Project Appleseed

Extra!! Extra!! Read all about it!!!  Project Appleseed Students exceed all instructor expectations!



19 Patriots converged upon the El Paso Community College Law Enforcement Training Academy for a weekend of Liberty, Marksmanship, and History.

On one side, the Students: Ruth, Daniel, Mario, Caleb, Mike, Olga, Genesis, Fred, Seiji, Glen, Efisio, and Mandy.

On the other, the Cadre: Maha, Range Mom, Beavertail, Young Patriot, Carlos, Mr. Smith, and Mrs. Smith

First order of business: Introductions, and the First Strike of the Match.  Then we dove into the Safety Briefing.

The first Redcoat of the weekend was positively inspiring!  Only one student caught the bayonet, and we thanked him most sincerely for his sacrifice    He was determined not to let it happen again!

We quickly immersed ourselves in Points of Instruction, and the value of dry fire. By the time we shot our first square right before lunch, it had paid off. Not one group was larger than 8moa, and most of them were 6 or less!

Ruth only came to chaperone her son, and to "do homework." We soon took care of that, and put a rifle in her hands. Olga and Genesis were only planning to stay for Saturday, but by the end of the day, they changed their minds.

As the students absorbed what we taught them, they hit each challenge with confidence.  By the end of the day, we had 3 more cleared Redcoats!  Before we parted ways for the evening, we had a great discussion about the importance of becoming involved and making a difference in this great, beautiful ship of ours, and some of the ways they could do that.

Sunday morning dawned bright and clear, and we got to work. We reviewed what we learned the previous day, and hit the range again to implement it. How did they show us they were serious?  Four more cleared Redcoats, that's how!

Through practical exercise and AQTs these students gave every string of fire their all.  By the end of the weekend we had 4 Marksmen, 4 Sharpshooters, 2 New Riflemen, and 1 Requalification.  Nobody who shot an AQT scored less than 125!  And the score improvement was great across the board.

Seiji improved his score by 13 points
Efisio improved by 16 points (All his AQTs were Rifleman scores!)
Ruth improved her score by 27 points
Caleb improved his by 35 points
Genesis improved hers by 35 points
Mandy improved by 36 points
Mike improved by 40 points (Rifleman!)
Glen improved by 60 points
Mario improved by 77 points  (Rifleman!)
Fred improved by 83 points
and Olga improved her score by 85 points!

At the end of the day, after gear was packed, the range was clean, awards given and pictures taken, we talked again. We discussed the sacrifices made by the Founding Generation. The things they gave up, on faith, not knowing how it would all turn out. But they didn't do it for themselves. They did it for us, their Posterity.

Ladies and gentlemen, it was our honor to spend the weekend teaching what we know, and what we've learned.  We're grateful that they gave to us the one thing we can never get more of: their valuable time.

You know what? I think they'll be back.

On behalf of myself and your instructor cadre, we hope to see you all again soon, down the Appleseed Trail.

Little Seiji, showing 'em how it's done

Mike earns his second Rifleman patch


Mario qualifies Rifleman. His first event!


Caleb receiving his youth patch and Road to Rifleman certificate


As our Most Improved over the weekend, Olga receives a special copper 2A coin featuring Cpt. Jonathan Parker


Genesis and Ruth did so amazingly well, I felt compelled to part with two of the very last Shoot Like a Girl (if you can) hats in captivity