Tag Archives: military

THRIVEtoys

The Tactical Gentleman’s Survival Kit

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A good friend of mine recently separated from the military to pursue new adventures.  I wanted to put something together for him, but the cookie-cutter military shadow-box has always seemed sorta lame to me…  A bit like getting someone a gift card to Walmart, in a way.  There’s gotta be a better way to celebrate a man’s military experience.  Well, a while back a couple of us stumbled upon this gem:  The Gentleman’s Survival Kit.  Pretty solid work there, pscmpf!  Ever since, I had been building one in my head.  Now I had the perfect excuse to execute!

I present:  The Tactical Gentleman’s Survival Kit. 

Cheesy name, but fitting, don’t ya think?

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Cool!  How’d you make that?

I found the vintage briefcase Continue reading The Tactical Gentleman’s Survival Kit →

101 Days From Now, THRIVEtales

Resilience via Mountain Therapy

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Phew!  We’ve been all over the place lately leaving little time to post meaningful content, but are proud to welcome you to Phase 3 of the “101 Days From Now Challenge!”  We’re over a week into the phase, and I hope you have reviewed your phase goals and are on your way to living the life you deserve.  

If you haven’t started the challenge, why not check out our previous posts.  You can join in now, or start when you are ready.  Don’t forget to subscribe so you can keep up with all of our new articles!

Today, we’d like to share our experience welcoming Phase 3 at the top of Arkansas.  Enjoy!

jaw_20131013-IMG_0549Service members are no stranger to stress and demanding schedules.  Uncle Sam refers to their ability to thrive in the face of stress resilience (or resiliency).  Specifically defined, it “is the ability to withstand, recover and or/grow in the face of stressors and changing demands.”  -DCoE for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury.

One important way to build resilience is through an outlet.  It allows you to escape from everyday stresses.  It recharges your mind and body.  For me, that outlet is active and is most always outside.  My focus, stamina, strength, and overall attitude are directly proportionate to the amount of outside time I get.  In fact, exercise (especially when it happens outside) seems to be one of the best ways to build resilience.  Continue reading Resilience via Mountain Therapy →

THRIVEtribe

Keep The Faith

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On 30 June 2009, PFC Bowe Bergdahl was taken captive by the Taliban in Afghanistan.  He is currently the only service member still in captivity in either Iraq or Afghanistan.

There is plenty of rhetoric against the circumstances of Bowe’s capture.  He’s been called many things.  Among them:  Deserter, and Traitor.  We don’t know exactly what happened to Bowe, and neither do any of the folks that speak out against him so quickly.

For the skeptics we offer some words from a keen White House official:

“Frankly, we don’t give a shit why he left.  He’s an American soldier. We want to bring him home.”

And a few words from the document that is the base-line guidance for this kind of situation:  Executive Order 10631, “Code of Conduct for Members of the Armed Forces of the United States,” August 17, 1955, as amended.

Article VI. I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT I AM AN AMERICAN, FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM, RESPONSIBLE FOR MY ACTIONS, AND DEDICATED TO THE PRINCIPLES WHICH MADE MY COUNTRY FREE. I WILL TRUST IN MY GOD AND IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

“No American prisoner of war will be forgotten by the United States. Every available means will be employed by our Government to establish contact with, to support and to obtain the release of all our prisoners of war. Furthermore, the laws of the United States provide for the support and care of dependents of the Armed Forces including those who become prisoners of war. I assure dependents of such prisoners that these laws will continue to provide for their welfare.”

This past Saturday marked the 3 year anniversary of Bowe’s capture.  A few of us wanted to remind everyone that he was still out there.  A couple of us even showed under “less than sufficient sleep cycles,” after a long Friday night.  It was painful, but worth it…

This one’s for you, Soldier.  You Are Not Forgotten.

  • Showtime:  0700
  • Participants:  6 US Service Members
  • Distance:  54 cumulative miles (9 mi each)
  • Weight in Rucks:  270 cumulative pounds (45 lbs in each pack)
  • Heat Index:  96.9 degrees F
  • Humidity:  84%

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For more information check out these links:

Support and info page for Bowe:  supportbowe.org

A recent, well written article from Rolling Stone

Facebook support pages for Bowe:

Waiting and Advocating for Sgt Bowe Bergdahl. US Army – POW

Waiting-for Bowe (Waiting-for Bowe Bergdahl)

Bring Bowe Bergdahl Home

Fire Up | Get Dirty | Scare Yourself | Bleed

Do More Than Just Survive…THRIVE

THRIVEtoys

Thrive Camillus Fixed Blade Knife

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Check out this old Camillus military-issue fixed-blade knife that was recently renovated in true Thrive style.  Google is pretty sure that this is a Camillus CM-5684B, a relic of the Vietnam era (Source 1, and 2).

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It was a parting gift for a friend who was moving, and preparing to take on a great challenge.  Some serious Dremel action buffed off the phosphate coating and rust, and brought the high carbon steel to a mirror shine (note the second knife in it’s raw state for reference).  A bit of leather conditioner and black polish coaxed the sheath and handle back into service, and a length of cord with red beads retrofitted the leg tie.  Finally, a Lansky sharpening kit returned a surgeon’s edge to the beast.

The engraving reads, “FIRE UP – GET DIRTY – SCARE YOURSELF – BLEED” on one side of the blade.  The other side reads, “Do more than just survive…  THRIVE.”

It is more of a show piece now, but still a very capable tool if need be.

Do you possess any cool old toys like this one?  Shoot me some info in the comment box, or at thriveoutdoors@yahoo.com.  You could be featured in a future THRIVEtoys article!

Like blades?  You might also enjoy reading about the Bolo in, “So You Want to be John Rambo, Part I” and “Part II.”

-TO