So, for those of you who read our articles and have questions about rucking to be selected for the Regiment…take note. This is the ultimate in long range movements under a rucksack and all for a great cause.

According to the Appalachian Trail Guide, the Appalachian Trail is about 2200 miles in length and runs from north Georgia to central Maine. It generally follows the spine of the Appalachian Mountains.

The Trail is managed by a combination of the National Park Service, the US Forest Service, and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. It is maintained by a host of non-profit organizations.

Sometimes called “The Long Green Tunnel”, it is mostly under the cover of trees. It can be very harsh in ascents, descents, and the rockiness of the trail.

Only a small percentage of those who attempt a thru-hike are able to complete the trail. (That is just a challenge to SF guys)

The walk is still ongoing, teams of SF guys started in Georgia and carrying the Special Forces and Foundations flags have been steadily working their way north from Georgia thru North Carolina, Virginia and into West Virginia. Teams have hit torrential rains, thunderstorms and even snow squalls in the mountains. Other teams started at the other end of the trail in Maine and are working their way south for an eventual linkup in New Jersey later in August.

And we’d be remiss without mentioning an old comrade from the 7^th Special Forces Group, Wil Melton. He’s been on the trail for about two months, walking most of the time alone, sometimes with his dog Jackie and others picking up teams of other SF guys en route. Wil Melton just came off the trail on the 19^th of July after logging an incredible 579.5 miles, which is more than 25 percent of the entire Appalachian Trail by himself.

A long time after graduating the SFQC, Wil has shown that he can still ruck with the best of them. He’s kept a running log of his travels on Facebook, he’s posted some great shots of the trail as he hiked nearly the entire length of Virginia. He’s taking a well-deserved break and has put the ruck down…for now. Tip of the Beret brother!

The foundation is well-known to the men of the Regiment as it is an organization that provides direct and continuous support to the Green Beret Community and its families. The Green Beret Foundation facilitates the transition of Green Berets and their families whether that transition is from wounds sustained in combat, illness, injury or “merely” from numerous deployments and/or retirement.

They provide Casualty Support, Extended Support, Family Support, and Transition Support for the Special Forces operators who have been injured in the line of duty. Over 800 Green Berets and 1000 families have received support from the foundation. And 90 percent of funds raised go towards their programs.

They are constantly being recognized by the Regiment and USSOCOM for the outstanding work that they are doing for the members of the Special Forces who have been injured in the line of duty. While we were in Tampa for SOFIC, we had the opportunity to touch base with some of the great volunteers who give so much time for the troops. Especially Ms. Frances Arias who is well-known within the community.

Thus far, the teams have raised over $26,000 and are trying to hit the $50,000 mark. You can still donate to the cause by giving what you can right here:

For those ruckers who are getting ready to try Selection, this a prime opportunity to get some great workouts in while trucking along with some great former SF guys. Check out the schedule and attached spreadsheet on the website, you can see when the SF Brothers are passing by your area. Currently, the northbound team has crossed into West Virginia and is nearing Harpers Ferry. The southbound team is in western Massachusetts in the Greylock Range just south of North Adams.

You don’t have to join the hike officially but show some support and hike along with them for a day or two. It is for a great cause and looks like the guys are having a ton of fun as well. One can only imagine the war stories being told around the campfires at night along the trail or in the huts that the Appalachian Mountain Club provides on the route.

These former active duty SF guys have answered the call once again for their brothers who need a helping hand. It shows the level of respect they have for one another and the Regiment. And their sacrifice is a for a great organization that has proven time and again to work for our warriors. Good luck the rest of the way.

For more information on the Green Beret Trail Walk click here:

Photos Courtesy Green Beret Foundation, Will Melton

Green Beret Appalachian Trail Walk and Fundraiser- Support the Regiment

“Never Leave a Man Behind”

The men of the Special Forces Regiment are doing a fundraiser for the Green Beret Foundation to help raise money by walking the entire length of the Appalachian Trail. A group of retired Special Operators from SF Brothers (a Facebook group of SF soldiers) are putting teams together to hike from Georgia to Maine to support the cause.

