Healthcare Workers Are Fair Game. And That Sucks

Imagine this.

You are at work.  In the factory, selling cars in a dealer showroom, the retail setting at the mall or maybe waiting tables at the diner.

One of your customers is angry, belligerent and drunk.  She grows more angry and begins to tell you that when she leaves she will involve her family who will find you and hurt or kill you and possibly your family and children.

You believe this person to be credible and have a concern that she is capable of acting on these statements.

If you contacted the Police there is a very good chance that she would be arrested. If this was your spouse or partner there is almost a 100% certainty that she would be arrested on a domestic violence charge.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has increased the penalty for actions like these in regard to healthcare workers and it would be a felony.

However, life has somehow become so twisted that actions like this toward nurses and other medical providers have become accepted as just part of the job.

Last night I dealt with this person. I did so for HOURS and in a courteous manner that consumed every bit of professionalism I had.

Trust me, when someone threatens my family my instinct is not to remain calm. She was not drunk enough to have lost control of her thoughts. These were intentional, purposeful threats that done anywhere else in society would have landed her in prison.

I wanted to scream at her and tell her that she didn't scare me (she didn't nor did the "300 pound brother who can bench 500 pounds"), that my Italian ancestry, military training and Glock 23 are probably enough to defeat any threat she dispatched against me. But I didnt. All I wanted was for her to be treated the same as if she had made these threats against a cashier at WaWa.

But she wasnt. Because I am a healthcare worker.  And my life is somehow not as valuable as most other workers in Lancaster County.

That is what pissed me off. That is what left me walking from the hospital disgusted and angry.

That is wrong. Really wrong.

Celtic Fling 2011 Tribute

Body Armor for Murph WOD

The Murph WOD is on my mind. I know it will be really hard and I need to figure out how to scale the pullups. I WILL do it. Plain and simple. And as I have said, it will be done in body armor.

Secured that BA this weekend at a local gun show. Went there just for a flak jacket and found one for $50. Larry's Surplus and owner Larry came north from Fayetteville, NC.

Took it to work and tried jumping rope, pushups and squats in BA. I think it will ride pretty well.

Today I came across this by John Michael Bric:


The workout that was named after Lt Murphy used to be his favourite, and back then, he’d given it the nickname ‘Body Armor’.
I remember it was only the second CrossFit class I had ever been to when I did Murph, and at the time I had no idea why everyone inside the box was so worried about the WOD.
It was only when I looked at the whiteboard and saw exactly what we had to do, that I realised i was in for a killer:
For time:
1 mile Run
100 Pull-ups
200 Push-ups
300 Squats
1 mile Run
Now, being new to the CrossFit world, I didn’t really have an idea of how many pull up’s it would take before my hands started to fatigue, but I soon found out the hard way.
I was probably up to my 40th rep when my left hand ripped in two places. Blood immediately covered my palm, and it was about 20 reps later when my right hand ripped as well. I can still remember wincing in pain as I jumped up for those final pull ups.
But just when I thought the worst was over, I found out that 200 push ups is a lot harder than first imagined. I was up to about 110, when my body literally gave way and I was forced to do one rep every 20 seconds.
When I finally picked my body up to begin the squats, I was completely exhausted, fatigued in every way and could barely stand up straight. At the end of the 300 squats I could barley walk straight either.
Now, trying to run the first few hundred meters of that final leg would have to be the hardest moment in my CrossFit career. Not only did I have blurred vision from exhaustion, but I also had that much lactic acid in my legs that I actually COULDN’T run normally. All I can remember is forcing myself not to walk, and trying my hardest to keep some sort of pace that would get me to the end.
Eventually, the end came and I stumbled back into the gym feeling like a truck had hit me.
As proud as I was to finish the WOD, it’s fair to say I was a bit embarrassed with my time. The 1 hour and 23 minutes was so long, the next class had already begun, with most people running past me in their first leg.
Since then, my time has improved drastically and I’m now getting times just under the 50 minute mark.
For beginners, just completing Murph Rx’d is a fantastic achievement. For those who have been training for a while, then anything around 50 minutes is pretty good. For experts, however, most should be aiming to break the 30 minute barrier.
Breaking it down, most people aim to break 10 minutes on each exercise. For example, less than ten minutes on completing 200 push ups, and less than ten minutes completing the final mile run.
Now, something not everyone knows about Murph is that the workout is actually supposed to be done with a 20 pound weight vest. If you’ve got one in your gym, then give it a go, but doing it without one is still hard enough.

