Rainbow Ca June 4th/5th 2011 AAR

[4Posterity]

A quick start and placeholder for the After-Action Report on the Rainbow California Appleseed of June 4th and 5th.  This was yet another "Sold-Out" event at the Rainbow Range, with only one "no-show", who was more of an excused-absence that a plain-old no-show. 

On Friday, when I pulled the roster for this event , I immediately recognized most of the names on the list from prior Appleseeds, remembered the people attached to those familiar names, and knew that we were in for a special and very enjoyable weekend.  Much more on that later.

We also had a strong group of instructors, virtually ensuring that the weekend would be memorable, and that the students would benefit from excellent guidance.  The instructor corp included Justin (aka "Justin"), Joseph (Leonidas), Norm (Stormn), Stormn's son Zac (LibertysSonZT,), Jeff (Jshoebot), and my son Michael (Michael, same sense of creativity as Justin), as well as Blue Hat Sheri (Stormn's wife and promoter/logistician/administrator par excellance)

On Sunday we welcomed 4 new California Riflemen to the fold, as well as 4 new IIT/Orange Hats, but again, more on that later.  Sheri promises to add photos, and there is a whole-lot to tell about the weekend in coming installments.

More later,

4Posterity

[StormNSheri]

Here is  a test batch of the first of 45 pictures, more to come tomorrow.

[StormNSheri]

Next group

[StormNSheri]

Another Group

[StormNSheri]

Another Group

[StormN]

Trying the rest, hope it works!

[Johnnyappleseed]

Welcome new Rifleman 
Congratulations for achieving the level of skill very few rifleowners are capable of .

Hoping to hear from each of you via this forum 

Good job everyone ^5
JA

[ChadC]

Great pictures!
Bella and I had a great time.
I was suprised I made Rifleman again, I didn't think I pulled it off! 
And Bella pointed out as well as my wife when we got home, the orange hat is very bright!

[ChadC]

I completely missed the first picture! That's me with my failing Mossberg 44US and Bella with her 10/22 compact.

[SavageShootr]

Great job Instructors!

CONGRATUALTIONS to ALL who attended.

Congratulations to all the new Riflemen.

Welcome to the new IITs. Thanks for stepping up!

[StormN]

I am very proud of my son Robert for stepping up to be IIT this weekend and to Zachary for stepping up when he shot rifleman and a special thanks to my wife for supporting us and the program! This was my daughter Krista's 2nd seed and as a fairly new shooter again shooting in the high 170's after not shooting for over a year. She plans on coming back soon.
Thanks to all that attended, Tommy and Nicole were great children. We need more like them and their parents. A word of thanks to Debby and the Rainbow Range for the range improvements and support of the program. Congratulations to Debby for making Rifleman with her new rifle.

[ChadC]

Thank you for your hard work Norm!

[Legacy]

As they say, the 3rd time's the charm!

It was another awesome Appleseed event, made even better since I finally achieved Rifleman! 

Much love & thanks to my dad for keeping the gremlins away this time. And,  gratitude goes to Mark, Justin, Joseph, Norm, Jeff, Zac & Michael for their help this weekend & their ongoing dedication to a great cause.

With orange hat ready, I await the August Rainbow shoot. (A friend from Texas & her daughter are even coming out to attend!) And, hopefuly, I'll even get my brother there... 

[Leonidas]

Thank you first off to our awesome shoot boss, Mark as I said before you made it clear exactly what was expected of each instructor before they even showed up to the shoot. I personally believe this made things run much smoother. Thank you to all the shooters, we had many repeat Seeders, and that made for a very safe and fluid shoot. 1/5 of our shooters became orange hats??? THATS AWESOME!!!! I just love our San Diego crew. Always a pleasure.

[LibertysSonZT]

First of all, thank you to the great shoot boss, Mark, and thank you to the shooters for showing up and spending a day or two of their time to learn some marksmanship and some of their heritage. Great seeing some of you again and hope to see you again at another Appleseed.

