AAR: Pensacola FL, December 4,5 2010

[ItsanSKS]

This event was simply outstanding!

Despite temps that dropped into the 40's, (30's overnight) relentless gusts of wind from the north, and blowing red-clay sand, nearly 30 patriots arrived in the early morning hours of December 4th, some veterans of past campaigns at this venue, where not so long ago, students and instructors alike had to brave temps in excess of 97 degrees.  Others arrived having only heard of the program a few short days before, and were cautiously optimistic that they would "learn a few things". 

Each instructor introduced themselves in turn, advising the students to let go of everything they thought they knew about shooting a rifle, so that we could mold them into Riflemen.  Eric started our day with a (hopefully) rousing retelling of the First Strike, then released our students to retrieve their rifles- we were here to shoot!

After the mornings' redcoat, it was obvious that our group of students needed some help.  Lots of shooters could hit that massive 100yd target, but 'groups' there were not- more like shotgun patterns. 

As the instruction began, the sun came out and warmed things up to a balmy 55 degrees.  It became just warm enough that our students resembled Floridians, as opposed to Eskimos, as their winter coats got left at the equipment line. (who knew anyone owned such a thing in Florida!?)   

Just as our students became comfortable in Prone Position, and were becoming confident in their NPOA adjustments, the Sitting/Kneeling positions were thrown at them!  BWAHAHHAHA!  Yes, your shoot boss was evil.  "Hey, this should be EASY- I sit down ALL THE TIME!  Alas, they were mistaken...  No, there is no such thing as a 'comfortable' seated position. "SHOOTERS! To the LINE!"  Just as the students were accepting that their illustrious Shoot Boss couldn't get any meaner, he brought their discomfort to a whole new level: TRANSITIONS! Or, as he called them, Rifleman's Calisthenics.  Our students were slow to accept this added layer of difficulty, but when advised that they would continue standing-to-seated transitions until they showed some modicum of alacrity, first shots down range went from 18 seconds to 9 seconds.  Not too shabby! 

Next up? MORE TRANSITIONS!  MUAHAHAA!   Fearing that they would be stuck in some transition-limbo-hell, the students quickly adapted, and flopped onto their mats as quickly as they could.  A few seconds to establish a solid position and load their rifles, a few more to adjust NPOA, and BANG! First shots down range in a mere 11 seconds!  Ya'll done a shoot boss proud! 

As many began to question their sanity, and their Shoot Bosses intentions, he showed a glimmer of humanity and allowed them to break for a 30 minute lunch.  Not content to let a whole 30 minutes go by without teaching his students *something*, Eric told the Second Strike of the match.  Nearly getting choked up with the recounting of Captain Isaac Davis and the heroic actions of the Acton Minutemen at the North Bridge, he quickly recovered and got his Line Boss to introduce the next layer of instruction: Standing/Offhand position! 

By now, the students had all shown great improvement in skill.  Groups that began at minute-of-target-backer were now solid 5-6 MOA; some had even shown great promise, pulling down 2-3 MOA groups from Prone. 

Posting of the first AQT  brought out all kinds of rifle malfunctions, just as it always does.  Blowing sand gummed up actions, frigid temps caused muscular tremors (shivering, as its known up Nawth) and an AR spit out its firing pin- my kinda 'seed!

As the sun began to hide behind the trees to our west, and the temps again dived into the low 40s, our students donned their winter apparel, in preparation for their attempt to prove their mastery of the rifle.  Being advised that there were less than 20 minutes in which to complete both an AQT, and the final Red Coat, Eric took control of the line, and ran it like an out-of-control freight train.  Magazines were prepped in record time.  Shooters masterfully achieving their positions and putting rounds into tiny targets at blazing speed.  All sense of time was lost; they were in their bubble, for sure.  With the stage-by-stage AQT completed in a record 16 minutes, shooters barely had time to return from posting their redcoats before they heard "SHOOTERS, TO THE LINE- YOUR PREPARATION PERIOD BEGINS NOW!"

The 'Red Coats' didn't stand a chance- these men and women knew well what they were about, with more than 90% qualification at greater than 200yds. 

With the last rounds down range, and the sky slowing darkening, Eric told the Third, and final Strike.  As he began to wax poetic, the lovely LadyZipper pulled him off to the side to relate an important development: wonder upon wonder, three-time Appleseeder Tim had done it!  He had finally made the grade!  This was cause for celebration!  Three Huzzahs!  Presentation of The Patch, & hearty handshakes all around!  With no time to fuss his shot, Tim finally broke through that glass ceiling, scoring his first of many Rifleman scores this weekend. 

With rifles cleared from the line, and the remnants of ammo boxes and shot-up targets discarded, students were given one last bit of advice from their instructors- "take two advil, get a good nights rest, then come see us in the morning!


Next up:  DAY TWO!

(please, feel free to add your comments and pictures- I know there weren't much time for picture taking, but I could have sworn I saw a camera or two)

[gcvaughn]

Pictures

[AdobeWalls]

Nice job, GCVaughn.  The look on the face of a new Rifleman.  You only get one moment to capture that.  We appreciate you doing this when there wasn't a lot of spare time during this course, having such a hard-driving Shoot Boss and all.  :-)  This even was my second as Instructor In Training, and the shooters on the line were there to learn things, and did, with wind and sand in their teeth. 
We had several shooters who proved up their mettle on the AQT, and they earned their Rifleman patch the only way there is.  Congratulations to them, they earned it.  Yet, not taking anything away from those new Riflemen, I keep thinking about those shooters who had equipment problems, but pressed forward anyway, completed the course and did the best they could with what they had with them.  Now that demonstrates Rifleman character.  To me, that's what Appleseed Project is about.  When the goin' gets tough . . . .