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Bloomington, IL June 1 & 2, 2013 - After Action Report

Started by TheEditor, June 01, 2013, 12:47:22 AM

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TheEditor

Midwest Mudfest! 

Powerful storms Thursday and Friday and howling wind and threatening weather Saturday did not keep 34 Americans from learning their Marksmanship and Heritage.  10 instructors on two firing lines made it a bit like two smaller Appleseeds. 

The students were wonderful, as were the instructors. 

If you have thoughts or pics from this shoot, post them here.  Thanks.

TheEditor
John N.
Author of "50 Things You Didn't Learn in School - But Should Have"
www.heuristicbooks.com

Mutti

Just rolled in from an amazing shoot in Bloomington, Illinois.

An Illinois Crew arrived early Saturday morning @ Darnell's seeing between 2" and 6" of water for and aft of the firing line(s) . This quote surely drove from our heads the notion that this split line Appleseed could not be done -

Quote"And when they were indeed gone, the men and women and children of Lexington came forth from their hiding places and looked upon
the scene. We of today, have never seen our Common as they saw it, its turf torn with horses' hoofs, and clotted here and there with human blood;
with prostrate figures of men, some with faces upward to the sky, others with theirs smothered helplessly in the dust. One might almost think they were asleep.

Such was the fulfilment of their solemn pledge, that they stood ready to sacrifice "everything dear in life, yea and life itself, in support of the common cause."

Water - pshaw:




Posterity - Huzzah!   O0



Update as sleep allows -

Looking forward to others -

mutti
"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."
Herm Albright
(1876 - 1944)


Mutti

Those who arrived were greeted by "Breakfast" - The Nailer's new favorite fowl



Instructor Corp and Staff off to evaluate what needs to be done:



Free Sauna and foot bath? Check!



Lower Bay Line Assembly? Check!



RBKL organization getting 34 Registered in 40 minutes? Check!



Liberty on the Line? Check!



We made our presence known to the Red Coats on Saturday morning:



Prone Instruction:



AK and 1st Strike



Now that grabbed their attention



Down for some more Instruction





"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."
Herm Albright
(1876 - 1944)

Mutti

Miss Z after stage 1 with Mamba's Rifle -



How about a little more Instruction?



The Editor was like a Bumble Bee - everywhere and busy!



That is why this was called : "The Editor and Templar's Most Excellent Ride"




At every Appleseed Clinic I see this. One Student, one moment, one Dance. When time stills, slows and no longer becomes imperative for the purpose.

It's a Bubble and Miss O - YOU have got it.




Mr. W - Saturday Lower Bay Rifleman (thank you for the photo):



"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."
Herm Albright
(1876 - 1944)

Mamba

....I don't even know where to begin talking about this weekend.  What an absolute privilege it was to work with such a determined, focused, awake and ALIVE group of Americans.  Folks from all walks of life....seasoned shooters to absolute beginners all with teachable attitudes and a thirst to learn about their heritage.  I saw people covered in mud with smiles on their faces and sparks in their eyes right up until the very end of the event...older folks, younger folks....nary a complaint, focused on the mission at hand.  Everyone showed amazing progress over the weekend....and I have to give a shout out to one very special young lady shooting a single shot boltie....in perfect form and cadence with precision that makes me believe I CAN master my own brand-spankin' new boltie...I learned from YOU, my dear.  Thank you. :-)

Uber-kudos to the Instructor crew as well....almost 'to a man' I got to see the crew that was at MY first Appleseed, and to meet and learn from some terrific 'new' folks as well.  Janir...thank you for your patience and grace being peppered with a zillion questions.

Yep; held it in til I left....got in my truck muddy as heck, happy as all get out, and got teary eyed about it all before I got out of the parking lot.  HUZZAH!!!!!!

;)


"And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him." - Revelations 6:8

Mutti

Sunday:

Red Coat Check in the a.m.



There goes that Bubble again:



And even when I know it's coming...



That Handshake moment chokes me up every time:



The Men who know very well what they are about:


---------------

I just like to let all of the Instructors, Students and Darnell's that I'll cherish the memories I took home...






(as well as the 2" of mud in the bottom of my Wringer Washer    :cool2:





Thanks!   Mutti

(more photos by RiflesNReins and fiddled with by Mutti: https://secure.flickr.com/photos/22465254@N04/sets/72157633901428078/  )


"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."
Herm Albright
(1876 - 1944)

RiflesnReins

Thank you Instructors and attendees for making this shoot on of the most memorable ones. I must admit you all performed absolutely awesome in the mud. You all were attentive, adaptive, and a pleasure to work with. I watched throughout the weekend as all of you rapidly improved, becoming more confident with every shot. You all even admirably were patient with me when I had the microphone. Having somebody screech into your ear and make witty comments must have been slightly distracting. I would have to say my favorite moment of all was when Janir came running full throttle down the slippery hill, yelling "The Red Coats are coming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!". Really fun to bayonet the shooters, and they all seemed to enjoy it.

