Ten years ago, Charlie "Chuck" Keating IV was killed in northern Iraq.
Chuck was a Navy SEAL. He was also a collegiate runner, a surfer, and the kind of person who lived on a sailboat because why wouldn't you. His teammates describe him as the guy who would stay late to help a struggling shooter dial in his accuracy, or walk a new point man through how to build a good route. He loved being a SEAL, and the guys loved working with him.
On the morning of May 3rd, 2016, ISIS launched a massive assault across multiple points along the Peshmerga front lines near Tal Uskaf in Kurdistan. Chuck's team was operating out of a separate location about an hour away. When they heard what was happening, they drove straight into it. He arrived with additional SEALs, ammo, and a calm aggression his platoon needed at that moment.
During the firefight, Chuck moved to an elevated position to deal with an ISIS sniper who had his teammates pinned. He was engaging enemy positions when he took a single round just above his body armor. He didn't make it. The fight went on for hours after that, and Peshmerga eventually regained control of the town, but Chuck was gone.
His father, Charlie Keating III, started the C4 Foundation shortly after. C4 runs a ranch in eastern San Diego where NSW families come together to work on communication, family dynamics, mental health. SOF life grinds down the entire family if there's no support structure around it. C4 is that structure.
Our head of ops Joe served alongside Chuck. He was there that day.
On May 25th, Aurelius Systems and General Catalyst are hosting a Memorial Day workout on the flight deck of the USS Hornet in Alameda. All proceeds go to C4 Foundation.
If you can make it, sign up below.
If you can't, the donation link is on the event page.
Live Heavy.