ALERT 30 Year Reunion
February 8-11, 2024
Join us for a celebration of the past 30 years of God’s faithfulness! Over 2,700 men have joined the brotherhood of ALERT since Unit 1 started in February of 1994. The 30 Year Reunion is a great time to come together to celebrate our shared past, and look forward to the continued work of forging that God will complete in each of our lives.
Bring your family and join us for an incredible weekend full of ALERT style fun—everything from a mini-snake walk to a special edition of the Caleb Nelson Memorial Race to gatorball. There will also be encouraging sessions from a variety of speakers from ALERT’s history, as well as plenty of time to reconnect with old friends, meet new people, and celebrate your time at ALERT.
Register
Attendee List
Schedule
FAQs
Activities
Gatorball
Invented in the Northwoods of Michigan (where it could be played in the snow), gatorball is only played once a year during the Reunion. A mix of soccer and football, gatorball is played with multiple balls and as many people as want to play at once. Join the game, or come watch the fun, and try not to break any bones.
(Must be 16 years old to play)
Caleb Nelson Memorial Race
The CNMR is a 12 mile, mixed-event race comprised of a 3.8-mile run, 0.4 mile swim, 6.5 mile pack run with a 45 lb pack, a short swim across the lake floating your pack, and a 1.3 mile run to the finish line. Â It is run in memory of Petty Officer 1st Class Nelson, an ALERT alumni (Unit 30) and Navy Seal who was killed in Afghanistan in 2011. During the Reunion we will be running both a full CNMR and a half CNMR.
(Must be 16 to complete the CNMR alone, or 12 if running with a family member)
Mini Snake Walk
A creation of the famous Northwoods ARCs, the mini snake walk (less than two miles) incorporates the best of Northwoods ingenuity and East Texas grit. Runners are divided into teams that run the race strung together by webbing. Instead of snow, expect a lot of mud and obstacles to conquer as a team. The snake walk includes both competitive teams running for time and less competitive teams running for fun.
(Must be 16 to run on a competitive team, or 12 to run on a non-competitive team)
Alumni Career Panels
Hear from alumni in five different career fields talking about their experiences in their careers, how they got started on that path, and tips for anyone looking to go into that career. The panels are made up of the following alumni:
Military
- Adam Blocker (Unit 10)
- Anders Johansson (Unit 13)
- Carl Kinz (Unit 24)
- Micah Rawlins (Unit 31)
Law Enforcement
- Elisha Bomberger (Unit 26)
- Kyle Puelston (Unit 21)
EMS/Medicine
- Sam Behr (Unit 31)
- Caleb Kaspar (Unit 4)
- Josh O’Sullivan (Unit 40)
Missions/Ministry
- DT (Unit 5)*
- Nate Williams (Unit 6)
*Name withheld for security reasons
Business/Entrepreneurship
- Isac Dymesich (Unit 19)
- Luke Friedli (Unit 28)
- Nick Greenlee (Unit 44)
Regional Cookout
Get to know other alumni from your area of the country during the regional cookout. Weather permitting, we will have an outdoor cookout and fire, with all the alumni and their families broken out into regional groups.Â
Family Activities
The reunion weekend is an event for the whole family! Challenge your family on the Low Ropes Course, try your hand at rock climbing and rappelling on the ALERT tower, play a game of disc golf, or participate in any of the other events designed for the whole family to participate.
Speakers
Col. Jesse Boulden (Unit 40)
Col. Ron Fuhrman (Ret.)
Col. Marv Behr (Ret.)
Keon Pendergast (Unit 1)
Schedule
Thursday, February 8
1:00 PMÂ Â Â Registration Opens
6:30 PMÂ Â Â Dinner
7:30 PMÂ Â Â Session (Speaker: Col. John Tanner, Ret.)
9:00 PMÂ Â Â Games and Sports
Friday, February 9
7:30 AMÂ Â Â Â PT with Sergeant Major
9:30 AMÂ Â Â Coffee with Capt. Chris Overby and Capt. Greg Mandreger, Ret.
10:30 AMÂ Â Â Brunch
11:30 AMÂ Â Â Session (Speaker: Keon Pendergast, Unit 1)
1:00 PMÂ Â Â Â Caleb Nelson Memorial Race
1:00 PMÂ Â Â Â Family Event (details coming soon!)
