Uncategorized

Neil Smith from Dunkeld Scotland is attempting to do the Cateran Yomp course twice—back to back! 108 miles total in 40 hours on the 6th and 7th of March 2023.

Weather is forecasted at -25°C and heavy snow in Glenshee (if you have done the Yomp to Bronze Checkpoint…that’s the area). If you have a minute, help cheer Neil to the finish! Start is 0500

The ABF Cateran Yomp is held every June in Perthshire, Scotland, and is a charity-run event to raise awareness for service personnel who have been impacted by service and war and funds for the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF) The Soldiers Charity. Each year the AFF takes part with over 100+ wounded, ill, and injured warriors, caregivers, and families from over 16 countries.

Neil is doing this challenge to raise donation funds in support of the Allied Forces Foundation which participates yearly in the Cateran Yomp.

*Allied Forces Foundation sponsors wounded warriors to part in the Cateran Yomp, a 54-mile hike in 24hrs across the Scottish Highlands in the scenic Perthshire area. The objective of the Allied Forces Foundation’s participation in the “Yomp” is to bring wounded warriors and caregivers together and share in this amazing experience to help with their recovery process. The Cateran Yomp allows participants to learn about the struggles with combat injuries and post-traumatic stress which many Veterans and serving personnel suffer from on a day-to-day basis.

The Cateran Yomp is the catalyst to bring together like-minded individuals who were wounded in the line of duty and have struggled with the transition from military life.  The week in the Highlands brings them together and allows them to release anxiety and frustration to enable them to find new motivation and purpose again.  During the week, the participants will take part in the 54-mile hike, visit the iconic Scottish locations of Edinburgh Castle, William Wallace Monument, Sterling Castle, and the museum, as well as take part in the Wounded Warrior Highland Games on the banks of Loch Tay, and the Scottish Regimental dinner night to celebrate their achievement in taking part in the challenge.  

All donations will help support Allied Forces Foundation’s broader mission to unite wounded, ill, and injured service people and Veterans as well as caregivers from the US, UK, and allied nations in wellness and healing.

Through a series of outdoor, peer-lead events that challenge the mind and body, the Allied Forces Foundation provides opportunities that reinvigorate the spirit of comradeship and teamwork while instilling a renewed sense of purpose for the Veteran. The Allied Forces Foundation is predominantly an American/British charity with a motto of  ‘Side by Side’ as it exemplifies our approach to recovery – those who have fought together can be reunited to share experiences and offer support to one another.

Allied Forces Foundation(AFF) New Year’s Resolution Challenge is a virtual event after your New Year celebrations and kick-off 2022 with a healthy start. This challenge is designed to get you outside and select a distance that you can achieve. The goal is to get you, your family, and your friends outside to hike, walk, run, bike, or row while supporting a great cause.

This January 1st, take on one of the following challenges for the AFF and raise awareness and funds for our great cause while doing something good for you, too.

New Year’s Resolution

Challenge Goals:

Bronze 1-mile walk, run, or row

Silver 5-mile walk, run, bike, or row

Gold 10-mile walk, run, or bike

Platinum 15-mile walk, run, or bike

This challenge weekend is free and open to everyone! You can register by yourself or, even better, start or join a team. Take the opportunity to encourage one another through your training and through the event. We’re partnering with Strava to help document your achievements.

While there is no registration fee and no commitment to fundraise, you will still receive a fundraising page upon registration. Every bit you can raise will help the AFF with our mission.

Allied Forces Foundation, Inc, a non-profit 501(3)(c) charity, announces it has launched a campaign to raise air miles on United’s crowdsourcing platform, ‘Miles on a Mission.’ United Airlines’ MileagePlus members looking to give back to those less fortunate can donate air miles to help Allied Forces Foundation’s goal to fly both U.S. and partner nations’ wounded warriors to Scotland.

Annually, the Allied Forces Foundation sponsors wounded warriors to take part in the Cateran Yomp, a 54-mile hike in 24 hours across the Scottish Highlands in the scenic Perthshire area. The objective of the Allied Forces Foundation’s participation in the “Yomp” is to bring wounded warriors and caregivers together and share in this amazing experience to help with their recovery process. The Cateran Yomp allows participants to learn about the struggles with combat injuries and post-traumatic stress which many Veterans and serving personnel suffer with on a day-to-day basis.

The Allied Forces Foundation aims to raise more than 1,000,000 miles to fly wounded warriors on United Airlines from Washington, D.C to Edinburgh, Scotland to take part in the Cateran Yomp and other warrior events from 2-8 June 2022.  The Cateran Yomp is the catalyst to bring together like-minded individuals who were wounded in the line of duty and have struggled with the transition from military life.  The week in the Highlands brings them together and allows them to release anxiety and frustration to enable them to find new motivation and purpose again.  During the week, the participants will take part in the 54-mile hike, visit the iconic Scottish locations of Edinburgh Castle, William Wallace Monument, Sterling Castle, and museum, as well as take part in the Wounded Warrior Highland Games on the banks of Loch Tay, and the Scottish Regimental dinner night to celebrate their achievement in taking part in the challenge.  

Additionally, donated miles will help support Allied Forces Foundation’s broader mission to unite wounded, ill, and injured service people and Veterans as well as caregivers from the US, UK, and allied nations in wellness and healing. Through a series of outdoor, peer-lead events that challenge the mind and body, the Allied Forces Foundation provides opportunities that reinvigorate the spirit of comradeship and teamwork while instilling a renewed sense of purpose for Veterans. The Allied Forced Foundation is predominantly an American/British charity with a motto of ‘Side by Side’ as it exemplifies the non-profit’s approach to recovery – those who have fought together can be reunited to share experiences and offer support to one another.