York Barbell Co & Weightlifting Hall of Fame

When I was a teenager my buddy Jim and I would go to York Barbell's gym in York City and get protein shakes. Behind the snackbar was the gym where huge men were lifting Made in USA iron. Some of them were Olympians and they were all impressive.  Bob Hoffman, York Barbell's founder, was held in high esteem and he guided the company with skill and leadership.

When Mr Hoffman started pulling away from the company the business started to drift off course.

When he passed on the ship ran aground. "Muscletown USA" (and one of the nation's strongest softball locations) came to an end.

Sadly, the days of hard-working York and Lancaster County men pouring York weights in the heat of a Susquehanna River foundry are gone.

Today all but a few bars are made in China.

I haven't been to the HQ and Weightlifting Hall of Fame in 15 or more years.  The store is fairly well stocked. The guy behind the counter looked like he would fall asleep if it weren't for the very slow trickle of visitors.

The museum is almost exactly as I remember it and that is probably because very little has changed since 1995.  It was that year that it seems that they stopped maintaining it.  Few names or accomplishments have been added to any of the displays since then. Even the Bob Hoffman displays are badly in need of a cleaning.

I never understand situations like this.  The company invests the money in staffing the store and museum 6 days a week. Even a little investment monthly would keep things fresh and new. Surely there are as many deserving power lifters today as in the 60s, 70s and 80s.

My favorite part of the museum is the section talking about Mr Hoffman's military service and the great room where sunshine streams in as cars zip by on Rt 83.

York Peppermint Patties

When will we stop sending our manufacturing out of country?  I am from York County. York Peppermint Patties started out in York. Hershey Foods bought the company in 1988.  Just recently they shipped the manufacturing of these to Mexico. That sucks.

Travel WODs

 Travel WOD’s

On the road? Well, here you go… 3,2,1, GO….

