Sitrep (Days Sixty-Seven and Sixty-Eight)

For those that do not know, a “sitrep” in the military is short for Situation Report. It is typically transmitted over the radio. In civilian terms – consider this getting the who, what, when, where, why regarding a particular point of time. Given where we are at right now and all that has occurred over the past 72 hours, I thought a sitrep from The Ride would be most appropriate.

We are in Charlottesville, Virginia, where we rested for days Sixty-Seven and Sixty-Eight. We are getting ready for a short ride to Louisa, Virginia. Short only in terms of distance (32 miles). As Coach Groh has told us, you need to prove it one day at a time. One never knows what is in store for you on the road ahead (literally for us) on a given day. Mama Bear and Papa Bear have officially handed off SAG duties to Steve Camposan (aka Sierra Bravo). It was an emotional departure following six weeks on the road for them where the support we received on and off the bikes was nothing short of extraordinary. They have arrived safely back home on Long Island. We hope to see them in early September around Gettysburg. Thanks to John and Ann Guzas for the visit and transportation home for them.

After the reception we received coming in from Lexington by the police and fire departments as well as Mayor Norris and the Virginia Athletic Department, our media opportunities continued. Please check out "In The News" on our site to listen and watch these stories. We made an appearance on the Rob Schilling Show on Newsradio 1070 WINA. Rob was passionate about our mission and supportive of our efforts to “Never Forget” what happened on September 11, 2001 and to honor the victims respectfully. In the evening, we made another appearance at WINA, this time talking with Jay James. This was a special appearance as Jay invited Sierra Bravo to join us on the air. Steve had the opportunity to discuss his relationship with Jesse and his experiences with him in combat. Talk radio is a great forum for this type of dialogue and we really appreciated the professionalism and genuine support we received from both Rob and Jay. They are both first class individuals. Thanks Rob and Jay!

Mono Loca, a local establishment, hosted an event for us as well during our stay. A large storm rolled in just as things were getting started, but the professional staff was able to adjust fire and keep things going. Thanks to Mono Loca and Joe Hall for putting this all together.

Speaking of the storm, did I mention it knocked out power in our hotel for nearly 30 hours?! Yes, all of this was happening while we were showering the dark and getting dressed with headlamps on, so we can see our gear.

Finally....I am excited to report our media crew will be back on the trail in 48 hours for Act III.

And we call these “rest” days? Thank you Charlottesville, we will miss you. Its time for us to roll out…..

To the limit,

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