Instructors thank you all for teaching me, in one way or another. Because every time I think I know  it all, you come in and show me where I can improve. By the way I know SOMEONE has the Instructor group photo. Please post it whomever you are. Mom you look great in a shark floaty, it matches your eyes. AK great job on the first Strike and Janir, thumbs up on the second Strike. Mutti you rocked Samuel Whittemore. Good job on the photos too.

To sum it all up, not rain nor mud or a windy day can stop OUR Illinois Appleseeders! HUZZAH!

Anyone with more photos please Please PLEASE post!

RnR

 
"Come on guys!  Keep your eyes on your magazines. Stop looking at RnR to tell you when to fire. I know you can hear her down there. Trust me I should know, I live in the same house!."  Mutti

"The truly blind are those who will not open their eyes to see"

"How can a man die better, than facing fearful odds, for the ashes of his Fathers, and the temple of his Gods."
"Horatius At The Bridge"
Thomas Lord Macaulay

I am not sleeping... I'm just practicing the prone position.

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."
― Winston Churchill

"The trouble is not in dying for a friend, but in finding a friend worth dying for."
― Mark Twain

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.
George S. Patton

AK

It was a fabulous weekend at Darnell's!  Great group of shooters who did indeed show much improvement.  Three new Riflemen forged in the mud. It was very nice to see Mutti and RifleandReins again after 2 years. Enjoyed working with all the instructors.  Its a great team effort.  RifleandReins' Third strike and the wedding protrait that never happened were very moving.  I thought "Wow, this girl has a real talent for storytelling."- which you really do.  Then heard Mutti's Samuel Whittemore story and can see where that talent came from.  Very moving.  Big thanks to GSL for sponsoring this Appleseed. It was great to have the sound system.  Everyone heard every command easily.  It is always great to see American off the couch learning about their heritage and becoming marksmen and Riflemen while having fun together.
I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
~Lee Greenwood

"We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." ~Abraham Lincoln

AK

I only have a few pictures to add.
I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
~Lee Greenwood

"We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." ~Abraham Lincoln

The Nailer

Mud????  I dont remember any mud.  What I remember is 34 Americans gathering together on a beautiful weekend to drink from the firehose and hear about our heritage, stories of great Americans from generations past.  I remember smiles, high fives, handshakes,hugs,new friendships made and old friendships continued.  I remember an Appleseed.

John Boch

Quote from: Mamba on June 03, 2013, 05:04:39 PM
....I don't even know where to begin talking about this weekend.  What an absolute privilege it was to work with such a determined, focused, awake and ALIVE group of Americans.  Folks from all walks of life....seasoned shooters to absolute beginners all with teachable attitudes and a thirst to learn about their heritage.  I saw people covered in mud with smiles on their faces and sparks in their eyes right up until the very end of the event...older folks, younger folks....nary a complaint, focused on the mission at hand.  Everyone showed amazing progress over the weekend....and I have to give a shout out to one very special young lady shooting a single shot boltie....in perfect form and cadence with precision that makes me believe I CAN master my own brand-spankin' new boltie...I learned from YOU, my dear.  Thank you. :-)

Uber-kudos to the Instructor crew as well....almost 'to a man' I got to see the crew that was at MY first Appleseed, and to meet and learn from some terrific 'new' folks as well.  Janir...thank you for your patience and grace being peppered with a zillion questions.

Yep; held it in til I left....got in my truck muddy as heck, happy as all get out, and got teary eyed about it all before I got out of the parking lot.  HUZZAH!!!!!!

;)


Gosh, I thought you were an IIT4 by how you acted.  You're gonna make a fine redhat!

John

John Boch


RiflesnReins

Thank you Templar223! One of the best pictures ever. Because it contains my strange but kinda cool Appleseed family. Some of the most most educated  people ever. I am proud to work with people like you.

RnR
"Come on guys!  Keep your eyes on your magazines. Stop looking at RnR to tell you when to fire. I know you can hear her down there. Trust me I should know, I live in the same house!."  Mutti

"The truly blind are those who will not open their eyes to see"

"How can a man die better, than facing fearful odds, for the ashes of his Fathers, and the temple of his Gods."
"Horatius At The Bridge"
Thomas Lord Macaulay

I am not sleeping... I'm just practicing the prone position.

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."
― Winston Churchill

"The trouble is not in dying for a friend, but in finding a friend worth dying for."
― Mark Twain

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.
George S. Patton

imadentist

OK I have to call a breach of etiquette!  It is not fair to post a picture of a REDHAT with a garter belt on his hat and not EXPLAIN!  I am waiting! ;D

Shooter30-06

The Midwest Mudfest was a resounding success.  As bad as the conditions were, I think everyone had an even better time laughing about it.  A big thanks needs to go to Guns Save Life for their sponsorship and help with this shoot.  The plywood under the shooting line was particularly nice.   I enjoyed working with Janir and RifleNReins for the first time.  To answer all questions, RifleNReins was personally responsible for all of the unusual photo ops!  Without naming them, all of the Instructors were simply great to work with.  Congratulations to our three new Rifleman.  You persevered in particularly difficult conditions.  I would have to say that this group of shooters were some of the most responsive to instruction that I have ever had the pleasure to work with.  Good history, good shooters, good marksmanship, and nice people to work with makes for a very memorable Appleseed weekend. 
"We cannot insure success but we can deserve it."-John Adams
"Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could."-Daniel Defoe