A REAL BIG LIST OF TRAVEL WODS

1.    Run 1/2 mile 50 air squats – 3 rounds.
2.    10 push-ups 10 sit ups 10 squats – 10 rounds.
3.    200 air squats for time.
4.    ”Susan”= Run 200m 10 squats 10 push ups 5 rounds.
5.    Sprint 200m and do 25 push ups, 3 rounds.
6.    10 Handstand push ups and a 200m run 3 rounds.
7.    Tabata squats and tabata pushups.
8.    5 push ups 5 squats 5 sit ups, 20 rounds.
9.    Walk 100 meters on your hands, even if it is 2 meters at a time.
10.   10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 sets of sit-ups and a 100 meter sprint between each set.
11.   10 push ups 10 air squats and 10 sit ups, 6 rounds for time.
12.   Do one air squat and take one breath, ( you can breath all you want while you do the squat or squats) do 2 and take 2 breaths etc…up to 10, and then come back down to one
13.   3 vertical jumps 3 squats 3 long jumps – 5 rounds.
14.   Handstand 30 seconds and 10 squats, 8 rounds.
15.   10 push-ups 100M dash 10x.
16.   Tabata squats. (Perform as many air squats as you can in 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds rest.Repeat for a total of 8 rounds without stopping. Score your total # of squats)
17.   5x 400M sprints.
18.   10 X 100 m dash.
19.   25 pressing snatch balances each arm. No weight.
20.   Run 1 mile, lunging 30 steps every 1 minute.
21.   Handstand 30 seconds and 20 air squats, 5 rounds.
22.   10 handstand jackknife to vertical jump, 10 handstand jackknife to tuck jump, 10 handstand jackknife to straddle jump.
23.   100 air squats. For time
24.   4x 25 jumping squats
25.   10 vertical jumps, 10 push ups, 10 sit ups, 4 rounds…for time.
26.   10 air squats every 1 minute of your 1 mile run.
27.   100 burpees for time.
28.   Run 1 mile for time
29.   10 push-ups 10 squats 10 sit ups 10 rounds.
30.   10 vertical jumps, run 400 meters, 5 rounds.
31.   Spend a total of 3 minutes in a handstand.
32.   100 air squats for time.
33.   Handstand 1 minute, hold bottom of the squat for 1 minute, 5 rounds.
34.   Sprint 100 meters, Walk 100 meters, 10 rounds
35.   100 push ups for time.
36   .Run 1 mile for time.
37.   10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Burpees and Sit ups.
38.   50 sit-ups, 400 meter run or sprint or walk. 3 rounds.
39.   10 walking lunges, 10 push-ups, 10 rounds
40.   50 split jumps for time.
41.   Handstand for 30 seconds or 5 handstand push ups…400 meter run. 4 rounds
42.   10 burpees, 100meter sprint 10x for time.
43.   ”L” sit off the floor. 10 rounds of 10 seconds…if you can’t do it sit with your legs straight out and try to lift your heels of the ground for 10 seconds instead!!!
44.   Run 400 meters, 50 air squats. 4rounds.
45.   Handstand 30 seconds, to squat hold 30 seconds. 10 rounds.
46.   Ten vertical jumps ( jump as high as you can, land and do it again), 10 push-ups 5 rounds.
47.   Run 1 mile for time.
48.   10 push-ups, 10 squats, 10 rounds
49.   Tabata Squats: 20 seconds on 10 seconds rest, 8 rounds. Count your lowest score.
50.   Handstand to Jack-Knife to vertical jump. 30 Reps.
51.   Run 1 mile with 100 air squats at midpoint, for time.
52.   7 squats, 7 burpies, seven rounds, for time.
53.   10x 30 second handstand to 30 second bottom of the squat hold.
54.   Burpee to the push up position, do 10 push ups, burpie out. 5 rounds.
55.   Run 1 mile, plus 50 squats-for time.
56.   100 burpies for time.
57.   5 squats, 5 push-ups, 5 sit ups, 20 rounds.
58.   Plebs plank, bottom of squat, hollow rock hold, 30 seconds each for 10 rounds. Use the transition times as your rest periods…they should be as brief as possible.
59.   5 push ups with a 30 second plebs plank(a hold at the top of the push up, arms extended and body tight like a plank!) at the end of each 5 reps, 10 rounds. Then 3x 100m dash @ 80%.
60.   Handstand practice, 25 tries at free handstands, then a 1 mile run at 80%.
61.   Handstand 10 seconds jack-knife to vertical jump. 25 reps…
62.   Mime 4x 25 sumo deadlift high pulls, make them perfect. Be sure the hips extend before the arms bend!
63.   50 air squats x 5. Rest equal amounts as it took to do each 50.
64.   Run 1 mile and do 10 push-ups every 1 minute
65.   Sprint 100m 30 squats…8 rounds.
66.   30 push ups, 30 second handstand or Plebs Plank..3 rounds.
67.   10 sit ups and 10 burpies…10 rounds-for time.
68.   Handstand hold, 30 seconds, squat hold 30 seconds…10 rounds
69.   250 jumping jacks…for time.
70.   100 jumping jacks, 75 air squats, 50 push ups, 25 burpies. For time.
71.   Tabata Push-ups.
72.   30 second handstand against a wall, followed by a 30 second static hold at the bottom of the squat. 5 rounds.
73.   With eyes closed do 10 air squats, open eyes..do 10 push ups eyes closed, 5 rounds for time.
74.   Run 1 minute, squat 1 minute 5 rounds.
75.   Run 1 mile for time.
76.   Air squat x 10 push up x 10 sit up x 10 3 rounds for tim
77.   10 push-ups, 10 hollow rocks, run 200 meters….5 rounds.
78.   Do Tabata Squats with eyes closed.
79.   Bottom to bottom ( rest at the bottom of the squat instead of standing….without support on your hands or butt and make the bottom good, straight back, butt back)…..tabata squats.
80.   20 sit ups with support under the lumbar spine, 20 push ups, run 400m, 4 rounds.
81.   Handstands, 30 second hold, 30 second static squat, 30 second rest, 8 round
82.   Sprint 50 meters, 10 push ups. 10 rounds.
83.   50 air squats, 4 rounds. rest for 2 minutes between rounds.
84.   3x 20 tuck jumps. 3x 30 second handstands.
85.   400m run/sprint 30 air squats, 3rounds for time.
86.   20 jumping jacks, 20 burpies, 20 air squats…3 rounds
87.   Warm up. Run 100 meters and do 20 air squats. 10 rounds.
88.   Handstand 5x 30 seconds. Run: 2x 800 meters for time. Do the handstands first. Rest and recover and do the runs with a rest in between that is as long as it took you to run your first 800.
89.   100 air squats 3 min. rest, 100 air squats.
90.   Run with high knees for 15 seconds and drop into a pushup, get back up and run with high knees again for 15 seconds…….repeat 5x. Each pushup counts as 1 rep. Rest. Do 3 more rounds.
91.   10x 50 meter sprint.
92.   Test yourself on a max set of push ups…tight body chest to the floor…full extension!
93.   If you cannot do “mens style” do your pushups from the knees. After that do 100 air squats for time.
94.   Tabata…20 seconds on 10 second rest 8 rounds of…tuck jumps and then sit ups
95.   Run 400m air squat 30 hand stand 30 seconds 3 rounds for time
96.   5 handstand to jacknife to high jump, 5 handstand to jacknife to tuck jump, 5 handstand to jacknife to split jump, 3 rounds…for form
97.   50 burpees for time.
98.   5 pushups, 5 squats, 5 sit-ups – 20 rounds
99.   Run 1 mile, stopping every minute to do 20 air squats.
100. 30 second handstand, 60 second squat hold ( at the bottom of the squat) – 5 rounds
101.  Run 200 meters, 50 squats, 3 rounds
102.  Tabata Squats
103.   Air squatsx20, Burpiesx20, Push-Upsx20 – 3 rounds…for time.

