Upcoming Event - October Memorial Workout (10/8/09)

http://www.adn.com/news/military/story/930116.html
http://www.marionstar.com/article/20090915/OBITUARIES/909150325

The OBPD Fitness Group's next Memorial Workout will take place on October 8 at 1140 hrs and 1415 hrs (if needed.) The exact workout is yet to be determined. I encourage everyone who can to participate. As always the workout will be scalable to your fitness level. This Memorial Workout will honor a very close friend and former team member from my time in the US Army, SSG Shannon M Smith.

Shannon Smith was one of the first soldier's I was responsible for as a new Team Leader and a close friend from our time at Ft Hood and in Bosnia. He entered the Army in 1997 and eventually became a Team Leader of the 178th Military Police Company. He conducted several missions supporting the Secret Service Tac Team and Sniper Team with the President of the United States. He performed as a Team Leader and Counter Sniper in Iraq for the 89th MP, completing over 500 protection missions in a combat environment.

SSG Smith also served as a Special Reactions Team, Protective Services, and High Risk Personnel Course Instructor training hundreds of Officers and other personnel annually. He was proudly selected as the Battle Field Hero for the 545th MP Co at the Nation Training Center at Ft Irwin, CA. As a squad leader he constantly challenged his team, serving as a coach and mentor.

SSG Smith was Killed in Action on September 8 at 1140 hrs this year in Baji, Iraq when the Hummvee he was riding in was struck by a RPG killing all inside the vehicle.

I am proud to facilitate this Memorial Workout and will do my best to Honor his legacy. I also plan on preparing a letter to his family expressing my condolences. In this letter I will mention this Workout and provide photos and results to show his family he will never be forgotten.

"Let me not mourn for men who have died fighting, but rather let me be glad that such heros have lived" - General George S Patton Jr