What Do You Have to Gain?
Hey guys if you've heard the buzz surrounding this new book The Hero Factory and are wondering what the heck everyone is talking about, let me give you the low down. First off, thank you to everyone who has been sharing and promoting the book already. Each of you have reinforced my decision to share these stories and lessons, with your encouragement and support. So what's the big deal, who is this book for, and what can I benefit from reading it?
The Big Deal
This is the first book of its kind where beyond the reports of heroics that we enjoy reliving through social media posts, magazine articles, and YouTube videos, you will experience rescues from the eyes, minds, and words of the actual men who were in the midst of it all. Every story details the reality behind what is actually experienced during a harrowing search and rescue case. From the rescuer being jolted awake in the middle of the night, to the survivor's peril of waiting helplessly for a miracle. But these stories are only a fraction of the knowledge and insight held within the pages. Here is a synopsis of what you will discover within each chapter:
INTRODUCTION
The
introductory section provides context for the intention behind the book. Although,
seemingly elite and interpreted as heroic, the men and women who serve as
helicopter rescue swimmers are just as human as everyone else. However, amongst
weakness there is strength where purpose has been found. You are invited
to draw upon the knowledge and practices these individuals employ to maintain
physical and mental readiness that allows them to continuously overcome.
Who Are
The Men In Black
Who are these individuals cloaked in
all black, save a set of gold wings over the left breast accompanied by the
word instructor? Men whom other men
fear, characters that when thought of induce sleep deprivation, individuals
whose physical capacity rivals that of competitive athletes. Here a peek into
the internal composition of the helicopter rescue swimmer instructor cadre is
uncovered. The mindset that drives our actions and behaviors is intimately
portrayed through personal account, opening the door into our world. The
challenge lesson offers an opportunity for you to test and assess your
internal resilience and forge greater resolve.
Building
A Tactical Athlete
There has been long standing tradition
for military institutions to rely on long endurance efforts and bodyweight
physical training regimens to prepare candidates to meet the rigors of mission
readiness and operations. This has proven inadequate in matching the modern
day’s evolving challenges. Learn why we train the way we train? There is
purpose behind the physical hardship and the mental marathon of stress
inoculating games. On the other side of the fire purpose is finally understood,
perspective realized, and lessons truly learned. The challenge lesson
prescribes a novel mindset for you to adopt and simple behaviors to
employ to slowly begin developing resolute character.
Alpha
Bonding
We
do what we do because we are who we are; in turn we are who we are because we
do what we do. This speaks to the importance of the company we keep. Who we
surround ourselves with, often influences our actions and behaviors the most,
highlighting the absolute importance of relationship. The relationships shared
amongst alphas, breeds competition, strength, strict discipline, sacrifice,
integrity, respect, and initiative. But we must recognize the vulnerability to
give into pride, envy, ego, and strife. When humility is learned, trust
garnered, and acceptance freely given only then are mature relationships fully
established. The challenge lesson presents the opportunity for you to build greater
levels of healthy intimacy with those in life you most care about.
Stamp Of
Approval
What
is the end goal? How are the incessant training days, the hard-learned lessons,
the hours of physical exertion, and the mental faculty transformed into the
success of lives saved? Relive the first rescue of one of my students as he
battles the peril of the ocean’s tumultuous grasp. Four men are arduously towed
to safety in one of the greatest endurance efforts ever performed by a rescue
swimmer. For his actions AST2 Darren Harrity was awarded one of the service’s
highest honors, the Coast Guard Medal, yet his humility is what demands the
most respect.
leading
from the front
As an instructor, you are provided a
unique perspective to what each candidate is experiencing. Having formerly
undergone the same training as a student yourself, you are afforded the vantage
point of viewing both sides of the coin. With this perception wisdom is gained
in discerning the appropriate method for teaching the next generation. When do
individuals need to be pushed to dig deep and find inner strength, when should
we throttle back the intensity to facilitate understanding of the necessary
skills, and when should we call students out when excuses start to fly? Hats
are changed from instructor, to teacher, to coach, sometimes to mentor, but
always remaining a leader. Integrity, morale courage, and selflessness the
tenants of quality character are our opportunity to lead from the front. The
challenge lesson delves into one of the principles of leadership –
followership. You are encouraged to first recognize strength of character
in the individuals in your life that you hold in high esteem, and then to model your behavior to reflect the same, incrementally each day.
one
percenters
In
life we all experience hardship, often in many different forms. Although our
experiences may vary in kind and degree, ultimately we always have the choice
to either succumb or persevere. The experience of trial by fire presented to
rescue swimmer candidates is no different than any other hardship in this way.
We can learn from these individuals and the elite select few that have the
privilege to train them in how they respond to dire circumstances. The
challenge lesson invites you into the practice of self-awareness.
Opportunity is provided for you to recognize that every experience in life is a chance
to learn and to then grow.
sewing
machines and parachutes
In
life there must be an appreciation for both purpose and intent. Although, we
(fellow AST’s) jest that even a monkey could be trained to do the work we are
responsible for, due to its simple and uncomplicated process; there is a level
of unprecedented care that goes into each task. Any one step that is
overlooked, could potentially lead to loss of life. The battle is not in
learning advanced technologies, solving complex equations, or explaining
scientific theories; for us eliminating complacency, adhering to the rigid
practice of attention to detail, and mitigating risk is the goal. To do this
requires integrity, it demands that each of us do what is expected and follow
through with procedure no matter what we assume, how we feel, or how minuscule
the task may seem. Live through another call to duty as two fighter jets
collide and an aviator must be cut out of a mess of debris and trauma in the
pitching sea and darkness.
