MAXTON — Gunshots rang out in Maxton on Nov. 20, as active duty Special Forces soldiers and veterans teamed up with celebrities for the annual Celebrity Green Beret Tactical Challenge.
“Every single year we bring out celebrities … Some of the celebrities have never even shot a gun before, so they getting some really good instruction from those Green Berets who do it for a living, and they’re exceptional teachers. They learn from the best,” said said Jodi Burns, director of the Special Forces Trust.
The nonprofit, Special Forces Trust, hosts the challenge and other events to raise money for Green Berets and their families, Burns said.
Beyond the tactical lessons, Burns said, the celebrities can connect with the Special Forces soldiers as people.
“They get to see that they are dads, brothers, they’re fathers and are some incredible, incredible human beings,” Burns said.
This year’s challenge was made up of 12 teams.
The competitors
The celebrity participants were: Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion Randy Couture; former NFL champion and defensive end Setema Gali; former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin; mixed martial arts fighter Dan Henderson; county-music singer, and fourth place finalist on the “The Voice” in 2017, Red Marlow; hockey player Ryan Miller; county singer Michael Ray; former host and judge of the Discovery Channel show “Master of Arms,” Zeke Stout; former pro baseball pitcher Tony Saunders; Dallas-based TV personality Paul Salfen; and survivalist and repeat contestant on the Discovery Channel program “Naked and Afraid,” Laura Zerra. Also participating was military spouse Kaye Finney.
The competition
Competitors gathered at ranges, managed by Gryfon Group Training, to compete in four different events.
The first three events involved shooting rifles, pistols and shotguns at targets, but before competitors could take a shot, they had to complete a challenge. The first challenge was archery. The second required tying two climbing knots, and for the third challenge competitors had to crawl under trip wires. The fourth and final event had competitors shooting rifles and pistols at targets from inside an old airplane.
Each event was timed and scored based on targets hit, with a time penalty added for missing a target.
Reactions
This year marked the fourth time Zerra competed.
“This year has been a crazy year for me, so there was zero training involved, but that’s kind of the beauty of it is showing up and being able to run with it,” she said.
After completing the first event, she said archery was a surprise.
“Shooting bow is all about being in that zen moment, when you’re all adrenaline and crazy, and it definitely adds a whole (other) layer of challenge,” Zerra said.
Saunders also competed in years past and said he was “ready to roll” once he heard this year’s competition was happening.
His partner was Jason Holland, who served with the 3rd Special Forces Group and was a Green Beret instructor before retiring in 2010 after 18 years of military service.
Holland described Saunders as a country boy shooter who knew what he was doing.
“It’s just the fine points and trying to gain different stages … I’m just here for moral support… He’s nailing it,” Holland said.
Saunders said the knot station seemed to be a bit of a challenge, and he lost sleep the night before trying to learn how to tie a knot.
“And then the Army crawl underneath — I’m not a small guy, and the trip wire is very low. Those are different things from the last time,” he said.
Saunders said competing is worth it.
His father was a Marine. His stepfather served in the Army, and Saunders grew up near Fort Meade, Maryland.
“The one thing I got from my dad and stepdad was the fact that there was no programs in place for them when they got out of the military,” Saunders said.
“An organization like this that does so much for not just (veterans) who are out but (soldiers) who are in too, it’s like why wouldn’t you support this? It’s a great cause, phenomenal people, and we’re doing the best thing we can,.” he said. “We’re helping military families when they need it the most, not just financially, the mental side of it as well, which I think is great.”
Burns said the event raised money through donors contributing to the celebrity they supported; spectators paying to watch the challenge; and tickets sales to a celebrity roast and awards dinner in Pinehurst.
Proceeds are used to support the Special Forces Trust’s programs, including Beyond the Battlefield, which Burns said addresses suicide prevention and covers the cost of 12 therapy sessions for a service member.
Mettle and Moxie is another program, which is a weekend retreat for the service members’ entire family, she said.
“We think it’s really important, and the Green Berets that founded our organization founded it because they saw that gap … The government and military really prepares the warriors, but they didn’t prepare the families,” Burns said.
Those wanting to support can visit Special Forces Trust’s website at https://www.sftrust.org/.
Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.