The Mountain Brotherhood… climbers and scout snipers

Marines and Mountaineers receiving FTX Orders

USMC Mountain Warfare Training Center, Pickel Meadows California -  “You've been issued 30 rounds of 5.56 ammunition, the exercise will be broken down into 2 skiing movements with 2 shooting stages,” the voice of the mountain warfare training center scout sniper cadre member could be heard echoing off the mountains along the Pacific Rim Trail, “Upon completion of this field exercise we’ll tally up the hits and deduct 1 minute for every round on target to determine the fastest finish time.” 

Eric Meyer, of Steamboat Springs, Colorado had spent enough time around nordic skiing as a US Ski Team Physcian to know that 30 hits would nearly wipe out the 5km total cross-country ski portion of this military style biathlon exercise.  He also knew that he along with fellow Himalayan climbers Chris Klinke and Chhiring Dorje Sherpa had their work cut out for them to keep up with the elite Marine Corps scout snipers joining them in the exercise.   

    “I never saw myself sitting around a fire pit in the middle of the night, 

talking about Everest Base Camp and Camp Leatherneck - Afghanistan 

in the same sentence.”    -   Eric Meyer M.D.  

Eric Meyer M.D. wraps up a course of fire

American300 Tours brought these renowned high altitude expedition leaders to the training center to assist the DoD with subject matter expertise. While the climbers had little familiarization with Marine Corps issued equipment and weapons, they did posses strategic and tactical operational experience in dealing with compartmentalized high altitude environs.  

Chris Klinke talks mountaineering with Marines

“We’re here because of American300, they (the nonprofit) are focused on exchange, whether in the form of subject matter resiliency experts or operational expertise,” said Eric Meyer M.D., adding “Chhiring has never shot a rifle in his life, but what he lacks in weapons knowledge he more then makes up for in mountain clime experience, he's been to the top of Mount Everest 12 times.”

As Chris Klinke adjusted the straps on his desert tan government issue rucksack, Chhiring Dorje was busy deciding which way he wanted to sling the M4 rifle over his back. “This is fantastic, we’ve spent the last 24 hours up here in the high Sierra’s with these combat hardened Marines, the entire experience has been an open two-way exchange of information and experience.” said Chris Klinke, the expedition leader for the Americans. 

Chhiring Dorje Sherpa

When the exercise was over, it came down to shooting expertise to determine the overall winner.  With no missed shots, Corporal David Thiessen, of the 3rd Battalion 3rd Marine Regiment came out on top. “I was just focused on my skis and not throwing up,” said Thiessen closing with, “Scout Snipers are a tight community, everyone knows everyone, it’s just like the mountaineer community and that makes for commonality and brotherhood which you need when operating in these climes.”

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For more information about American300:  www.American300.org

American300 is an all volunteer 501c3 nonprofit with a mission of supporting the Department of Defense and Department of State with unique resiliency subject matter experts.  No federal endorsement of sponsors or nonprofit is ever intended or implied -   American300.org operates as a NGO/AVO. 

Cowboys Bring Cooler Temps to Troops

Armed Forces Entertainment and local US Base personnel teamed up to give American300 more then ‘8 seconds’ of resiliency for troops serving at this small, isolated base that doesn’t even have a name. “We’ve been working with Armed Forces Entertainment’s staff for two years, developing a plan to take our tours to some of the most remote and isolated bases around the world” says Robi Powers, American300’s founding member and volunteer to both his nonprofit organization and Armed Forces Entertainment, over the past 48 hours that vision has come to fruition.”

Not only has American300 pushed for getting it’s resiliency oriented programming to remote bases, but they’ve also pushed for quality over quantity visits. “You can show up on a base and set up a autograph table in a dinning facility and have celebrities sign 500 autograph cards... quickly shake 500 hands, but where’s the true resiliency?" asks Powers “We worked with Armed Forces Entertainment to get the word out that our tours want to slow it down a bit, 'chill out', give our volunteer celebrity American Ambassadors of goodwill a chance to really connect.

Coming off just such a visit at a base in another part of the middle east the day before, fingers were crossed that today's Base Staff would deliver on this new approach to troop touring. After 9 hours in the blazing sun with temps in the 100's - sharing words of encouragement, thanks and personal stories with behind the scenes troops, The Wrangler Team and it's members; Jeff Chadwick, Annie Bianco Ellet, Lucas Hoge, Kaycee Feild, Maegan Ridley and MSgt George Roach found themselves a little sunburned but a lot happy. The result of a day spent with our hero service members that wouldn't be able to make it to the evenings base wide Hoe-down.

“I’ve got a friend that can never get out of work to come watch me compete each year at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas” says Feild adding “this bases staff had us spending quality time with a pile of folks who wouldn’t be able to be here tonight.. that’s as cool as it gets."

From Canine Handlers and their service dogs to Security Forces guard shacks, the Wrangler Pro’s and Country Music Artist traveled around the base... not just shaking hands and quickly handing out autograph cards, but taking the time to talk, share and get to know our nations heroes. “The staff on this air base, like the one we just came from, understands the importance of allowing a connection to occur” said Lucas Hoge, “sure there are going to be those times when all I have time for is a quick autograph or hand shake with my fans on the country music stages of America, but that's not how I or my colleagues build our foundation of support, it’s built on friendships... and today I made one heck of a lot of friends."

We’ve always said, the road to true US Armed Forces Troop Resiliency starts - One Service Member at a time... we believe that if you design programming that supports this basic theory... you get the desired outcome: A Stronger, Healthier Force... and that includes our Families.” says Major Jesse Stewart a highly decorated combat infantry officer and founding member of American300, adding “we’ve got to be strategic in dealing with resiliency, the days of thinking tactically on this subject are long gone in my humble opinion.”

After a long day of touring the base in triple digit heat, the sun finally set bringing with it cooler temperatures and an opportunity for the Wrangler National Patriot Team to kick back and chill out with hundreds of troops.. (who weren’t on duty) beating back the ‘ground hog day syndrome, a term that American300 and others involved in bringing stateside programming to the troops use for giving the troops something they don’t always get.

“When you can have an event that breaks the same old...(stuff) syndrome, you’re helping the troops out.” says a Army Veteran who works at this isolated base as a civilian contractor. “I served my 20 years, and I’ve seen it all...what this group brought to the troops today was simply awesome...I know I’ll remember the day for a long time.”

To follow the tour please visit: WranglerNationalPatriot

To stay up to date on American300 visit www.American300.org

The governments Department of Defense Armed Forces Entertainment website is: www.armedforcesentertainment.com

To join us on FACEBOOK click here: American300 Warrior Tours