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Davilla Texas Feb 9th and 10th After Action

Started by Scout, February 11, 2008, 11:05:55 PM

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Scout

The shoot started on Friday evening with the instructors arriving early to help set up and do some shooting of their own before the Appleseed started the next day. Folks got in about an hour of shooting and then Dennis pulled out his bag of night vision equipment and several of the instructors used the equipment to fire in the pitch dark.

Dean brought his "Mystery Soup" and a barrel of bisquits and corn bread and fed all who were hungry. The instructors had a briefing and went over duties before calling it a night and getting some sleep in anticipation of the long day coming on Saturday. It was an active night for the coyotes and they howled loudly from four or five different locations on the ranch all night.

The day started with a meeting at 8:30AM and a meet and greet, introductions for all and then a history of the beginning of troubles which led to the fatefull day of April 19th, 1775, and then covered the British as they moved to Lexington and the events that followed their arrival. This was folowed by a safety briefing and getting the gear and setting up on the line.

As soon as we were set up, we posted Redcoats and got the day started with a 13 round Redcoat volley. Dennis called the line and each instructor took turns at instructing positions and talking targets IMC, slings etc.

Dean worked with the people who had little to no shooting experience and tried to get them up to speed.

The group of Adventure Scouts were back with their church group and even brought a few more with them. There were many new faces and quite a few returning Appleseed family members. Big D was here with his spartan as ever rig, a bucket of ammo, a jug of water, something in his pocket to eat and his rifle. I love to see him here. He is a fine fellow and always ready to shoot and help.

There were several active duty military and just a good group of people. I believe there were 44 shooters and ten instructors altogether.

After lunch Mark Alonso gave the story of Concord and the actions of the British and Colonials there, then back to four minute squares and a refresher of positions and continuing the six steps instruction.

The day ended with two AQTs and then Greg Miller giving the story of the events following the battle at the North Bridge and the British march along Battle Road and the route of the British to Boston. We had two Riflemen by the end of day one.

More Mystery Soup was served and then we gathered around the campfire for conversation and marshmellows, finally dragging ourselves off to find some sleep.

The next morning started with an explaination of the program,who we were, what we are trying to do and why. I explained that we were not professional "Doctors of Rifleology", but just regular folks like them, who had finally decided that something had to be done, somewhow we had to find a way to help our country and Appleseed had given us the chance. That most of the instructors had just finished a week long Boot Camp in November and had worked hard since then learning their trade and volunteering time to the program and helping others to learn the skills of rifle marksmanship and the history of our great nation.

I explained that the program beloned to all who could hear my voice. It was not some corporate thing, or some program from some far away city or state, but it belonged to each and every American and was dependent on the time and effort of everyday folks just like them. That we were in need of help, and that I was coming right out and asking for help with the program. Any time they could volunteer, any help they could offer we would be grateful for.

The safety briefing was given again, this time getting the attendees to answer and explain the different conditions of safety, the four safety rules, what was considered a safe rifle on the line and why all of these things were important.

We began the day again with a Redcoat and then once again spent some time making sure folks were all on the same page, that all zeroes were good and any rifle problems were worked out before going over all the previous days instruction and getting the AQT grind underway.

We broke for lunch and then I took six of the shooters who had gotten their groups down to close to four minutes of angle over to the KD range. We set up targets and started getting data for their rifles. and then began firing the KD AQT. They did a great job and another Rifleman was made on the KD range. The day ended with the presentation of three riflemen badges, (there were four, but one fellow left early and we his is being mailed to him).

The instructors and some of the Appleseeders then helped clean up and strike all the plywood backers and carpet, picked up the brass and we closed up shop on another succesfull Appleseed. I can't tell oyu how many people made it a point to come up and thank us for the Appleseed, ask when the next one was an vowed to return for it. Appleseed folks are just the best people you will find in the whole world.

I have several recruits who will be joining the team for helping here in Texas and with the Appleseed program as a whole. Four folks joined RWVA at the shoot, and one of the active duty guys who shot free donated $30 to the program. I believe several other did also.