Thank you, CF North Atlanta for this list! 

2/22 WOD

This was a fun WOD on a gorgeous day. The first time the garage doors have been up since I started here.  I just really connected with the ladder style of the WOD and the sweat was flying.

Of course I sucked at the pullups but they are on the primary list of CF tasks to get great at.

Pushed through this WOD - keeping decent hollow rocks for most and hammering the box jumps. I have seen a huge improvement in these.  And wasn't last on the whiteboard.

This is also the first time I have tried posting photos directly from the cell. The text needs entered manually but the pics go right to the blog.

Fasnacht Day 2012

I told the 1st Lady that if you live in Central PA and don't eat a fasnacht you will go to Pennsylvania Dutch Hell. So, at a few minutes after midnight I ate a store-bought version.

This afternoon we picked up the king of fasnachts from Stoudt's Wonderful Good Market. Expensive but heavy as a cannonball and mmmm.

I am safe for another year.

Direct Action Tactical - Youth Impact Program

D.A.T.’s Youth Impact Program is a 4-week program of situational awareness, self-defense training, and fitness. Curriculum includes topics on de-escalating a confrontation, dealing with real life scenarios, bullying and much more. We constantly hear about child abductions, gangs, date rape, bullying, etc. We feel very strongly about kids knowing how to defend themselves.

The classes are an hour and a half twice a week. We do real striking on Body Opponent Bags and heavy bags as well as some hands on application.
This training is designed for 13-17 year olds
The techniques given to the student will be realistic and delivered in an age appropriate setting.

During the program, the students and instructors will travel off site, to demonstrate and discuss situational awareness in a variety of venues such as: parking lots, the mall, or school campuses. (**parents are welcome to attend this portion usually held day 2**)

We are fortunate to have many police officers as instructors who will also reinforce some of the “where and when” for these techniques.

2 days a week for 4 weeks (1.5 hrs each day)
Minimum enrollment: 6 students

I love my family more than anything in the world.  From the time that my daughters were little they knew that when they  turned 13 they would have to take one year of karate. This as an effort to have them learn basic self defense skills.

