What a great weekend! This private Appleseed for a group of Sea Scout Cadets exceeded all my expectations and was the best Appleseed that I have been to in a very long time. Lady Liberty will be quite safe in the hands of these young people and I have to say that I am very impressed with the Sea Scout program.
With twenty students ranging in age from 11 to 17 years of age and ranging in experience from none to some, we were underway on a overcast Saturday morning with the usual safety briefing, line commands, and an initial Redcoat target. With lots of rifles and gear loaned out, much time was taken in getting our students fitted out but the efforts started quickly showing results. Using a program of instruction which made more use of individual instruction, including abundant dry firing, the concepts of a solid shooting position including sling use, Natural Point of Aim, and the essential Six Steps were absorbed and the patterns on paper started becoming groups. By lunchtime, we were sighted in and our students were using Rifleman's Cadence. The first steps in the Revolutionary War--Lexington, Concord, and Meriam's Corner--were brought forth during the afternoon and our students became familiar with names such as Captains Isaac Davis and John Parker, Paul Revere, General William Heath and of course, the actions of King George and his minions in North America. The information fire hose continued with instruction in positions other than prone, transitions, magazine changes, and an opportunity to shoot the challenging AQT. Unsurprisingly, by the end of the day we had vastly improved the marksmanship of everyone. A bit of dinner around the campfire with the cadets provided some after action feedback and was the perfect end to a fine day.
During the night, a line of thunderstorms passed through, causing the outdoor camping of the cadets to be interrupted at "O-dark-thirty" with lightning and high winds. With very little sleep, the activities on Sunday morning were a bit slow in getting underway but we managed to make up the time and by the end of the day, one new Rifleman had risen to the occasion. Congratulations to Garrison for a high score of 217 on the AQT! After the end of the event we offered Garrison, and any other cadets who wished, the opportunity for some recoil therapy with some of the instructor's centerfire rifles. If there were any sore shoulders produced, they were certainly overshadowed by the huge grins we saw. I will let my fellow instructors follow up with photos and their own commentary. It was a great shoot with some truly outstanding students!
This truly was a great weekend with a great bunch of shooters. This was my first interaction with members of the United States Navy Sea Cadet Corps. (Not to be confused with Sea Scouts). What a great group of young Americans. It was a treat to help them start on the path to becoming Riflemen and Riflewomen. Huzzah! Thanks to all the parents and volunteers who brought them out for the Appleseed experience. The instructors were truly well paid this weekend!
Photos:
Round 2:
Next to last photo: uh, safety rule number three? AKA: FINGER!!
If anybody wants full-resolution photos, PM me and I can send them directly to you. If your email server won't accept large files, let me know that also and I can provide an alternative.
Set 3:
I took a lot of Photos...
My heart was warmed knowing that fine young men and women such as the cadets will carry the torch of our heritage onward when the "elders" here have passed on. THANKS CADETS!