I finished getting everything put away this morning and then rushed back to baling hay again today and school board and PTO meetings tonight. I sure don't like the outside world as much as I like the Appleseed world. ;)

Thanks to all who came and especially to the instructors who did a really great job. The Texas Team of instructors are doing a Great job and I am very gratefull for them, and very proud of them. They make this a truely pleasurable event, and they have helped me learn a lot. I certainly could not do it without them. Thank you instructors!!!!!!   
BattleRoadUSA.com

"Who wants Ice Cream?" Fred

Sixty seconds is way too long for a minute, I am cutting it down to thirty seven seconds- SoM

"You can shout it, you can preach it, but no matter how many times you repeat it, NEVER believe your own bullSh*t." (as told to me by Grin Reaper)

Junior Birdman

  Great report, great pictures, and a great shoot!  I really missed out being at work. Thanks for all the hard work guys, and comgrats on a job well done!  JB
"But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever." John Adams

Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them. Fredrick Douglass

The Guy

There is nothing I like to hear more than a location I have personally seen up close and, well, personal being repeatedly successful.

Good Job all (Students, Instructors, Host).

Glad to see those Venture Scouts back.  They are a great bunch.  I can't wait to hear when the first one hits 210!

golfer7080

#3
I would like to take the time to again thank all of the instructors for the time and effort they put in at Davilla.  A special thanks to Scout for setting up on his property and for providing the marshmellows at the campfire (nice touch) ;).  This was my first Appleseed and will not be my last (April 19th @ Davilla).  I was joined by my son and was a little concerned that two days would be a little much for him (11 y/o).  He had a blast.  As we were leaving the campfire Saturday night he looked at me and said "Dad, the people at this shoot are really nice and friendly.  Can I come back next time you come."  What a shock.  It wasn't all the guns (although they helped), it was the people that he wanted to come back and see.  That was worth the week-end.  He also was upset with himself that he did not shot Marksman.  He shot 117 with 8 unfired rounds (mag problems).  He has vowed to make Marksman if not sharpshooter in April.  A personal thanks to the instructors who made this a great event for both of us.  Sunday I wanted to shoot the KD targets but was concerned about my son.  He told me that he was fine and that Mark and Dad (instructors) would take great care of him.  Thanks guys, you were and are awsome.  Can't wait until April.  I'll have both boys (17 y/o was sick) and have already started talking to the high school JROTC folks where I instruct.  Two dads and 3 students verbally commited already. 
Hey Scout, better get some more wood set up. 

alonso1

OK, where to start?

Groundhog's right, we had about 50 people.  Many new faces as well as some old friends.

Saturday morning was cold, must have been below 70 degrees (hey its Texas) but that did not stop us. Scout lead the way and allowed many of the ITT's take on more responsibility, in fact he bailed me out of trouble while I was explaining Inches, Minutes and Clicks. Thanks Scout.

Several of the usual Texas ITT's made this Appleseed as well as Dad from Kansas.  I'm really happy with this crew, no ego's, everyone is willing to help each other.

As far as I know, there were 3 Riflemen.  Holland (hope thats spelled right), Randy and Steve H.  Good job ya'll!

I know there were several others close to getting Rifleman, including a teenage girl who scored in the 170's.

I also had the chance to work with and 11 year old boy named James, this guy was great.  I was amazed to watch him shoot.  During one course of fire, he had 3 stoppages with his rifle.  Each time his rifle jammed, James was relaxed.  With supervision, He safely cleared his his rifle and resumed shooting.

On Sunday there may have been a few no shows but we still had a full plate.  A group of shooters left for the known distance range, I stayed at 25 yards and called the line with the help from my fellow ITT's.

We shot past 4:00pm, and some people still wanted to shoot more.

We finally concluded with a second shooting of the red coat targets, everyone indicated this second red coat target was better than the first one they shot on Saturday.  We had a lot of them state they intend to come back to the next Appleseed.

Thats my take on this AS.

Big thanks to my fellow ITT's, Scout and of course Fred.

Until next time.

                                                                 Mark



 

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LabRat

Quote from: The Guy on February 12, 2008, 12:51:03 AMGlad to see those Venture Scouts back.  They are a great bunch.  I can't wait to hear when the first one hits 210!

