Remembering 9/11 Team RWB style

Of the 84,000 civilian and Veteran members of Team Red, White & Blue, most are 9/11 Veterans who joined the military after the September 11, 2001 attacks. The majority of these Veterans will tell you that they joined the military because of that day, because of the threat they saw to their nation.

Today, they are remembering September 11 in a way that is consistent with the group’s culture — physical fitness.

This is Team RWB Tampa chapter’s second year of participating in a 9/11 continuous moving flag tribute. From 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., nearly 50 walkers, ruckers and runners will carry the flag upwards of 100 miles on the iconic Tampa Bayshore Drive.

“I was young. I didn’t understand the scope of what actually happened. Now that I’m older, I do understand it, so this gives me a chance to honor their sacrifices, to remember them in a meaningful way,” said U.S. Air Force Reserve Senior Airman Tanner Spaulding.

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At 6 p.m., the group’s firebase will host a workout that includes rope climbs totaling the height of the Twin Towers, squat cleans equalling the floors of the building and a run equal to one meter for each victim of the September 11 attacks.

The tribute concludes with members connecting with each other over a meal catered by a Veteran-owned franchise of Mission BBQ, a company with a history for giving back to Veterans and first responders.