Daughter #1 turned 13 and after a few weeks it was time to start looking for a dojo.  I came upon the DAT info and thought that their YIP program looked interesting. Its not the one year of training that matters, its what is learned.

After stopping by the DAT HQ, and being impressed with what I heard, I enrolled D1 in YIP. She reluctantly went to the first class and instantly LOVED IT.

The quality of what she has learned so far is top notch. And she voluntarily asked to stay for the follow-on 13 weeks.

I highly recommend Direct Action Tactical's Youth Impact Program. Just google them - they are in Lancaster, PA.

L's PR Deadlift

175# - good work!

Shiny & Strong vs. Dingy & Broken

This rig passed me today. By the time I could pull over and get the camera ready it was stopped facing away from me.  I thought the image of the newer, shiny tractor pulling the broken down older, dingy one home was meaningful. Of what, I am not sure. But meaningful.  I want to strive to be strong and shiny and not broken and not dingy. No matter what my age.

AH-64 Apache

I almost always have my camera with me.  Went to lunch at Indiantown Gap on Sunday and didnt bring it from the warm building.  Missed great pics of an Apache attack helicopter blasting across a snow-covered field. The turbine engines were making and amazing plume of snow behind it as it traveled about 15 feet above the ground.  Snapped this pic with my iphone.  Not the same. 

Nifty Lego Creation

I Never Want To Be, Look or Feel Like This

Crazy mirror at The Outhouse, Ronk, PA

Crossfit West Chester, Philly Steaks Wit

If you aren't nervous before a workout, it's not hard enough

PB has never had a Philly steak in Philly so for a couple of weeks we have been planning a trip down for lunch.  Of course there is almost a 100% chance that any trip like this will include hashing or geocaching and now Crossfit.  So we looked at possible WOD times are nearby boxes and decided on the 0900 one at CF-West Chester. 

After working a 12hr night shift and having no sleep the night before I was already 24hrs into being awake.  I knew I could make this mission happen but it would probably be a real gut check.

We made great time to WC and arrived to see most of the 0830 group.  Cool box with very high ceilings in the typical out of the way garage/office complex.  Oddly enough they had a dog school right next door so it was just like being at Lancaster!

WOD 2/7/12

15-12-9
Thruster (155/115)
Burpee over Bar

Then...

7Min Amrap
5 Squat Clean (155/115)
10 Toes through rings

Trainer Kenny did a pretty good job of going through the group and helping each person.  I learned several new things.  Definitely some technique stuff but also was very surprised at how well toes through rings went (vs TTB or KTE).  I look forward to trying them again soon.  Surprisingly I stayed awake and alert and did OK. PB rocked it out as the devoted Crossfitter she is.

After the WOD (and the sweating and panting ended) I bought a CF-West Chester shirt that has Pukey on the back.  Haven't puked in the box but the memory of my first ever WOD are still fresh in my mind.  :p

Following the WOD we charlie-miked and headed to Philly.   The sun was out and the weather was very mild for February.  We tried both Geno's and Pat's.  Plenty of room to sit.

 

The funniest thing was the lady who rooted through her pocket book and held up the line. The money guy was perturbed and when she whipped out her credit card. The guy said, "We only take cash. That card is as worthless here as a Jap on a Harley".  She was utterly flabbergasted.

Both steaks were good but I think my favorite, in spite of the fat, is Pat's.

Muffintop

I refuse to eat muffintops as they surely make a person muffintopped.

Just Keep Going

Great slogans.  Amazing Crossfitters.  Especially the kilted lass at 3:07

I have a goal of crossfitting kilted. Someday.

Lt Michael Murphy and his Memorial WOD

A friend of mine is a New York City Firefighter. One of the guy's in his station grew up with Mike Murphy in Suffolk County, NY. 

Most military history buffs know the story of what happened to the SEALs on that mountaintop in 2005. Their heroism will no doubt linger in the annals of time in as famous of a manner as the legendary battles of previous wars.

