For the military community, November is unofficially recognized as Ruck March month. The phrase Ruck March is unique to the Army, as in Marines we either called it a Forced March or simply a “Hump”. By any name the experience is very similar; it is an extended walk while loaded with tactical gear. There are times these marches are regulated by an allotted time to complete or the minimal load you must carry. These are done for various reasons, including physical conditioning as well as building team cohesion and individual confidence. Historically, such training was crucial as it was the essential way to move troops from one area of operations to another. Even today, the ability for a unit to move great distances and sustain itself without mechanized support is a vital capability.
For those whose service is now a part of their past, the opportunity to experience such an activity has grown as they are now a means by which to maintain connection to those you have served with, as well as a fundraising and awareness event. From the Norwegian Foot March Challenges to the Veteran Suicide Awareness Ruck Marches held throughout country, men and women come together in a common goal to confront an all-too-common tragedy of Veteran suicide. The basic premise to these marches is that we carry a weight which symbolizes the weight of pain and depression that too many of our brothers and sisters carry every day, and to show we are willing to support them and their journey of healing. It is truly an awe-inspiring experience to see people fight through blisters, muscle pain and even losing toe nails, as they endure to the finish.
The image of a ruck march is also a lesson for each of us in our daily lives, as we all walk through our journey of life with a symbolic pack on our backs. In our early years, this pack is light as we are full of hope, dreams, and optimism. As we grow older, we add weight to our own packs. These weights come in the form of anger, regret, jealousy, or grudges. Each time we allow ourselves to succumb to such emotions, the weight increases and our journey becomes that much more of a struggle. Only we have the ability to free ourselves from such weighted souls. We can do this by forgiving others who have wronged us. Not because they deserve it, but because we deserve it. We lessen the load by forgiving ourselves for the mistakes of our past, by mending relationships that may have been damaged, and by never giving into the cynicism that we encounter.
The most critical part of our symbolic Ruck March through life, is that just as in actual military Ruck Marches, purpose is everything. On our long journey, we will be confronted by many challenges, both internal and external, and the only way you will be able to endure those challenges is to be able to call upon your purpose. There is a quote from Lance Armstrong that says it best: “Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually, it will subside, and something will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.”
For more information on the Veterans Suicide Awareness Ruck March go to: www.hooahinc.org