Mutti

Quote from: imadentist on June 04, 2013, 09:03:30 AM
OK I have to call a breach of etiquette!  It is not fair to post a picture of a REDHAT with a garter belt on his hat and not EXPLAIN!  I am waiting! ;D

Shooter30-06 needed Celery to run the line. RiflesNReins made sure he had some with a headband wrapper and a little flower to match his shoes. It couldn't have been a garter as "The Wedding That Never Was" - never was...

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."
Herm Albright
(1876 - 1944)

RiflesnReins

Hey it wasn't MY idea for him to wear it! Plus you actually wanted a PINK bow for him, I saved his pride by getting a gray one.  **)

How come you all saw that first? Didn't the bright blue shark jump out as an attention grabber? Mutti made me blow it up on the way to the range...."Faster! FASTER! Only one more mile until we get there!". Does anyone here know how hard it is to give directions while blowing up a floaty?  !@#)

RnR

"Come on guys!  Keep your eyes on your magazines. Stop looking at RnR to tell you when to fire. I know you can hear her down there. Trust me I should know, I live in the same house!."  Mutti

"The truly blind are those who will not open their eyes to see"

"How can a man die better, than facing fearful odds, for the ashes of his Fathers, and the temple of his Gods."
"Horatius At The Bridge"
Thomas Lord Macaulay

I am not sleeping... I'm just practicing the prone position.

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."
― Winston Churchill

"The trouble is not in dying for a friend, but in finding a friend worth dying for."
― Mark Twain

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.
George S. Patton

John Boch

Quote from: imadentist on June 04, 2013, 09:03:30 AM
OK I have to call a breach of etiquette!  It is not fair to post a picture of a REDHAT with a garter belt on his hat and not EXPLAIN!  I am waiting! ;D

The new Southern Illinois coordinator brings charisma, personality and a whole lot of fun to events.  It's leadership like this that makes a strong and successful state program.

John

RiflesnReins

Just you wait until you meet Steck and Ratboy!  Steck and Mutti make the BEST team. Both of them are so supportive of one another and they could not make this work without each others skills or the support of the Illinois Instructor Corp. Illinois has the best Instructors around.  O0

I have a feeling that we won't be seeing that headband in the near future......... #)

Do we have any attendees who want to comment on this Appleseed? Come on guys we want to hear what you took away from this shoot!  :(

RnR
"Come on guys!  Keep your eyes on your magazines. Stop looking at RnR to tell you when to fire. I know you can hear her down there. Trust me I should know, I live in the same house!."  Mutti

"The truly blind are those who will not open their eyes to see"

"How can a man die better, than facing fearful odds, for the ashes of his Fathers, and the temple of his Gods."
"Horatius At The Bridge"
Thomas Lord Macaulay

I am not sleeping... I'm just practicing the prone position.

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."
― Winston Churchill

"The trouble is not in dying for a friend, but in finding a friend worth dying for."
― Mark Twain

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.
George S. Patton

TheEditor

Janir was a bit later than the rest of the Instructors on Sunday morning; hence he missed the Instructor group photo, and the chance for us to bestow some token of our esteem on him. 

Shooter 30-06, however, made up for it with the garter, oops, I mean celery band. 

And all I've got to say about the floatie is, next time, I want a turn! 

TE
John N.
Author of "50 Things You Didn't Learn in School - But Should Have"
www.heuristicbooks.com

Mutti

Our Janir was wise to show up late - most likely tipped off. Hmmm. Great guy with a rock solid way of combining D.O.M. (HW) with Known Distance.  :)

While I learned many things on the lower bay, picking up tips in the upper bay while working with Mamba and Janir was important. 

mutti
"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."
Herm Albright
(1876 - 1944)

buck230

The weekend was great, considering the weather!! This was my second Appleseed in the last two years and was every bit as good as my first! Great instruction, and the instructors showed great patience with us shooters!!! I would also like to thank gsl for sponsoring the event and the use of the audio equipment that really helped us on the firing line. The copper colored rifleman patch I received will always be a reminder of the muddy Midwest Appleseed!!

Mutti

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."
Herm Albright
(1876 - 1944)

RBKL

40 minutes  :( - OUCH!! - We're burning daylight !!

What a great weekend.   Cool weather, a minimum amount of rain and more than enough mud to go around.   A lot of new Appleseeders who were not afraid to get down in it.   It was nice to see so many open to learning that getting a little mud on their pant and boots and shirts and mats... didn't get in the way of learning. 

It was good to see some familiar faces instructing and good to meet new ones.  Janir - hope to see you around again.

This was the first time I had been to the Bloomington event and the facilities are great.  Plan to make it back again.

Hope to see some - if not all of the shooters at events in the near future.

RBKL