Think you can run 565 miles #notanotherBRRx2? What if you had a month #notovernight? What if you could do it on a bike #gears? Want to try and help those that have deployed more times in the past 15 years than any other unit #tipofthespear? Then welcome to the F3 Darby Challenge.
The F3 Darby Challenge is F3 Nation’s contribution to Run Ranger Run, an event to be held this upcoming February (2017) throughout the country. Run Ranger Run is GallantFew’s annual fundraiser, and it is the collective goal to raise as many funds as possible to do the work we do to transition veterans to civilian life and benefit the communities they live in. Don’t care about history, purpose or why and just want to know how to participate just scroll to the bottom. #justsignmeup.
The History:
One of the GallantFew’s core programs is the Darby Project. The Darby Project’s mission is “to facilitate a successful transition for Army Ranger veterans from active military service to a civilian life filled with hope and purpose.” Rangers have been at the forefront of every major conflict since their advent in the Revolutionary War. Major battles include:
Normandy – Rangers scale the cliffs at Point-Du-Hoc to eliminate German coastal guns that threaten the success of the Normandy invasion.
Philippines – The Great Raid. 6th Ranger Battalion infiltrates 30 miles behind Japanese lines to rescue 500 POWs sent to a prison camp after the Bataan Death March in 1941.
Vietnam – Rangers conduct deep reconnaissance missions, often without support, to seek and report on troop movements.
Battle of Mogadishu – Black Hawk Down. Rangers, along with other special operations units, conduct a daylight raid that turns into the largest firefight since the Vietnam War. At the end of the raid the following day, elements of the assault units are forced to exfil on foot an entire mile in full gear under fire, soon dubbed the Mogadishu Mile.
Objective Rhino – Rangers conduct a daring nighttime jump in the early days of Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) to seize an airfield and destroy local al-Qaeda elements.
Haditha Dam – Rangers assault and secure the strategically important Haditha Dam (Iraq) and hold for 9 days while repelling multiple attacks from much larger, elite Iraqi
armored forces.
Since the events of September 11, 2001, the Ranger Regiment has deployed more than any other unit in the U.S. military, with some Rangers being down range for over 15 deployments.
The Purpose:
GallantFew’s mission is to prevent veteran isolation by connecting new veterans with hometown veteran mentors, thereby facilitating a peaceful, successful transition from military service to a civilian life filled with hope and purpose.
GallantFew does this by creating and supporting a nationwide network of successfully transitioned veterans that engage locally with new veterans with the same military background now going through transition, and by motivating communities all over the nation to take responsibility for veterans returning; welcoming, connecting, and including.
GallantFew believes this will prevent veteran unemployment, homelessness, and suicide.
As part of the GallantFew, the Darby Project is a network of networks that synchronizes the efforts of veteran support organizations to lead revolutionary transition services for the elite Army Rangers! We are not waiting for the next war to figure this out.
Three Pillars of The Darby Project:
- RESILIENCE: Educate active duty Rangers still serving of the programs available to them now and after leaving the service.
- REINTEGRATION: Coordinate Ranger education programs and available resources before the Ranger exits active duty.
- REDIRECTION: Provide assistance to those Ranger veterans and families that need additional care and assistance after Rangers have entered civilian life.
Why F3?:
Why not. The Darby Project is headed up by one of our own, Bryce Mahoney (aka Darby #realoriginal), who served in 3rd Ranger Battalion. During his time as a Ranger, Darby deployed 4 times to the Middle East. The mission of the GallantFew and the Darby Project ties into the F3 mission of reinvigorating male community leadership. What better way than to help to integrate proven leaders, whose motto is Sua Sponte (referring to the Rangers’ ability to accomplish tasks with little to no prompting), into our communities.
What is the Event?
A team of up to ten individuals will pledge to walk, run and/or ride bicycles a combined total of 565 miles in the month of February (usually 28 days). Teams may be formed from anywhere in the world and your miles can be logged from the comfort of your own home.
What Can I Do?
There are 3 ways to participate:
- Join the F3 Nation team. Register at Team F3Nation.. There are currently 8 spots left on the team. Don’t make Darby and Coop Dog do all 565 miles by themselves #Icantfeelmyquads
- Form your own Team: Think you can do more than the F3 Nation team? Form your own team in your region or sub-region. Use your BRR or Palmetto 200 team #yourealreadyrunning. Team with the most donations raised will receive a one-of-a-kind F3/Darby Project Challenge Coin.
- Donate to a team. Whether it’s the Nation team or one of the regional teams that you support the funds all go to the same great cause. If you are interested in donating go here RunRangerRun2017 and make sure to select your team.
Questions
For more information on the GallantFew and the Darby Project visit https://gallantfew.org/ or https://darbyproject.org/.
Still have questions email [Bryce Mahoney] at [Bryce.mahoney@darbyproject.org].