the
grinder
What
does it take to be successful in becoming an AST? How do you know if you are
truly ready? Learn how to persevere by developing self-awareness of current
abilities, by learning lessons from each past experience, and by getting up
again and again each time you are knocked down. Here the formula for achieving
your physical goals is outlined, a process that can be applied throughout all
other aspects of life to aid in accomplishing an objective. If you are a
prospective candidate for AST A-school this will provide you the necessary
steps to prepare yourself physically prior to entry. Other individuals can use
this information to progressively ready themselves for any other physical
endeavor using the embedded principles. The challenge lesson provides you with guidance
on developing physical preparedness, while additionally sharing tips from the
pros for preventing injury.
uniform
inspection
Part
of living life is enduring life. The challenges, obstacles, and hardships that when
presented provide an opportunity to learn and grow, can be forks in the road. We
all have bad days, but “bad day” doesn’t quite do justice to the experience of
almost losing your life. Some of us are prepared to handle these unfortunate
and trying situations when confronted with the raw power of the natural
elements. Some us are caught off-guard, pants down, and at a loss how to
respond. This is what we try to teach the students. We must extend our ability
to overcome. They need to recognize that they will be the helping hand in
someone’s bad day, that they will be the light on a dark and stormy night. Here
I recount stories of rescue from Mother Nature’s unforgiving seas and frigid
winter grasp.
the
burden of constant fitness
Here
the concept of the Tactical Athlete
is fully explained bringing clarity to the importance of physical preparedness
for rescue professionals. General physical preparedness and specific physical
preparedness are both outlined in detail and you will find embedded in
the writing, a starting point for any training goal. The principles of Direction, Purpose, and Focus are
each discussed highlighting wisdom gleaned from over a decade of working with
military athletes. The tools used by professional strength and conditioning coaches
for competitive athletics are introduced in an easy to understand prescription
for tactical athlete implementation. Finally, each of the seven requisite
fitness attributes of the tactical athlete our identified and explained to
ensure understanding and incorporation. The challenge lesson provides you with a roadmap
for purposefully attacking a physical fitness goal, and also emphasizes one of
the most effective training tools for any athlete.
family
men
My
personal failings serve to introduce an opportunity for you to
empathetically connect. Through stories of struggle and falling down, the
mindset to overcome is bred by emphasizing the concept of “being effective”
over “being right.” How can we set the precedent for how to react and respond
to the hardships, obstacles, and challenges life presents, becoming a model of
character to everyone around us? Learn how to operate from a foundation of
acceptance, trust, confidence, peace, joy, integrity, fortitude, patience, and
resilience. There is something to learn in every situation, a lesson behind
every failure. The challenge lesson highlights the fact that each of us is continuously
in an opportunity to teach. Through self-reflection we can learn to reprogram
how we respond to difficulty and become role models to everyone within our
sphere of influence.
surviving
Surviving
extremes is not so easily taught in the confines of a four-walled classroom. To
prepare the mind and physically ready the body, training requires we steep
ourselves into the harsh realities of adversity. Experience first hand the
perspective of being both a survivor and a rescuer as the students undergo the
most dangerous training evolution conducted at the Rescue Swimmer Training
Facility—rescuing a downed military aviator. With a wave-generating pool,
strobes flashing in the dark, debris everywhere, a cacophony of alarms, 70
m.p.h. winds, and an individual in the water trapped under a collapsing
parachute canopy, will the student forge through or succumb to difficulty? Here
success demonstrates ability, but more importantly the confidence to persevere
through seemingly insurmountable odds. Whether they recognize it in the moment
or not, slowly throughout school the never-quit, learn-to-adapt mindset is
being forged.
the long
haul
Preparedness
comes at a cost. Hours cramped in the rear of the helicopter, shock absorbed while
jerked out of the water on the rescue hook in heavy seas, and miles of running
and swimming accrued training to be mission-ready, all take their toll. For
tactical athletes, careers lasting 20 to 30 years with diverse training
resources, inconsistent sleep patterns, a range in quality and quantity of food
selection, and a demand for year-round operational readiness can leave an
individual abused and broken. Here you are afforded insight on developing
a professional habit of fitness, while training your mind and body not just
for today, but also for tomorrow and years down the road.
early
morning wake-up
You
can’t know how you will react in the face of danger or peril until you
experience it. You also never really know how another individual will react in
those circumstances either. From an armchair view it may seem comical,
shocking, or even wrong; however, the more you experience it, the less
sensitive you are to the surprise. It is in this light that we draw out the
most realistic scenarios, because when lives are on the line, there is no room
for almost and could have, only did and done.
CONCLUSION
Hardship
comes in many forms and no one is left invincible. How we respond and move
forward will determine how effective we are at enduring and overcoming. The
conclusion highlights the core principle presented throughout the writing as
our ability to overcome obstacles rests on our ability to respond in
positivity. How we respond or react to hardship determines the nature of our
character. Moreover, it models for others how to behave or what to believe in
similar situations.
Who Is This Book For?
YOU! If:
1. You enjoy stories of courage.
2. You want to learn the principles and methods to be better physically prepared.
3. You want to develop resolute character and the mindset to overcome.
4. You are a rescue swimmer and want to stay in the game for a long career.
5. You want to be a rescue swimmer and need to prepare.
6. You know a rescue swimmer and want to understand what makes them tick.
7. You have an appreciation for those that serve our country and sacrifice their safety to save others.
8. You are curious what it takes to operate at an elite level.
9. You want to cultivate healthy behaviors and attitudes in yourself by learning from those who have persevered through failure, suffering, and hardship.
10. You want to support me, because you're a good friend or family!
Grab your copy of The Hero Factory today by clicking the link to Amazon in the upper right corner!
