Beatdown to honor Major Charles S. Kettles

The PAX put in a stellar effort his morning at the Mandeville Lakefront in honor of Major Charles S. Kettles, our country’s latest recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor.  If you are ever feeling sorry for yourself or just need some inspiration to get through a tough spot, visit the Congressional Medal of Honor website and read a citation or two.  They will adjust your attitude in no time, trust YHC.

So the PAX set off on a mosey to the first COP where they planked up while YHC read Major Kettles’ citation.  An Army helicopter pilot in the Vietnam Conflict, Major Kettles returned to a hot landing zone three times to extract troops.  On the second trip, enemy fire damaged his helicopter, causing a fuel leak, but Major Kettles somehow managed to nurse his aircraft and the troops on it back to base as fuel streamed from the aircraft.  Then he volunteered for a third trip and with no gunship, artillery or tactical air support, picked up 8 troops that had been unintentionally left behind.  Enemy fire destroyed the windscreen and chin bubble, but Major Kettles somehow managed to fly himself, the 8 troops, and the helicopter safely back to base.  Our plank lasted the length of the citation, and it wasn’t short.

The PAX then hit their feet for the warmup exercises, each one followed by a jog to the center of the COP followed by a backpedal to the starting position, like a collapsing and then expanding circle.  All exercises were IC:  SSH 25x; IW  25x; Squat Thrusts 15x; Merkins 15x; Airplanes 15x; Seal Jacks 25x; Plank Jacks 25x; Torso Twists 15x; Lateral Lunges 25x; and Windmills 15x (thanks Blackbird for bringing this old school exercise back to the PAX).  In addition to the jog/backpedal collapsing/expanding circle, the PAX through in some skips, side shuffles, carioca, ankle flips, and bear crawls.

Mosey down the Lakefront to Rips’ Restaurant where the PAX hit a challenging AMRAP consisting of    10x Squat Jumps, up and over the stairs, and 10x plyometric Merkins.  7 minutes and 30 seconds of hard work, giving themselves a point each time they passed the fish at the top of the stairs.  Keep your score to yourself and try to better it next time we hit the Rips stairs.

Mosey a short stint for a shoulder complex.  As many standing shoulder exercises as YHC could think of with the challenge of keeping your arms up.  Green Mile reported having flashbacks to his days in the USMC.

Mosey again for Mary:  ABCD abs and then 1 minute planks all four positions.

Count-o-rama, name-o-rama, and then prayers for Toots, his wife and family, all of the Louisiana flood victims, and all of the teachers to whom we entrust our little monsters.

Thanks for letting me Q.

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