Some phrases tell you a lot about a person.
“Pick up the six” is one of them.
In military language, your six is your back. Picture a clock: twelve is straight ahead, and six is behind you. Having somebody’s six means looking out for them.
On a ruck, the six can also mean the person at the back of the group. Picking up the six means going back, walking alongside them, and making sure they have somebody with them.
That is the meaning behind our Pick Up the Six design. It is a simple message, and I believe it deserves some thought.
Somebody has to be last
Put a group of people under rucks and start walking. The group will spread out. Different strides. Different experience. Different loads. Somebody will end up at the back.
Maybe they are new. Maybe they are coming back after time away. Maybe the pace is asking more of them today than it is asking of you.
You will not always know the reason.
You can still turn around.
Walk back. Say their name. Ask how they are doing. Settle into a pace you can share. Sometimes a little conversation helps. Sometimes you just walk.
The person at the back is still part of the group. How we treat them says something about the group we are building.
Take your turn walking back
I spent 12 years in the Army. Looking out for the people around you is a responsibility I still take seriously.
Rucking gives us a straightforward way to practice it. You can see the gap opening. You can see who is walking alone. You can decide to do something about it.
That decision is available to anybody in the group.
You can be the person who notices. You can ask the group to adjust the pace. You can make sure the first timer has somebody to talk to. You can help make the next invitation easier to accept.
If you have enough left in you to offer encouragement, offer it. If somebody needs a break, help the group make room for one.
There is a kind of leadership in paying attention.
The six exists after the ruck, too
We can see a gap on the road. The gaps in everyday life can be harder to notice.
A friend misses the workout. Then another one. Somebody who used to stay for coffee starts heading straight home. You realize you have not heard from a person in a while.
There may be a simple explanation. Reach out and find out.
“Haven’t seen you lately. How are you doing?”
“Want to grab coffee?”
“I’m walking Saturday. Come with me.”
Give them time to answer. Listen to what they say. Follow up.
The PAX are the people who show up to train together. The relationships have room to continue after the workout ends. So does our responsibility to notice one another.
One day, you may need the company
Everybody has days when they have less to give.
You might be the person who usually sets the pace and still have a morning when you need somebody beside you. Let them be there.
Being part of a team includes accepting help. It gives somebody else the chance to do what you would do for them.
I want Freedom Ops to represent that kind of community. People willing to put in the work, pay attention, and take care of the relationships they are building.
Why we put it on a shirt
The Pick Up the Six T-Shirt carries a reminder I want to keep close: look back once in a while.
See who is there. Notice who is missing. Make the call. Walk beside somebody.
If the message means something to you, wear it. Then give it meaning in the way you show up for your people.
Somebody has to be last. Make sure they have company.
Looking for something for the person who always circles back? Read our gift ideas for your rucking buddy.