You won't have long to wait. One young lady turned in a 192. She'll hit 210 next time easily.

I was glad to see them back as well.
Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.

Thomas Paine

Fred


     Glad to see that a fire has been set in Texas that seems to be spreading rapidly. Heck, I don't even recognize the new instructors, the program is growing so fast (and I was just there, last October).

     Scout is exactly right. This program belongs to the Americans who are within the sound of his voice, or the voice of any RWVA volunteer instructor (and there are no non-volunteer instructors!).

     It belongs to Americans, and its success or failure rests with those Americans. If Americans want to save the tradition, to make sure it will pass on, they will do it.

     That some - still a few - are willing to do it, to step up to the plate, and stand out in front of their fellow Americans and tell them The Story, is a sign that the spirit that animated this country way back in 1775 is not dead - not quite yet.

      And, God willing, will be growing ever stronger as a growing Appleseed rekindles that spirit!

     Thanks to those volunteer Americans willing to step forward to honor the past by carrying the message to the present, so that it will not die out in the future. The founders would be proud of you! In fact, bet there's a little moisture in their eyes, right now! :)   

     I hope, truly hope, that Texas will soon be "leading the way"...

     PS: While we're at it, let's get those "loose" trigger legs in those pics pulled up tight. Someone needs to be on top of this, next time. >:( ;D
"Ready to eat dirt and sweat bore solvent?" - Ask me how to become an RWVA volunteer!

      "...but he that stands it now, deserves the thanks of man and woman alike..."   Paine

     "If you can read this without a silly British accent, thank a Revolutionary War veteran" - Anon.

     "We have it in our power to begin the world over again" - Thomas Paine

     What about it, do-nothings? You heard the man, jump on in...

pinetop

Just adding my two cents as a new attendee, I am very grateful for the hospitality of our host and all the effort extended by the instructors. I have not often seen the quality of teaching I saw at Davilla, and from volunteers to boot.

I will be making an effort to get back in April with my son, and possibly a co-worker.

Thanks again to all.

Shrike

Quote from: alonso1 on February 12, 2008, 08:34:01 AM
As far as I know, there were 3 Riflemen.  Holland (hope thats spelled right), Randy and Steve H.  Good job ya'll!

Close enough, Mark ;) (Its Hollan, for the record)

Finally, after three Appleseeds, I'm there. Shot a 221 on Saturday and qualified. All I could think about was my
dad and, if he were still alive, how proud he would have been of me. I learned to shoot when I was 12 and,
surprisingly enough, my dad taught me some very good habits, which the Appleseed program takes to the highest
level.
I cannot say enough good things about the Appleseed program. The instruction is top shelf, the event is very
well organized and extremely safety conscious and the location is just awesome. I can also safely say that,
for seventy FRNs, you will NOT find better instruction. In fact, at any price you'd be hard pressed to learn any
more, or any quicker, in my opinion. Drinking from a fire hose, indeed.
I plan on attending every Appleseed I can and would love to attend the boot camp and become an instructor.
I'm trying very hard to get some friends to make the next one and, in fact, Steve Hunt and I are working on
some new flyers that we will distribute en masse to as many locations as we can find. If Texas shooters had
any idea how important - and how fun! - an Appleseed is, they'd be busting Scout's front gate down. I just can't
say enough good things. A huge thanks to all the instructors for their astonishing level of patience and unwavering
dedication to a very worthy cause. You all are a true ray of hope.

Freedom is never free. It now costs seventy bucks! Long live the Appleseeds. :)

See you in April!

