Surfing troops toss hierarchy to waves

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — As dawn stretched its fingers over the Atlantic Ocean and onto the St. Augustine pier, seven National Guardsmen trekked over the sand toward the waiting waves.

The men, some officers, others enlisted personnel, are all part of a newly formed group called the Florida Military Surf Club.

Most are Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and some used to be active-duty before coming to the organization they now all call home: the Florida National Guard.

Yet, as one, they hit the water like teenagers and paddled out with giddy enthusiasm.

Though the waves left something to be desired, the men took in the scenery and admired the skill of pelicans plunging headlong into the ocean for fish and that of a marine mammal of the blond variety paddling not far away.

The group is a new one, though many of its members have been meeting at the St. Augustine Beach pier for dawn patrol — early morning surfing — for more than a year.

In this June 22, 2015, photo, from left, Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Doot, Spc. Clayton Cooper, Sgt. 1st Class Phillip McPhail, Sgt. 1st Class Keith Turner and Sgt. 1st Class Stephen Kraft ride the same wave while surfing in St. Augustine Beach.

Photo Credit: Daron DeanDaron Dean/St. Augustine Record via AP

They now have a board of directors and want to be involved in the veterans community and the community as a whole.

"We've reached out to Surf Quest that the Ark of St. Augustine does with the kids to try and hook up with them for the kids," Maj. Adam Bailey said. "Then, on the military side, we've reached out to Wounded Warriors up in Jacksonville to let them know that we're up and running so we can help out with anything they've got going on.

"We're talking about buying soft-top boards to help people learn how to surf."

The group now has a logo, an elected board of directors and is filing for social club status with the IRS.

"You really can't beat this," 1st Sgt. Ray Metych said. "We do this almost every morning and I've been able to maintain my weight and my (physical training) score has actually gone up."

Surfing is an unconventional way to do physical training in the military. Most lower enlisted men, especially in combat roles, are put through grueling runs nearly every day by their squad leaders interspersed with push-ups, dips, sit-ups and any other form of devious "exercises" their leaders can imagine.

Most of the men here are officers and upper enlisted. They have more leeway.

They caught one wave after another. There was none of the usual military caste system: Specialists cut off majors with the same humor as the major when he cut off sergeants.

Yet all waited on a still-missing member to show up.

"He's who we refer to as 'The Godfather,' " Metych said.

In this June 22, 2015 photo, members of the Florida National Guard gather at the St. Johns County Fishing Pier parking lot in St. Augustine Beach, Fla.

Photo Credit: Daron Dean/The St. Augustine Record via AP

Sgt. 1st Class Steve Kraft's father was the operations officer on the carrier USS Forrestal in the mid-'70s. That meant surfing sessions at "The Poles" near Mayport Naval Station.

During the family's next move to Huntington Beach, Calif., Kraft enhanced his skills on bigger surf.

At 53, Kraft is the longest-surfing member of the group and is organizing a trip to California. However, as Don Corleone learned, even Godfathers aren't invincible.

Kraft paddled out with the ease and grace of a man used to saltwater, but on the way back up the beach a noticeable limp came as he trudged through the sand.

"I wrecked my motorcycle in February when I hit some debris in the road," he said. "I broke my fibula, tibia, four ribs and lacerated my spleen — and my motorcycle was totaled."

The latter seemed to bother him the most.

"But you know, today's Army is all about resilience," he said with a grin. "So you have to do what you can to bounce back and surfing is a great therapy."

Keith Turner had veterans in mind — those who might return from a war zone and feel uncomfortable learning to surf with a group of strangers.

One of the biggest hesitations for people who start surfing is they don't want to feel silly in the water," he said. "When you've experienced things like we have in combat, getting in the water and feeling silly is really not an issue with us anymore."

Bailey agreed.

"The cool thing is that while we may not be as big as those guys to reach out and do stuff, just the fact that we're an organization of vets who like to surf is hopefully enough to reach out to guys who may just be returning home who just want to hang out with a group of guys like them who are vet-friendly," he said. "They may not feel comfortable in a regular surf crowd and would like to get with a group who is like-minded.

"Hopefully, we'll get more folks who are like that — guys and gals."

The group is just becoming official and is looking for members. However, members said they've already found a groundswell of support in both the surfing and veterans community.

Kraft said the VFW has been supportive and cited the group's Middleburg component.

"There's a cool undercurrent of not just military support, but people who support the vet surfer, Bailey said. "Even shapers like Josh Miller of Miller Surfboards in Jacksonville who shapes for me, he loves anyone who was in the military.

"I'd also have to mention Drew Baggett of Inspired surfboards in St. Augustine."

It's not a requirement to be active duty or a veteran to join the Florida Military Surf Club. In fact, if you're ever out at the pier around daybreak, you'll probably notice them.

They'll be the guys with short hair.

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