GROUPEX
USSOCOM Meets Kill Mode By Nicole Long
POWERHOUSE THE MAGAZINE QUARTER 3 2012
14
Kill Mode Training is an elite coaching and training service with Head Coach, Dan Long, and his team of coaches, Forbes, Nicole, Alyssa, Master Danny, Rachel, and Michelle, located at Powerhouse Gym Downtown, Tampa Bay. It was just another day at the office for the crew when, unexpectedly, Dan met Rain Man, TT, Milky, and Hawk, of our USSOCOM military. “They noticed Kill Mode on our shirts, and noticed the style of training that we offered,” stated Dan. They got into conversations about how Kill Mode could help with providing services to help our USSOCOM military be in the best fitness shape of their lives. Dan was honored that they asked him for help to raise their fitness level up a few notches. They immediately lined up a meeting at MacDill Air Force Base for Dan to observe their training facilities and go through one of their normal everyday operations, to understand what our special ops teams go through on a daily basis. After Dan was enlightened on their daily missions, he quickly learned that their psychological and physical demands were of utmost importance than that of anyone he has ever encountered in a human being. Every second, breath, movement, thought, and muscle must be at a level that must perform like a machine, on a daily basis.
From that point on, Dan’s respect for the military that perform and protect our Country was at an ultimate high, and he set out on a mission to help raise their fitness level. The next step was to actually observe a practice mission where this particular crew – Rain Man, TT, Milky, and Hawk, were to protect our General from harm’s way. After permits were pulled, and clearance from MacDill was given, Dan was escorted through MacDill Air Force Base in a blacked out Suburban, through three checkpoints, to a building to be briefed on this mission, where everyone was suited up in full military gear, from protective vests, boots, goggles, rifles, helmets, guns, and gloves. Dan, with his fluorescent orange vest for safety, got back into the blacked out Suburban with the USSOCOM team, and set out on a mission on base, to replicate a mission called a “Push.” According to Dan, this is where there are a few vehicles that are traveling with our General and our special ops military police, and another vehicle rams their vehicle, called the “Push.” Our military police then take on a wounded soldier, and have to leave the scene with the General, walk down a deserted road, take on hostile fire from front to back, and left to right, with bullets that turn you blue upon impact, in addition to simulated RPG’s going off, and proceed with the wounded soldier and General to a safe house position. They are then attacked from the outside in, experiencing flash bombs as well. They practiced this mission over for perfection. Dan explained that after this practice mission was over, USSOCOM huddled, and asked Dan to join the huddle to