The Miles on a Mission program allows MileagePlus members to donate their miles to a wide variety of non-profits in need of air travel. To date, more than 154 million miles have been donated through the program. Miles on a Mission is a part of United’s Every Action Counts commitment, which aims to connect people, unite the world and serve communities by putting people and planes to work for the greater good. 

“This Giving Tuesday marks a special occasion for us to come together to support and uplift those who need it the most this holiday season and beyond,” Suzi Cabo, managing director of global community engagement, United Airlines. “We’re proud to offer our MileagePlus members a meaningful way to use their miles for good and provide critically needed air travel to a variety of non-profits that serve vulnerable communities across the globe.”

For more information on Miles on a Mission or to donate miles, please visit united.com/donate.

The Allied Forces Foundation’s mission is to help wounded, ill, and injured warriors, families, and caregivers through challenge-based events.

In these tough times we are trying to create free virtual challenges which everyone can take part in at home or the gym, and with friends or family wherever you are in the world.

This builds relationships, helps healing and recovery of mental health and physical health, spreads awareness. You can record your efforts and congratulate each other in the Allied Forces Foundation Strava group. 

Enjoy Thanksgiving Day with your family and turkey with all the trimmings, then at some point over the weekend, get involved and do whatever is a challenge for you!

Thanksgiving Workout Challenge 2021

The challenge is broken into Bronze (B), Silver (S), and Gold (G):

Part One:

                               B       S        G

Push-ups          – 100   150    200

Reverse Lungs – 100  150    200

Run (miles)       –   1       2         3 

Part Two:

                                B       S        G

Dips                  –  100   150    200

Air Squats       –  100   150    200

Fluter Kicks      –  100   150    200

Burpees           –   25      50      75

Part Three:

 Run (Miles)     –     1       2         3

For the first time in almost 100 years, the general public is permitted to walk on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Plaza located in the Arlington National Cemetery and pay their respects to the Unknown Soldiers in a two-day event this week.

With the gracious invitation to join representatives from Skanska, the Allied Forces Foundation (AFF) participated in this rare event and laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as part of the Tomb’s Centennial Commemoration.

According to the AFF’s Director of Operations, Anne Hughes, the event was a moving experience that enabled so many of us to come together and give thanks to those who have fought for our freedom, both known and unknown.  We graciously thank Jarrett Milligan, Skanska’s Regional Senior Safety Director-East, for the invitation and the opportunity to be a part of this historic event!

Join us Saturday, October 23 @ 1:30 pm at Patriot Harley-Davidson 9739 Fairfax Boulevard, Fairfax, VA 22031 for a ride to the 1874 Cup at FedExField, Washington DC. The ride is to support veterans and wounded with a pit stop at Daniels O’Connell’s Irish Restaurant and Bar 112 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314 which is on the route.

All funds raised on this ride are going to the AFF to support wounded, ill, and injured warriors take part in future challenges.

For those who don’t have tickets, they can stay and watch the game at O’Connell’s.

Pre Game is Army vs. Navy 1 pm which will be a great warmer.

The USA Eagles vs. the New Zealand All Blacks 1874 Cup starts at 3 pm.

The Allied Forces Foundation hosted its first Army 10 Miler which was virtual due to COVID in the small village of Waterford Va which is a historical village founded back in 1720 and has kept many of the same history and buildings, also the countryside is still the same and has amazing vistas.

The goal of the challenge is to get participants to take part in this virtual event and come together around the world. We have many locations and nations taking part with the US, UK, Australia, Denmark, Georgia, Poland, and Ukraine.

We would like to thank our kind sponsor and Volunteers:

DFND USA for the amazing cooling and dry wicking shirts

Mark and Fiona Sullivan for the use of their house as the starting location and finish, they provided an amazing BBQ and drinks for all taking part.

Dr. Evan Davies and Antonio Paris will be climbing Mt. Elbert on Veterans Day which stands at 14,440-foot (4401.2 m) and is the highest summit of the Rocky Mountains, the highest point in the U.S. state of Colorado, and the second-highest summit in the contiguous United States (after Mount Whitney). They are raising money to benefit the Allied Forces Foundation, Inc (AFF), which is dedicated to improving the quality of life of our wounded, ill, and injured veterans through participation in adventurous and challenging outdoor activities. Regardless of age, gender, race, or ethnicity, the Allied Forces Foundation will focus on rehabilitation and empowerment for these wounded heroes and their families, who clearly understand the high cost of freedom.

All funds raised by these amazing warriors will go toward our future events in 2022 which will support wounded, ill, and injured families, and caregivers.

About the team: 

Antonio Paris is a disabled veteran, a former U.S. Army Infantry Officer, and served in multiple combat tours overseas. Antonio is now the Chief Scientist at Planetary Science, Inc. and a graduate of the NASA Mars Education Program at the Mars Space Flight Center. He is the author of Mars: Your Personal 3D Journey to the Red Planet and has published a variety of research focused on the planet Mars. Antonio is a fellow at the Explorers Club, the Washington Academy of Sciences and the American Astronomical Society. 

Dr. Evan Davies served in the U.S. Army for over five years and is currently a Naval Officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He has served in multiple combat tours overseas. Evan, moreover, is an anthropologist, science writer and now practices family medicine. He is the author of Emigrating Beyond Earth: Human Adaptation and Space Exploration, and he is a fellow of both the Royal Geographical Society and the Explorers Club.

CFC Code: 42285

The official 2021 CFC Giving Campaign begins on September 1st and runs through January 15, 2022! 

If you are a federal employee or in the military, please support the AFF as your designated charity with CFC Code: 42285

Charity Name: Allied Forces Foundation