+MPU x GORUCK – BEST RUCKER WEEKEND (Screening of ‘Join or Die’)

November 16, 2024 7:00 PM

GORUCK HQ

Event Speakers

Garrett Cathcart

Co-Founder and Executive Director

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Garrett Cathcart

Co-Founder and Executive Director

In 2021, Garrett joined + More Perfect Union as the Co-Founder and Executive Director. He leads the mission to establish the nonprofit as the next-generation civic and service organization. + MPU’s mission is to build connections with people who would not otherwise meet, through social gatherings, service, civics events at local chapters called Brickyards.

Prior to joining + MPU, Garrett served as the founding Executive Director of Mission Roll Call, a national organization that provides veterans a powerful and unified voice in public policy, and as the first Southeast Regional Director of veteran service organization Team Red, White and Blue.

Garrett Cathcart served 9 years as a United States Army Cavalry officer and is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Garrett’s service included three years in ground combat leadership roles. Garrett served as a Reconnaissance Scout Platoon Leader in Baghdad during the Surge in 2007, colloquially known as the bloodiest year in Iraq, as an embedded military advisor living and operating with the Iraqi Army in 2008, and as a Cavalry Troop Commander in Afghanistan responsible for the security, governance and development for two Afghan districts in 2010. His final assignment on active duty was serving as Aide-de-Camp to the Commanding General of the 4th Infantry Division. Garrett’s awards include three Bronze Star Medals, an Army Commendation Medal with Valor Device and a Meritorious Service Medal.

Garrett is also a Major in the Army Reserves where he serves as an Associate Professor of Leadership and Military Science at Georgia Tech. Garrett graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2004 and the Goizueta School of Business at Emory University in 2018. He holds a certificate in nonprofit executive leadership from the University of Georgia, and he is a George W. Bush Veteran Leadership Scholar. He is also an accomplished public speaker who has addressed the Atlanta Hawks, New York University, The Home Depot, The Federal Reserve, and guest lectured at the US Military and Air Force Academies. He has appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, New York Times, CNN, USA Today, Fox News, and CBS World News.

Trip O’Connell

Senior Program Manager

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Trip O’Connell

Senior Program Manager

Trip O’Connell is +MPU’s Senior Program Manager, a 2023 +MPU Fellow, and on the Brickyard Leadership team in Austin, Texas.

Born in Virginia and raised on the DC/Maryland border in Chevy Chase, Trip is the son of Terry O’Connell highly decorated Vietnam Veteran and Linda Foley who kept Terry in line for almost 50 years prior to his passing in 2019. As a multi-sport athlete in high school Trip learned to express himself on the field of play and how to debate with his teachers. He took that same spirit with him to the University of Delaware where he was a member of the UD football team for two seasons. At university, he found his love for political engagement, principled debate, and community building.

His time at UD allowed him the proximity to partake as a security organizer at the 2004 Democratic Convention in Boston and lead to his participation as an Advance team member with the Kerry/Edwards campaign in New York for the Summer prior to his senior year. This valuable experience was a benefit when Trip moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2006 to work on the GOTV team for the Jack Carter for US Senate campaign. Unfortunately, the campaign was not successful and altered Trip’s planned trajectory of returning home to DC to work on the Hill as staff to Jack Cater, but taught him many valuable lessons in communication, team work, and organization.

Following the campaign, Trip took his community building and relationship skills into the hospitality industry in Las Vegas and Los Angeles for the next 4 years from 2006-2010 where learned about business operations, human resources, management and promotions. Despite the valuable learning experiences and relationships that the hospitality industry had to offer, Trip felt that he needed to engage in a more purposeful pursuit. One that he had always dreamt of.

After 2 years of training and preparation, Trip left for Air Force basic training to become a Tactical Air Control Party(TACP)/Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) with the 274th Air Support Operations Squadron in New York for 6 years. During his time in the USAF, Trip was an Honor Graduate of several schools including the TACP Schoolhouse and recipient of the Commandant’s Award at Airman Leadership School.

Following his separation from the Air Force at the end of 2019, Trip returned home to his native Washington DC and entered into the Health & Wellness space after seeing a lack of community, connectivity, and accountability by opening multiple F45 locations in the DC/VA.MD area. His success in opening 5 successful locations in 3 years on the studio franchise side of the business caught the eye of F45 HeadQuarters who brought Trip on to their team to develop the programming for the F45 Military Division which was built to help aid in the transition of US Military members out of service and into the civilian community through training, education, and operational placement within the F45 Studio system. That program still exists today and has helped transition hundreds of military members out of their time in service and into qualified positions in F45 studios.

Trip is building his passion project with Sandlot Technology and GORUCK to develop an application that brings people together in the real world via technology to spend less time with their faces buried in devices and participate in group fitness, community building, and human-to-human engagement.

It is with great excitement and anticipation that we announce the launch of our partnership with GORUCK at GRHQ in the great city of Jacksonville, FL on November 16th at 5pm. GORUCK is an American company, founded by Jason McCarthy, a Green Beret who believes in “building the best, toughest rucking gear to equip the rucking revolution — we force multiply through training, Events, and GORUCK Clubs that empower real world communities in service to something greater than themselves.

The Best Rucker Weekend was chosen because it is emblematic of what GORUCK and +MPU represent in our core values: Tenacity, courage and grit, mixed with community, conversation, and service. Here is what is on the agenda for the weekend:

GORUCK is throwing a party the best way they know how – by hosting a ton of different rucking events and bringing the community together. From a competitive 50 Miler and a timed 12 Mile Challenge to a family-friendly 5K, there’s something for the whole family! Plus, enjoy live music, cold beverages, and a GORUCK PX gear sale, a recovery lunch and Screening of the Documentary “Join or Die” hosted +MPU.

Friday:

6 pm Vets Town hall

Saturday:

All Day – Multiple Ruck Events

5:30 pm – Following the close of the rucking events on Saturday evening, we will host food and libations along with the film ‘Join or Die’ where we will challenge attendees to think about an American future that they wish to build based on the 6 MPU values of Service, Mercy, Virtue, Humility, Courage and Hope. Following the film we will have a group discussion regarding the rich American history of joining groups, how it has and can have a positive impact on our lives, and our country.

If you wish to know more about GORUCK, please read more HERE.

If you would like to join a GORUCK Ruck Club, please look for the closest club HERE

Attire

If you plan to attend and participate in any of the rucking events, please wear comfortable shoes and fitness attire. Water and food will be available on site, but always smart to have your own water/water bottle.

If you are attending to support and socialize/engage with fellow community members, then come as you are.

Please look for the +MPU tent and table to check in with us. We would love to meet you.

This is an open event. Please register, but know that all are welcome.

Event Partners

About the Jacksonville Chapter

Across cities and towns just like yours nationwide, we serve our communities by starting with bringing different neighbors together for events centered around Social Gatherings, Service, and Civics.

By rolling up our sleeves side-by-side, we can begin to see that we have more in common than what divides us; that first and foremost we are fellow Americans with a common love for our families and communities.

These Chapters – also known as our Brickyards – are mobile places for neighbors to connect and solve local problems. We do this through respectful and open conversations, and to find higher ground as we work together brick-by-brick.

Visit the Jacksonville Chapter Page

Group of 30 Americans of different backgrounds hiking in Montana wearing +MPU tshirts.