[4Posterity]

I promised more, and here it comes:

First, thanks to Norm and Sheri for posting all of the photos so quickly.  Nice to have a dedicated support person like Shari at so many of our So Cal events.  Sheri spent a very long Saturday up in Corona at the giant shooting expo manning (womaning?) the RWVA booth and recruiting new students, then drove down early Sunday to Rainbow to assist with set-up and registration at our event.  More on the entire Thompson family later.

As I said earlier, when I down-loaded the event roster and saw the cast of students I knew we were in for a very special event.  Now, if you read a lot of AARs you know that the instructors always gush about their students, but this was truly a special weekend, and here are some of my observations in no particular order:

Chad and Bella, prior students from Escondido earlier in the year, were among the first to arrive Saturday.  Chad immediately approached me asking about becoming an instructor.  Never one to pass up on an offer of assistance, I offered to put him immediately to work and to plunk an Orange Hat on his head, but he asked if he could shoot one more event with Bella before stepping behind the line to instruct.  Of course, he went on to re-qualify as a rifleman and accepted his Orange Chapeau Sunday afternoon.  Bella returned with the perfect attitude, intending to learn and have fun, and to not sweat the little stuff.  Her positions, technique and cadence all continued to improve, which was reflected in her shooting her personal-best AQT score.  Bella promised to be back and with her own personal Appleseed Coach at home, I'm sure she is destined to become another Cali Rifleman.

Raquel and her dad Ricardo returned on Sunday to work on polishing their skills.  Gotta tell you, this daughter-father pair are poster children for positive attitude.  You get the sense that nothing bothers Ricardo, and that Acorn (Raquel) didn't roll too far from the tree.  Ricardo had some equipment issues that hopefully are now resolved with Stormn's assistance.  Raquel continues to improve her technique and scores, but more importantly promised to return in August with some of her college-mates and family.

Chuck and Grant, father and son, were also Escondido attendees who were returning for another go.  Grant quietly settled in for the weekend, just missing his riflemans score by a few shots.  Chuck (the Rifleman) was steady all weekend, and when I took him aside to ask about his becoming an Orange-Hat he immediately accepted (or should I say leapt at) the opportunity!  I expect we will see a lot of Chuck and Grant down the road.

Every shoot seems to produce someone who just stands out and grabs the attention of all who attend.  This weekend it was not someone, but three someones, Tim, Tommy and Nicole.  First, thanks to Tim for his dedication to family and country as a member of our military.  You are awesome and I wish there was more we could do to honor your service!  Now for Tommy and Nicole:  8-year old Tommy and his YOUNGER sister Nicole were the true stars of the weekend.  At first glance they looked a little young and I had some concerns that they might be too young to truly benefit from the weekend's events.  Wow, was I wrong.  They were absolute model students.  From the start of instruction Tommy and Nicole were completely locked into the program.  They were totally attentive, showing attention spans that most adults would be lucky to have. Their behavior was impeccable, and they absorbed our instruction like sponges.  During the heritage and history talks both were sitting forward in their seats appearing to focus in on every word.  Simply put, these were two of the best students that I have had the privilege to work with.  Sunday mom came out to watch, and she told me that Tommy had recited all of the history to her during the drive to the range.  And, as if that was not enough, both Tommy and Nicole proved to be very accurate shooters.  Tommy shot a 207 on his final AQT, and Nicole was only a few points behind him.  I am certain that they will both be back for more.

Stefan and Mo (Christine), another pair of prior attendees from Escondido, brought Paulino along this time to introduce him to our program.  I think they were the first to sign up for this event, having been shut out of April's Rainbow Range sell-out.  With improved equipment and perfect attitudes I knew Stefan and Mo would do well, which they did.  Stefan is determined to attain Rifleman and has his Rifleman's Opportunity card to prove it.  Paulino couldn't make it Sunday, but acquired his ROC as well, and all three promise to be back at the next Rainbow Range event.

