This one’s for my friends headed to the Bragg HTB this weekend…..Thank you Kevin for inspiring this article!

Let me tell you something nobody told me before I did my first GORUCK event over a decade ago: the anxiety leading up to it is real.

Now, I had been in the Army for a long time by that point—been through my share of hard things. But this was different. A group of guys from F3 in Statesville, North Carolina—about eleven of us—decided to sign up. And if I’m being honest, I was probably the ringleader, convincing everybody to do what I thought was a good idea at the time.

But truth be told, as the date crept closer, I was nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. I didn’t know what to expect. All I knew was that it was gonna be long—12 to 14 hours long—with a lot of weight on my back. I worried whether I’d packed everything right. Whether I could physically do it. Whether I was just too old—because I was pushing 50 at that point.

And when we showed up, there stood this Special Forces cadre—his name was Dakota. Now, you expect these guys to be tough, but Dakota wasn’t yelling like some drill sergeant. Nope. He was one of those quiet types—eerily quiet. The kind of quiet that makes you wonder what’s going on in his head, and whether you really want to find out. Honestly, that was almost worse than if he’d been screaming at us. And all I could think standing there was, “What have I gotten myself into?”

Then came what they called a “Welcome Party”—which is a nice way of saying two hours of pure misery. Push-ups, flutter kicks, squats—you name it, we did it. And then, as if that wasn’t enough, they had us play a little “game of baseball”—except instead of bats and gloves, we were bear crawling around the bases with rucks on our backs.

Let me tell you—two hours in, I was already smoked.

And I remember thinking, “How in the world am I gonna make it through the next 10 hours?”

To make things even better, there was a rule: our rucks could never touch the ground. If they did—well, the cadre would make sure you regretted it.

As I rounded third base—barely moving—my body started to give out. I got what I call “sewing machine arms”—you know, when your muscles are trembling so bad they look like they’re about to stitch a quilt? I was done. And for a split second, I looked over at the parking lot and thought, “I could just walk to my truck and be outta here. Nobody’s making me do this.”

But then—something happened that I’ll never forget.

One of my younger buddies, who had already finished, ran back over to me. He looked at me and said,

“Hey, Chap, give me your ruck.”

I looked at him and asked, “Can I do that?”

And all he said was, “He didn’t say you have to carry it. He just said it can’t touch the ground.”

Epiphany moment!!

Up to that point, I was fighting this battle thinking I was alone—even though I was surrounded by people. But right then, I realized I wasn’t alone at all. I was part of a team.

That moment right there—that realization—was the key to finishing that night.

Twelve or fourteen hours later—after carrying a telephone pole for seven miles, after bearing way too much weight on my back and in my hands, after sweating buckets, and after twisting my ankle stepping over a curb—we finished. And what did we get? A tiny little patch.

But you know what? It was worth it.

I had such a sense of accomplishment, a deep sense of completion, knowing I had done something hard—something that pushed me beyond what I thought I could do. I hadn’t quit. And even more than that, I had done it alongside my friends, the same guys who had been instrumental in helping me finish. Truth is, I probably played a role in helping them get to the finish line, too. There’s something powerful about realizing you didn’t just survive something hard—you endured it together. And that stays with you long after your muscles stop hurting.

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So, to all my friends heading into the Bragg HTB this weekend—here’s what I want you to know:

1. You Are Stronger Than You Think

Listen, I know you’re wondering right now if you’ve done enough. If you’re ready. If you can make it. You can. You are stronger than you think—physically, mentally, spiritually. Don’t listen to the voice that says you can’t.

2. This Isn’t About Being the Fastest or the Strongest—It’s About the Team, the Team, the Team

Somebody’s gonna struggle. Maybe you. Maybe the guy next to you. Remember this—the mission is to finish together. Carry each other. Nobody finishes alone out there.

3. You’re Gonna Want to Quit—Expect It

There will be a moment when everything in you is screaming to stop. When you think, “Why did I sign up for this?” And that’s normal. But when that moment hits, just take one more step. And then another. That’s how you’ll win the day.

4. Don’t Obsess Over Gear—Focus on Your Heart and Head

I know some of y’all are still checking and rechecking your gear list. That’s fine—but at the end of the day, your mindset will matter more than what’s in your ruck. Show up ready to be uncomfortable and keep moving forward.

5. The Team is Everything—Lean on Them

If you remember nothing else, remember this: you’re not alone. I would have never finished my first GORUCK if someone hadn’t come alongside me and said, “Hey, Chap, give me your ruck.” You’ll get through Bragg HTB the same way—together.

6. It’s a Great Time to Enhance Your Prayer Life (Seriously)

I’m gonna tell you straight—a GORUCK event is a fantastic time to get your prayer life in order. You’ll be praying for strength, for endurance, for mercy… and maybe even for the cadre to forget how to count reps. And I say that with all seriousness—there’s something about being pushed to your limits that brings you face to face with yourself and with God. So, don’t be surprised if you find yourself having some very real conversations with the Lord somewhere around hour eight.

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And before I sign off, I want to give a huge shout-out to my friend Joe Baker. Joe’s been training folks for events like this through his business, The Bakery, and a lot of the guys I know who are heading into Bragg HTB this weekend have been getting ready under his watchful eye. If you’re looking for somebody to get you squared away for a GORUCK or any kind of endurance event, Joe’s your guy—you can find him at JoeBakerFitness.com.

Also, this story—and the reminder that you don’t have to carry your ruck alone—was inspired by a conversation I had earlier this week with my friend Kevin, who’s stepping into this event himself.

Lastly, a huge shout-out to Nick, Chuy, and Dan, who—along with some other incredibly capable folks—will be the cadre for this event. These guys are tough, but they don’t just want to see people suffer—they want to see people succeed. The folks doing Bragg HTB could not ask for better leaders.

So to all of you stepping into this event—get after it. You’ve got more in you than you realize. And when you need it most, remember: you don’t have to carry it alone.

I’ll be cheering you on from here.