United States Marine Corps Lt. Col. Tim Geek joined the military in 2007, but his commitment to country and connection to service can be traced back to his childhood. His father served in the Navy, he had a grandfather in the Army and an uncle in the Marines and another uncle in the Air Force. Geek’s brother is also a two-star general in the army.
“I guess I have a lot of military in my family,” Gick said. Another person he cited as an inspiration to join was then-roommate Joseph Shami, who had a career in the Air Force. He initially bonded with Geek when they both attended Texas State University, both as members of the school’s Air Force ROTC.
Shami currently serves as the Senior JROTC Aerospace Science Instructor at Franklin High School in El Paso, Texas. Shami remembered the first time he and Gik met.
“Tim and I connected at Texas Tech, and we were roommates, and he saw me training in ROTC, which eventually got me into the Air Force.”
Both men continued their careers. Gick’s service time to date has included leadership roles in intelligence and intelligence at Officer Candidate School in 2007 through multiple tours in Afghanistan and the Republic of Georgia. In addition to his direct service, he also volunteered with groups such as Toys for Tots. In 2022, he was working at Toys for Tots in San Francisco, California doing giveaways and filling orders when he noticed two things he didn’t like; all the toys were made outside the United States and had no meaning behind them.
“I said to myself, ‘I can make my own toy here in the United States that will provide a way of purpose and service.'”
What is Mission Match?
The result of this vision is “Mission Complete!” is a martial arts game that both teaches kids about the military and encourages them to practice. The ultimate goals are to promote activity, inspire teamwork, and highlight the benefits that can come with military service. The decks feature various characters such as Muscle Monkey and Cosmo Cat, inspired by the branches of service, and include various exercises that players must perform such as leg raises, jumps, push-ups, and squats. Players must match cards and perform exercises if they receive a pair of action cards. The player with the most cards at the end of the game wins.
How Lt. Col. Timothy Gick brought his idea to life
Geek approached Shami to make this vision a reality. Shami saw with his own eyes how badly this kind of game is needed. At that time, the world was still affected by the COVID pandemic and students could not be as active as children of his generation. There was also a lack of desire to serve in the military, which both men felt needed to be addressed. Geek convinced Shami of the idea of adding a physical fitness component, and they both believed that the game could solve both of these issues.
“I saw that at least in the kids who wanted to go into the military, there was a gap in their physical fitness. And when we played the game, the integration of fitness was something we wanted to do because it makes the game different from a normal card game.”
The game is designed for young children, but as Shami confirmed, it has become a hit even among his high school students.
“The reactions are positive,” he said. He even confirmed that one of his students took fitness seriously and saw a big change as a result.
“He’s actually lost about 40 pounds.”
In addition to the exercises, there are also cards that can be scanned that lead to the pages of each service branch so that children can learn about this service. Geek explained that scanning these cards could lead to more interest in the various branches, or at least in the military as a whole.
“Depending on your age, when you click, like Marine Corps with Gunny Goose, it takes you directly to Junior Marine or JROTC or Marine Corps depending on your age. That’s the idea of the game.”
The match mission movement continues
The Very Good Teacher is one of six companies founded by Geek and Mission Match! is part of this brand. Shamy is also part of the company and their plan is to take the game into their hands as much as possible and also inspire the Alpha generation to be more active and consider the service as they grow up.
One of the ways Geek does this is through the Pathfinder Games, which are described as “hands-on, real-world events where kids step out from behind a screen and step toward a goal.” An event was held at the Pentagon as part of Bring Your Child to Work Day, and Geek reported on the success of that event, as well as others that have connected children with members of the military. With more events planned in the future, the room for growth appears to be significant.
“It provides a way to reach a goal so they can meet these organizations that they wouldn’t have otherwise. That’s the whole point of the Pathfinder games.”
Whether families discover it through Pathfinder Games or through word of mouth, Shami hopes parents will see the benefit of having this unique game on their shelves and be willing to play with their children as it helps them be better prepared as they grow up.
“It’s definitely about making sure you’re instilling these lifestyle habits in your kids today because the decisions they make today will definitely affect them tomorrow.”
To participate in “Mission Match!” and they support and join their efforts Their Kickstarter. You can also find out more and pre-order by going their website.
M&F Senior Military Editor Rob Wilkins contributed to this Fit to Service article.
