What a weekend! We were so thrilled to be hosted by the Kenmore Shooting Range to support a great group of cadets from 4 separate local Civil Air Patrol squadrons. The Kenmore Shooting Range facility is a wonderful facility that kept us out of the downpour that would've made the weekend an entirely different thing if we were shooting outside! 19 eager cadets, 4 CAP officers, a volunteer RSO/NRA instructor from the range, and 5 Project Appleseed instructors/shoot boss spent the entire weekend teaching this fine group of youth about marksmanship and more importantly, their nation's history and heritage. The cadets paid close attention to everything that was taught and soon by the end of the day Saturday just about everyone were shooting very respectable groups. Sunday resumed with a zero verification exercise, followed by sitting/kneeling positions, more history (including some local Revolutionary War history), and the cadets dove headfirst into their NRA marksmanship qualification under the guidance of the volunteer RSO/NRA rifle instructor from the range. At the end of the day, every cadet managed to make great progress on their marksmanship qualifications with several moving well onto the next level of their rating.
The cadets were treated not only with a tremendous dose of marksmanship instruction and history, they were also treated with some show & tell of a replica hand assembled Kentucky long rifle, a 1903 Springfield (with fixed bayonet for additional effect), and a M1 garand! I wish you all reading this were there to see their reaction when the cadets eagerly asked to see, and did hear, that famous "PING!", it was a joy to see those smiles and I know that is something they'll remember for a long long time.
It has always been a pleasure for us to work with the Civil Air Patrol cadets, not only because they are a great group of youth who are doing something they are passionate about, but they are the future of our generation and our nation!