In case you do not know the story - here is an excellent summary:

The Washington Examiner reports on the story of a brave Navy SEAL named Michael Murphy. (H/T Mary)
Excerpt:

Engaged in a frenzied firefight and outnumbered by the Taliban, Navy Lt. Michael Murphy made a desperate decision as he and three fellow SEALs fought for their lives on a rocky mountainside in Afghanistan’s Kunar Province in 2005.
In a last-ditch effort to save his team, Murphy pulled out his satellite phone, walked into a clearing to get reception and called for reinforcements as a fusillade of bullets ricocheted around him. One of the bullets hit him, but he finished the call and even signed off, “Thank you.”
Then he continued the battle.
Dan Murphy, the sailor’s father, said it didn’t surprise him that his slain son nicknamed “The Protector” put himself in harm’s way. Nor was he surprised that in the heat of combat his son was courteous.
“That was Michael. He was cool under fire. He had the ability to process information, even under the most difficult of circumstances. That’s what made him such a good SEAL officer,” Murphy said.
A warship bearing the name of the Medal of Honor recipient will be christened Saturday — on what would have been Murphy’s 35th birthday — at Bath Iron Works, where the destroyer is being built.
Murphy, who was 29 when he died, graduated from Pennsylvania State University and was accepted to multiple law schools, but decided he could do more for his country as one of the Navy’s elite SEALS — special forces trained to fight on sea, air and land — the same forces that killed Osama bin Laden this week in Pakistan.
[...]Murphy, of Patchogue, N.Y., earned his nickname after getting suspended in elementary school for fighting with bullies who tried to stuff a special-needs child into a locker and for intervening when some youths were picking on a homeless man, said Dan Murphy, a lawyer, former prosecutor and Army veteran who served in Vietnam.
Maureen Murphy said he thought he was too young to take a desk job as a lawyer. Instead, he went to officer candidate school, the first step on his journey to become a SEAL officer. He was in training during the Sept. 11 attacks, which shaped his views.
His view was that there are “bullies in the world and people who’re oppressed in the world. And he said, ‘Sometimes they have to be taken care of,’” she said.
On June 28, 2005, the day he was killed, Murphy was leading a SEAL team in northeastern Afghanistan looking for the commander of a group of insurgents known as the Mountain Tigers.

What happened to Murphy?

The Operation Red Wings reconnaissance team rappelled down from a helicopter at night and climbed through rain to a spot 10,000 feet high overlooking a village to keep a lookout. But the mission was compromised the following morning when three local goat herders happened upon their hiding spot.
High in the Hindu Kush mountains, Murphy and Petty Officers Marcus Luttrell of Huntsville, Texas; Matthew Axelson of Cupertino, Calif.; and Danny Dietz of Littleton, Colo.; held a tense discussion of the rules of engagement and the fate of the three goat herders, who were being held at gunpoint.
If they were Taliban sympathizers, then letting the herders go would allow them to alert the Taliban forces lurking in the area; killing them might ensure the team’s safety, but there were issues of possible military charges and a media backlash, according to Luttrell, the lone survivor.
Murphy, who favored letting the goat herders go, guided a discussion of military, political, safety and moral implications. A majority agreed with him.
An hour after the herders were released, more than 100 Taliban armed with AK-47 assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades opened fire, attacking from higher elevation, and maneuvering to outflank the SEALs, said Gary Williams, author of “Seal of Honor,” a biography of Murphy.
[...]As the only survivor, Luttrell has pangs of regret for voting to go along with Murphy, his best friend; he now believes the team could’ve survived if the goat herders were killed.

He wasn’t willing to kill unarmed civilians. That’s the difference between the United States and the Muslim terrorists. It’s a moral difference. Michael Murphy was a good man. He used guns and violence to protect others, and he was not willing to kill unarmed civilians.

Michael Murphy is a true American hero.  He apparently loved working out and one of the official Crossfit workouts is named "Murph".

The SEALs (and probably operators in other branches of the military) had taken to the tradition of going into battle wearing FDNY and NYPD patches. Nothing like throwing lead at bad guys with those emblems proudly flying!

When Murphy was killed in action he was wearing the patch of Engine 53/Ladder 43 - the station of his boyhood friend.  And also the station where my friend works.