5:00 PMÂ Â Â Dinner
7:00 PMÂ Â Â Session (Speaker: Col. Ron Fuhrman, Ret.)
8:00 PMÂ Â Â Memorial Wall Dedication
9:00 PMÂ Â Â Games and Sports
Saturday, February 10
7:30 AMÂ Â Â Cadence Run
9:30 AMÂ Â Â Coffee with Steve Dankers (Unit 2) & Josh Tanner (Unit 3)
10:30 AMÂ Â Brunch
11:30 AMÂ Â Â Session (Speaker: Capt. Clay Rowland, Ret.)
12:15 PMÂ Â Â Group Picture
12:45 PMÂ Â Â ALERT History Panel hosted by Justin Tanner (Unit 16)
1:30 PMÂ Â Â Â Field Day (details coming soon!)
1:30 PMÂ Â Â Â Career Roundtables (Military, EMS/Medicine, Missions/Ministry)
3:00 PMÂ Â Â Gator Ball
4:00 PMÂ Â Â Career Roundtables (Law Enforcement, Business/Entrepreneurship)
5:00 PMÂ Â Â Regional Cookout
7:00 PMÂ Â Â Session (Speaker: Col. Jesse Boulden, Unit 40)
7:45 PMÂ Â Â 30th Anniversary Video premiere (live only)
9:00 PMÂ Â Â Snake Walk
Sunday, February 11
8:00 AMÂ Â Â Breakfast
10:00 AMÂ Â Worship Service (Speaker: Col. Marv Behr, Ret.)
12:00 PMÂ Â Lunch
Transportation
Please check all details before booking your flight to ensure they fit within the required parameters.
If your travel arrangements are not within these parameters, you are responsible to find your own transportation to/from the airport.
Airports
ALERT only makes airport pick-ups from the following airports:
DFW – Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
DAL – Dallas Love Field Airport
Date & Time Parameters
ALERT will only make airport pick-up/drop-offs within the following time parameters:
Arrival: Thursday, February 8
Must be scheduled before 3:00 PM
Arrival: Friday, February 9
Must be scheduled before 3:00 PM
Departure: Sunday, February 11
Must be scheduled after 3:00 PM
Deadline to sign up for airport pickup: January 31, 2024
Transportation Form
The transportation deadline has passed. Please email [email protected] to see if there are any additional seats available.
Cnmr Race Sign up
Frequently Asked Questions
What to Bring
The Reunion is a casual event, and uniforms are not required. Take a look at the schedule, and bring clothes for the events you want to participate in. You will need PT gear for the cadence run, PT with SMaj, and gatorball. Please also plan for the weather, as multiple events are outdoors. You will want to bring your unit shirt and/or deployment shirts to wear during the Reunion.Â
If you are interested in running the Caleb Nelson Memorial Race, make sure that you bring a multiday backpack that is able to carry 40 pounds of weight for the full, or 20 pounds for the half. You’ll also need two pairs of shoes and PT gear.
For the mini snake walk, bring a full change of clothes that you can get wet and muddy. Due to the race trail, you will want to run in pants, not shorts.Â
If you would like to wear BDUs for any of the events and don’t have a pair, you can purchase used pairs from the SMaj store once you arrive. Â
Transportation
We are offering free transportation to/from the airport for those who sign up in advance. See the Transportation Form for details.
The deadline to sign up for airport pickup is:
January 31, 2024
If your travel arrangements are not within the parameters, you are responsible for your own transportation to/from the airport.
Who can come?
The ALERT Reunion is open to everyone! While primarily geared towards our alumni, former staff members, and their families, the Reunion is a great way to get to experience more of the camaraderie and culture of ALERT. Anyone interested in the ALERT program is welcome to attend.
Lodging & Meals
To register for the reunion or purchase meals and lodging, go to events.alertacademy.com or call 903-636-9201.
Discounted Lodging:
The Private and Semi-Private rooms on campus are blocked out for the reunion at a 50% discount! And this year, the Basic Training Barracks will be the location of the bunk rooms.Â
Meals Packages:
You can purchase individual meals or select one of the Reunion Meal Packages.