Ladd returned for his second Appleseed, and again anchored the "left-handed" end of our line.  He is dedicated to obtaining his rifleman qualification, and showed good improvement over the weekend, just barely missing the magical 210 score.  I see an Orange Hat in Ladd's not-too-distant future.

Joe and Brandon were back for another go as well.  Joe had done some work on both their rifles, converting one into a standard "LTR" and putting a scope on the other.  That meant some time getting the sights and scope all adjusted and zeroed-in.  After some extensive trouble-shooting, re-positioning and sighting work, we got Brandon right on target and he was putting out some impressively tight groups.  The same story applied for Joe.  You could have covered with a quarter the first groups that both shot after getting their equipment sorted out. Unfortunately the weekend was spent too-soon, which fortunately means that they will both be back to hone their skills on another weekend

Two more members of Stormn's clan, Krista and Robert, were out this weekend, joining Blue-Hat Sheri, and Orange-hats Norm and Zack on the range.  Robert is another American Hero on leave from protecting our freedoms and showing everyone "how its done" with a rifle.  Robert shot at least 5 qualifying AQTs, with a top score of 238.  You just can't let talent like that get away, so now Robert is one of California's new Orange Hat instructors.  After a long lay-off from shooting Krista shot a very respectable score and appears to be on the rifleman's path as well.  Wouldn't it be nice if Norm earns his Red Hat in time to plunk an Orange Hat on Krista's head?  That would mean that the Thompson family would have FIVE RWVA hats on the mantle.  Is there a record for the number of Appleseed Addicts all from the same family? 

Rob made it out Sunday for his first Appleseed event.  With a little coaching he was soon right in the groove, working the six-steps and posting up some nice scores.  In spite of roasting in the sun in his black shirt, he never missed a beat staying on the line until we took down the targets and told him he had to go home.  Well, not quite, but he did progress a lot, and promised to be back to get the Saturday Heritage and Instruction.

And last but most certainly not least, Debby was back on the line absolutely determined to get her rifleman's patch and itching for an Orange Hat as well.  Some pesky equipment issues denied her a real chance to qualify at prior Appleseeds, but this weekend she was back with a new rifle, and nothing was going to stop her. After several AQTs just below the mark, Debby earned her Rifleman's Patch, although she at first refused to believe me when I told her so.  I don't think I have ever seen someone so proud to get their Orange Hat as Debby was, and it was very rewarding for me personally to be able to give it to her. 

You see, Debby's father was a true United States Military Hero, having earned the Silver Star in WWII while serving with the USMC on Corregidor, and surviving a long period of internment as a POW of the Japanese.  L.E. Duncan returned home and after retiring, opened his own gun shop in nearby Vista. He also realized that shooters would need a place to practice, and opened his own Shooting Range in Rainbow.  There is much, much more of Louis' story to tell, and I hope Debby will find the time to tell at least part of it though the RWVA Forum.  Debby and her Brother Tom continue to honor their father's, maintaining the L.E. Duncan Rainbow Range and Shooting Club in his memory.  I see that Debby has chosen the forum name of "Legacy".  Take a moment to PM her and thank her for what she and Tom are doing for the Appleseed Project, for stepping up to take the Orange Hat, and for honoring the memory of a true American, Louis "L.E." Duncan.

And to my instructors, all I can say is you did a tremendous job.  Much time was spent in one-on-one work with our students, and the results show it.  Justin did his usual solid job and kept us on track.  Likewise, Joseph did his usual best, really putting his heart into the program.  Stormn is much more than just an IIT/Orange Hat.  Besides recruiting most all of his family into the program, he brings a truck-load of tools and equipment to every shoot, and single-handedly solves whatever equipments problems crop up on the line.  Zach really stepped it up this event.  Hard to believe that he is only 14!  Norm and Sheri had to be proud watching him work as the Line Boss managing a line of 18 students.  Congratulations to Jeff for advancing another step in the IIT ranks, you did a very nice job and are obviously dedicated to the program.  Glad it was you working all night Sunday after instructing both days.  Michael really stepped it up this event as well.  You seem to be finding your groove in working one-on-one with the students, and no one is in doubt as to just who is in charge when you are the Line Boss.