That very patch is now proudly displayed in the firehouse.

Many Crossfit boxes now have "Memorial Day Murph" events.  The back of this awesome tshirt (from Infidel USA) describes the workout:

I hereby vow, on this 4th day of February 2012, that I will complete the Murph WOD on Memorial Day 2012. Hopefully at the Crossfit Pottstown Memorial Murph event.

And I will do it in body armor (soft armor, no plates).  I may have a sucky time but I am going to do it.  And I will make that my training goal as of today.

Those SEALs, and the 15+ troops who died trying to rescue them, have given their all.  Getting scuffed up for a bit in their memory isn't a big deal in comparison.

Read this very interesting summary:

On June 28, 2005, a four-man group from SEAL Team 10, led by LT Michael P. Murphy and consisting of petty officers Matthew Axelson, Danny Dietz and Marcus Luttrell, were on a mission to kill or capture Ahmad Shah, a Taliban leader who commanded a group of insurgents known as the "Mountain Tigers," west of Asadabad. The team was inserted at night via MH-47 Chinook helicopter several miles from the village where Ahmad Shah was suspected to be operating. The team had been tracking Shah for several months and had actually called off Operation Red Wing twice before when it was discovered Shah had moved locations at the last minute. Reviewing the pre-mission maps and photographs of the area, Luttrell stated that the team was very concerned about the lack of adequate cover in the area surrounding the village. This would make it difficult for the team to stay concealed. Their mission would be to surveil the village, make a positive identification of Shah, and then capture or kill him. If the enemy force was too great, they were prepared to call in a direct action force to assault the village. The team, under cover of darkness and pouring rain, immediately moved to a preplanned observation point above the village to wait for daylight. Once dawn arrived, they realized their observation point was less than ideal due to a bad angle on the village and a fog bank obscuring their view. LT Murphy and Petty Officer Axelson scouted a new position and moved the team there just after daylight. This new observation post offered a better view of the village, but only one possible escape route, should they be discovered.
As the morning wore on, three local goat herders stumbled upon the SEALs' hiding place. Unable to verify any hostile intent from the herders, Dietz attempted to contact HQ via radio, but was unable to get an answer from anyone. Absent any higher-level guidance, LT Murphy put the decision as to what should be done with them up for a vote: Axelson voted to kill the Afghans, stating, "The military decision is obvious," in reference to the near-certainty that the herders would alert the Taliban. Dietz abstained, and Murphy allowed Luttrell the deciding vote, but warned him that the killings would have to be reported, and that they would be attacked by the "US liberal media" and would almost certainly face murder charges. Luttrell voted to release the herders. He would later state, "It was the stupidest, most southern-fried, lame brained decision I ever made in my life. I must have been out of my mind. I had actually cast a vote which I knew could sign our death warrant. I’d turned into a f—ing liberal, a half-assed, no-logic nitwit, all heart, no brain, and the judgment of a jackrabbit."In discussing the option of tying them up and leaving them, Luttrell stated that the team had no rope or other means of securing them and that the presence of the herders' goats was threatening to give away their position. Taking the herders with them to a pick up point was also untenable given their need to move with stealth in that area, made worse by the fact that the goats followed the herders wherever they went. This would certainly expose their presence in the area and possibly lead to a Taliban attack. The firefight
After letting the goatherds go, the team moved to their first observation point so as to throw off anyone attempting to intercept them at their old location. Here, Dietz continued attempts to reach HQ via radio for immediate extraction, but was continually unsuccessful. Approximately an hour after the goatherds disappeared over the mountain ridge, the SEALs were confronted by a force of Afghan fighters, estimated between 80–200 strong, causing Luttrell to believe that the released herders had given away their position. The large variant in the number of opposing Taliban is due to differing accounts of the size of the enemy force. The team had been told that as many as 200 fighters could be protecting Shah, and according to Luttrell, the SEALS killed a significant number of enemy fighters during the subsequent engagement, however their numbers never seemed to diminish. This led Luttrell to believe they were receiving almost constant reinforcments.