The Green Beret Foundation is an organization that provides direct and continuous support to the Green Beret Community and its families. The Green Beret Foundation facilitates the transition of Green Berets and their families whether that transition is from wounds sustained in combat, illness, injury or “merely” from numerous deployments and/or retirement.

From the trail guide: The Appalachian Trail is about 2200 miles in length and runs from north Georgia to central Maine. It generally follows the spine of the Appalachian Mountains.

The Trail is managed by a combination of the National Park Service, the US Forest Service, and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. It is maintained by a host of nonprofit organizations.

Sometimes called “The Long Green Tunnel”, it is mostly under the cover of trees. It can be very harsh in ascents, descents, and the rockiness of the trail.

Only a small percentage of those who attempt a thru-hike are able to complete the trail. (They never met a bunch of SF guys)

This is a great opportunity to get out and join a group of retired Green Berets from the SF Brothers group on Facebook and strap on the rucksack and walk with them a spell to show some support. If you can’t make it, you can donate to cause by giving what you can right here:

I’ve been in contact with an old 7^th SFG trooper, Will Melton, who has kindly passed on some pics of the brothers, hitting the trail with their rucksacks back on. You can’t ever keep good men down. Will and his dog Miss Jackie are taking on some 560 miles of the trail. Which is about 25 percent of the total length. That’s what you call an endurance march. Some 30-something years after the Q-course, Will is putting in what definitely qualifies as a “Long Range Movement.” Tip of the Beret for that!

Former SFers from SF Brothers gather at the start of the trail after a storm delayed the start

Will Melton and J.C. Hiett display the SF Regimental flag which will fly over the encampment on the way.

For you ruckers out there. Check out the schedule and attached spreadsheet on the website, you can see when the SF Brothers are passing by your area. You don’t have to join the hike officially but show some support and hike with them for a day or maybe a weekend. It is for a great cause and will be a heckuva lot of fun as well. One can only imagine the war stories being told around the campfires at night along the trail or in the huts that the Appalachian Mountain Club provides on the route.

As much as I hate the old ALICE pack (and said I’d never put it on again), I’m breaking mine out, and when the SF troopers hit the Massachusetts border sometime in late July, I’ll be trying to join them for a piece of the trail to show some support and join in on the fun. I thought about purchasing a better civilian model, but for a short duration, it is time to break out the old pain pill. We’ll have coverage on it right here.

For more information on the Green Beret Trail Walk click here:

Cover photo courtesy Green Beret Foundation, Other photos courtesy of Will Melton

Special Operations Command Honors Green Beret Foundation Director

The US Special Operations Command at their recent USSOCOM Care Coalition Conference in Tampa, FL honored Executive Director of the Green Beret Foundation, Jennifer Paquette.

Paquette has been presented with USSOCOM’s “Patriot Award” which was established in 2007 and recognizes individuals who go above and beyond to support Special Operators and their families. Paquette’s work centers around her work for the Special Forces or the “Green Beret” community.

Green Beret Foundation Chairman of the Board, Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Simeon Trombitas, commented on the esteem in which Jennifer is held in the Special Operations community.
“Jen is an incredible asset to the Special Forces community. Her commitment has been incredible in times of great stress. Our Green Berets are much better off for having her support. Her efforts come at a critical time of need for Green Berets because Special Forces global deployment rates are not expected to slow down anytime soon.”
As Executive Director of the foundation, Paquette has the responsibility of overseeing and generating the foundation’s mission, which impacts on hundreds of Green Berets and their families, combined with raising millions of dollars to support the foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3).

Among Paquette’s many contributions was the formation of the “Steel Mags”. This group started with a small group of women from Ft. Bragg, NC and has since grown to include eight chapters nationwide.

Steel Mags is designed to replicate the Green Beret brotherhood with a sisterhood. With the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan dragging on, the toll on families and children at home rises. It is a unique support group for the women and families back home that aids each other, their communities and “teaches civilian young girls and ladies the philosophies of the Spartan female force.”

Paquette is well known in the Special Forces community and is an honorary member of the Special Forces Association.

To read the entire article from PR Newswire, click here:

Photo courtesy Green Beret Foundation