Ray Algar reports on a joint US mission to bring war veterans and communities together

Imagine you’re a 23-year old American soldier deployed to western Afghanistan. Life is highly organised as it’s mission driven. Every day, your life – and those of your comrades – depends on you bringing your ‘A game’ to the battlefield in pursuit 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 protect 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 and transition 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 battlefield 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 reintegration 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 mission: 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, or ‘chapters’, across the United States, and these host regular activities that provide an opportunity for veterans and the community to come together. That may be a weekly running group, hike, ball game or post-race gathering where other war veterans meet each other – but more importantly, where they meet members of their local community, because it’s the sense of
belonging that they 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 simple system of full body movements in addition to personal coaching.

A purpose beyond fitness
Forrest Walden founded Iron Tribe Fitness, and from the outset believed the organisation possessed the ability to achieve more than merely transforming the lives of its own ‘athletes’. It operates by the philosophy that fitness has a greater purpose, and its gyms are a platform to help others.

The philosophy is summed up in this statement: “Yes, it’s to teach healthy lifestyles. Yes, it’s to be a leader in results based fitness. Yes, it’s to encourage fellowship within our tribe and global community. But it goes beyond that. It’s to make a real, tangible difference in the lives of the downtrodden, by partnering with local and global charities. Our venue to do this, of course, is Iron Tribe Fitness.

Together we can touch those lives.”

Two school friends re-unite
Jim Cavale joined Iron Tribe Fitness in 2010 as chief operating officer and is a lifelong friend of Mike Erwin, the founder of Team RWB. The two organisations began discussing a collaboration and quickly saw they were a perfect fit.

In 2011, they kickstarted their partnership with Iron Tribe creating an event called ‘Workout For Warriors’ dedicated to military personnel, past, present and future. This involves Iron Tribe Fitness athletes coming together to complete military-style exercises in 11-minute stints, representing the 11 November Veterans Day.

The inaugural 2011 Workout For Warriors raised US$30,000 for Team RWB. This event is now repeated annually, taking place every 11 November, as well as on Memorial Day (the last Monday in May) across all Iron Tribe Fitness gyms.

Workout for Warriors is spreading
As Iron Tribe Fitness grows, so does Workout for Warriors. With 33 gyms now open, approximately US$150,000 has so far been raised to support the work of Team RWB. However, Iron Tribe Fitness wants the idea to spread, and so Workout for Warriors is now run by other American gyms (under a revised name: Workout of the Day with Warriors), thereby raising more funds for Team RWB.

So what can your business do to support war veterans?
Every year, on 11 November at 11.00am, many of us will stop for two minutes to remember the sacrifices made by members of the armed forces – but surely the fitness industry, with its 132 million global members, can do more than quietly stand. So get involved, but remember these war veterans need more than just money: above all, they’re looking for someone to recognise their potential and help them to discover a new mission.