Shrike

PHenry

Shrike,
I like that number - 221. That is also my best score to date. Feels good don't it? There is a quiet satisfaction knowing that you are just a little diffrnt than most of the folks that you meet.
Are you aware that is more than one path toward instructor? Boot camp is only one path. I was invited by the Shoot Boss at my last Appleseeds to serve as an "Instructor in Training", and I will do my first such shift in March. You sound like a candidate to me, but others wouldst need to make that call. We need good people badly as the program is growing rapidly. PM the Shoot Boss from your last Appleseeds and ask what he / she thinks. I could be wrong, but it can't hurt to ask! You clearly understand the importance of this program. Do not hold back, as there is no better way to spend your time. I have always considered myself a supporter of the 2A, but it was really mostly talk. This is actually doing something about preserving the Freedoms that so many have died for. What better way to honor thems that came before us (like your dad) than to work teaching the skills to others and passing the tradition along!
PHenry
Para ser Libre, un Hombre debe tener tres cosas. La Tierra, una Educacion, y un Fusil. Siempre, un Fusil!  Emiliano Zapata

bsinger427

This was my first Appleseed.  Like many before me, I didn't shoot nearly as well as I thought I would.  I'm one of those active duty types, so I thought I knew what I was doing.  I've gotta tell you, I received more quality instruction in two days than I've had in four years on active duty!  My hat is off to all the instructors.  Whithout exception, every single one of you guys were outstanding.

I had only been back in the States for two and a half weeks when I went to this Appleseed, so my other priority, besides improving my own skills, was to spend some time doing something fun with my son.  Mission accomplished.  I am so proud of him!  He started out Saturday morning shooting groups the size of the targets (the whole piece of paper that is).  By the end of the weekend, he shrunk them down small enough so that he could look at his own targets, and see where he was making mistakes... "oh, that must be breathing... I'm jerking the trigger again..."  I don't know when the last time was that I saw him focus on something and work that hard for two straight days.  Again, Kudos to all the instructors!!!

Then of course there was Big D!!!  I think both my son and I have made a real friend!!!  You know, all the shooters were like that though!!!  Everyone was so encouraging and supportive of their fellow shooters.

I'll definately be returning for April 19, and with a lot of practice between now and then, I'll hopefully shoot better.  Rifleman or Bust!!!  I'm coming back with a larger group though.  I've got a commitment from a fellow Soldier, and I'll bring my youngest daughter as well.  Who knows, maybe more...

I am hard pressed to find a better solution to so many of the problems that our country faces, then to get whole families out to learn to shoot better together.

A special thanks to Scout for the fantastic range, and to Mark for the sling, mags, and great instruction.

Brian

Shrike

Quote from: PHenry on February 17, 2008, 06:46:42 PM
Shrike,
I like that number - 221. That is also my best score to date. Feels good don't it? There is a quiet satisfaction knowing that you are just a little diffrnt than most of the folks that you meet.
Are you aware that is more than one path toward instructor? Boot camp is only one path. I was invited by the Shoot Boss at my last Appleseeds to serve as an "Instructor in Training", and I will do my first such shift in March. You sound like a candidate to me, but others wouldst need to make that call. We need good people badly as the program is growing rapidly. PM the Shoot Boss from your last Appleseeds and ask what he / she thinks. I could be wrong, but it can't hurt to ask! You clearly understand the importance of this program. Do not hold back, as there is no better way to spend your time. I have always considered myself a supporter of the 2A, but it was really mostly talk. This is actually doing something about preserving the Freedoms that so many have died for. What better way to honor thems that came before us (like your dad) than to work teaching the skills to others and passing the tradition along!
PHenry

PHenry,
Thanks for the advice. Its already been arranged. I start my training at the next Appleseed, in March. I have a country to save.

Shrike

Scout

Quote from: PHenry on February 17, 2008, 06:46:42 PM
You sound like a candidate to me, but others wouldst need to make that call.

We've been onto Hollan since day one. I hope he didn't think he had any other options than becoming an instructor. Hate to see peoples hopes dashed ;) :D ;D ;D

BattleRoadUSA.com

"Who wants Ice Cream?" Fred

Sixty seconds is way too long for a minute, I am cutting it down to thirty seven seconds- SoM

"You can shout it, you can preach it, but no matter how many times you repeat it, NEVER believe your own bullSh*t." (as told to me by Grin Reaper)

PHenry

Scout,
Silly me. Damn FNGs think they know anything the "old timers" don't!  :o

Shrike,
Very happy to hear that - more company on the path is good!
PHenry
Para ser Libre, un Hombre debe tener tres cosas. La Tierra, una Educacion, y un Fusil. Siempre, un Fusil!  Emiliano Zapata