Workout of the Day:
Seven rounds for time of:
7 Power Cleans (135/95 lbs.)
5 Push Presses (135/95 lbs.)
40 Yard Bear Crawl
LT Daniel B. Cnossen
Written by George Economou
I don’t want to take away from Kelly Starrett’s Movement and Mobility Certification, but if you don’t have other plans for Saturday, October 17th, please keep reading.
LT Daniel B. Cnossen (pictured above) could use the support of a strong community that respects service to country. I last saw Dan in June up in Alaska. Sarah and I were getting ready to head back into Denali National Park and Dan was taking a break from SEAL training in Fairbanks. It was a chance encounter as we were both staying with a mutual friend’s parents who happened to own a lodge at the entrance to Denali. Before that, it had probably been 6-7 years ago, soon after graduating from the Academy in 2002. Early in September, I got the following news:
“On September 6th, 2009, Dan returned to Kandahar, Afghanistan. With less than 36 hours on the ground, his team received their first mission task targeting Taliban operatives. During the mission, Dan activated a land mine and lost both legs, and sustained traumatic internal injuries. Currently he is at the National Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland where he is fighting a new battle. Like any other challenge in his life, Dan will face this one with courage and dedication. Already, friends and family have witnessed Dan’s unbelievable strength as he begins what will surely be a long and difficult recovery. Despite the challenges ahead, Dan remains positive and exudes his kindness and true appreciation for friends and family, and for life. “
On October 17th, there will be two fund raising events for Dan. The first, at 9:00 a.m., is an Aquathlon (500m swim/5k run), and then a 6:30 p.m. silent auction later that evening. Details are in the link above, and both events are in La Jolla. While I can’t say that Dan and I were drinking buddies, or even close friends, catching up with him in Alaska was a highlight of my trip. I’d be remiss as a classmate and fellow (former) warrior if I didn’t use the power of the Invictus Blog to share his story and highlight this event.
I encourage all of you not attending K-Star’s Movement and Mobility Certification to participate in the Aquathlon, and those who are can participate in the silent auction.
I do not have the honor of personally knowing Dan or his family, however a couple of my friends in the SEAL community do. I received an email from the local USNA alumni association a few weeks ago informing the community about his situation. Ever since I have been following his families updates on a daily basis. It truly is moving. Last weekend at PB Shore Club during halftime of the Navy v. Air Force game a couple of Dan’s friends and classmates got up to fill the entire Navy family in on his situation. In one of his classmates hands was a video camera and they asked that we record a get well message for Dan. What followed was one of the most moving things I have experienced in my time in the service. Everyone put down there drinks and forgot about the games on the big screen and gave Dan the most thunderous ovation I have ever heard. The applause lasted for more than 5 minutes… to the point were passerby’s were stopping on the board walk and looking up through the windows to see what was going on. It was a great moment and I have never felt more proud to be a part of such an amazing community. If we can combine the greatness of the CFI community with that of our USNA/Navy/USMC family and make a difference in Dan and his family’s life it would be truly amazing.
Thom
Thank you for posting this George.
People can also read about Dan’s progress through the website http://www.dancnossen.org. If you happen to stop by the site please sign the guest book. There is also a link where contributions are accepted.
Hello CF Invictus members,
Dan is one of our guys at Seal Team One. Please come out and support him at the Aquathon–if not by participating, then by being a presence there to let him know you support him. His buddies at ST-1 are still over there and can’t be here to show their support for Dan. Please, please, please come out and support him! He has a long road ahead, and the support is a great boost to his morale.
??? Is Monday normal schedule or modified for the holiday? Hope everyone has a great weekend!