A very successful weekend! California rocks in the Appleseed world!

Mark

[ChadC]

Thank you for running a great event Mark!

[Ruger]

     I would like to thank all the instructors for another great shoot. I learned so much at the first seed but this time it all was cemented together.I would really like to thank Zach and Michael for helping me down on the left end, and of course Mark for putting it all together.I would like to get an orange hat because  I know I can fill a whole shoot with friends and family.I would also like to point out the great people who attended, Chad, Bella, Debby, actually everyone was very friendly and I can't wait to see them again. Ladd

[jshoebot]

Thank you first off to our awesome shoot boss, Mark as I said before you made it clear exactly what was expected of each instructor before they even showed up to the shoot. I personally believe this made things run much smoother. Thank you to all the shooters, we had many repeat Seeders, and that made for a very safe and fluid shoot. 1/5 of our shooters became orange hats??? THATS AWESOME!!!! I just love our San Diego crew. Always a pleasure.

I'm going to have to add a +1 to this ^!  Thanks for a great shoot Mark.  It was great working with all the other IIT's and instructors, and I'm glad we had such a great group of people attend this Appleseed.  Hopefully we'll see everybody down by the border at the Dulzura Appleseed at the end of next month! 

Jeff

[Camljr]

Wow, sounds like a great shoot! I miss being there, and working with some of the best instructors in Appleseed... AND i also miss seeing the progress of the repeat attendees, and sharing in their success. 

Congrats to Debby, who has worked tirelessly to make rifleman and get that patch. But to her it is more than just a patch... she has supported and promoted the Appleseed project with amazing fortitude. 

Remember I quoted Thomas Paine when I told you...

"That which we acheive to easily, We esteem too lightly"

Well, you should be VERY proud of your accomplishments. But shooting rifleman is not the end... it is just the beginning of a journey on the road to being a true, American Rifle(wo)man, not just because it says so an a patch, but because you feel it in your heart!

Also, congrats to my CMP Forum brother, Chad, who will make a great instructor, welcome to the instructor corps, sir!  Now get to work    LOL

And thanks to Stormn, Norm, Shari, Zach, have been a dedicated family in Appleseed, and it is good to see their passion for the program and teaching on the line. Thanks to you all!

And a special thanks to Mark for his dedication to Appleseed and for having the passion for the heritage, and a pure knack for sharing that passion with others... Thanks, I am glad you are getting something out of it too... Just like I do, a sense of knowing that my efforts are helping save this great nation of ours by waking up fellow Americans to the need for them to get involved, and DO SOMETHING!!! 

I wish I could have been there, but I will try to make it down for the August shoot... C-ya. 

[UpChuck]

Thanks to Mark and the crew for a great weekend, Grant and I (UpChuck) had a wonderful time!  I am looking forward to being a help in the future!

[Justin]

Well, I am a week late but even still...

Another great, (dare I say) near perfect shoot at a wonderful Rainbow. I love seeing the repeat shooters. It really brings a sense of community to what can sometimes be an otherwise bustling San Diego area.

So I get down the line after the first red coat and my jaw literally drops at these groups I see!  You shooters are making us Instructors look great! Unbelievable! I could go down the firing line name by name but honestly there is no need. Everyone did such a remarkable job. I mean it when I say that I truly want to thank everyone who attended for making my weekend one to remember and I feel honored to be in the same community with such wonderful individuals.

Thanks everyone, especially our new Instructors. I hope you find this program as rewarding as I do. Hope to see everyone on the Appleseed Trail!