The insurgents set up a "well organized, three-sided attack", which forced the SEALs to begin running down the slope of the mountain, all of them receiving injuries during the descent, either by gunfire and/or the fall. Even before reaching a new defensive position behind some felled logs, Murphy had already been shot in the abdomen, Luttrell had received a spinal injury, and Dietz's thumb had been blown off. Nevertheless, they all continued fighting, attempting to attrite the Taliban forces enough to cause them to retreat. After 45 minutes of fighting, Murphy moved into the open, after noting the team's radio transmitters weren't functioning properly in the mountains, and placed the emergency call for support from his cell phone. He was shot in the abdomen during the conversation. Nevertheless he returned to his cover after the call and continued to battle. After two hours of fighting, only Luttrell remained alive, the other members of his team succumbing to multiple gunshot wounds. Eventually he was blown off the mountain ridge by a rocket-propelled grenade, knocking him unconscious.
One MH-47D helicopter, four UH-60 Black Hawk and two AH-64D Longbows attempted to come to their rescue to provide extraction in the mountains of Kunar. The MH-47 helicopter, carrying eight Navy SEALs and eight 160th Night Stalkers, was shot down by a rocket propelled grenade shot through the open rear ramp, causing the pilot to lose control of the craft. It hit a mountain ledge, and then fell to the bottom of a ravine, killing all sixteen on board– the largest single loss of life for Naval Special Warfare since World War II. Shah, the original target of the SEAL team, later gave an interview where he claimed that his forces had set a trap for the American forces, "We certainly know that when the American army comes under pressure and they get hit, they will try to help their friends. It is the law of the battlefield." Search and rescue
The only survivor of the attack, Luttrell tried to hide himself as he waited for rescue from the search helicopters flying overhead. He stayed well hidden in a cleft of rock while the Taliban continued searching for him throughout the remainder of the day. He could hear enemy fighters close by, firing aimlessly into the underbrush, trying to drive him out, but they were never able to discover his location. AH-64 Apache and UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters were flying through the valley almost all afternoon, and Luttrell attempted contact via his rescue radio. Due to dehydration and his mouth being filled with dust, he was unable to speak. He activated his emergency locator beacon, but without verbal confirmation of his identity, the pilots assumed the Taliban had captured a radio and were attempting to lure another helicopter in in order to shoot it down. Before night fell, Luttrell killed three Taliban lookouts, with his silenced Mk 12 rifle, that were searching an adjacent ridge approximately 150 yards away.
As night approached, driven by thirst, shot in the leg and with three cracked vertabrae, Luttrell traversed 7 miles over the remainder of the night and following day. He remained unnoticed until, falling from a ledge, he was discovered by an Afghan shepherd named Sarawa, who summoned his companions to help carry the wounded Luttrell to the village of Sabray-Minah. The villagers took care of Luttrell, providing food and medical attention, and protecting him from the Taliban that came to the village demanding that he be turned over to them. The Taliban offered bounties for turning him over and threatened the villages inhabitants with violence if they did not comply. According to Pashtun custom, the villagers were honor-bound to protect someone they had taken in, and the entire village participated in guarding him. He was moved between houses several times and received medical attention from the village's physician.
Meanwhile, nearly two days after the initial confrontation, the military had 300 men searching for the team, and had located the downed helicopter and verified that all 16 aboard had been killed. A spokesman for the Taliban, Mofti Latifollah Hakimi, confirmed that the helicopter had been shot down by insurgent fire, and promised to deliver the video made during the assault to media outlets.
Despite multiple attempts, the search helicopters were unable to locate the wounded Navy SEAL. On July 2, the village elder, armed with a note from Luttrell, went down to seek help from Camp Blessing, a Marine outpost several miles away, and approached First Lieutenant Matt Bartels with his information. With this news, the U.S. forces drew up extraction plans which according to Lt. Col. Steve Butow were "one of the largest combat search-and-rescue operations since Vietnam". As the rescue teams closed in upon the village they ran into Luttrell and some of the villagers who were moving him from one hiding place to another. Six days after the operation, an American search team located Murphy's body as well as the body of Dietz. For the next four days, they held out hopes that Axelson might be found alive.