Alabama's First LADY REDHAT!!!

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This is AWESOME!  After much work during the past few years (and some time away at college), Headshot Heather (of the Lawley clan) earned her Red Hat today!

She is the first lady in Alabama to earn a Red Hat and we are all very proud of her.

Here is a picture of Heather retiring her well-worn Orange Hat in style!



Please join me in congratulating her!!   

[GTEngineer]

Congratulations Heather!

[boileralum]

Huzzah!

It was great meeting Heather, Rusty, Mike, Eddie, Tom, Ben and the rest of the AL crew this weekend.  I hope we kindled something in Dad and will be able to get him back out again.

-Rich

[Surveyor1653]

Congrats from a former resident of the Tennessee Valley.

[scuzzy]

Way to go Heather - congrats.

Did you get your RH at the Calera event last weekend? I received an email from a lady who was at Calera this last weekend and she had nothing but good to say about the event. I've pasted the email below:


Hi Project Appleseed!

I have no question but rather would like to share my experience of Project Appleseed/ Alabama. First, I would like to say that the instructors at the two Appleseed events I have attended are top notch! I admire their passion and dedication to this organization and its mission.

  Next, I would like to share a little personal history and my experience with Project Appleseed.  On April 27, 2011, the state of Alabama suffered severe devastation as the result of an outbreak of EF 4 and EF 5 tornadoes. I've lined in Alabama all my life and of course. this was not the first time we have had such devastation, but it made me acutely aware of the best and the worst case scenarios of disaster and indeed human behavior. As for my family, we were lucky, better prepared than some but not as well as I would have liked.

So what does all this have to do with Project Appleseed. Well, I am a 50 year old female who had never so much as held a rifle much less fired one when I signed up for my first Appleseed. After the outbreak, one of my goals, become proficient with a handgun and a rifle. Project Appleseed became a very affordable means by which to accomplish one of those goals. I have to admit, at the first shoot in August of this year, I was rather goal driven and the instruction I received was excellent and i was never made to feel stupid or ignorant because of my lack of knowledge or skill. By the end of the shoot I wanted to become a rifleman, I wanted that patch! Little did I know how far down the rabbit hole that would take me. I, again, have to admit that at that first event, I heard the historical accounts but wasn't really listening. Don't get me wrong, I was touched by the passion of the instructors as they spoke but I was truly more interested in accomplishing the goal.

  I just finished my second Appleseed event this past weekend, this time with my own rifle. This time, however, I actually found myself listening to the historical accounts and getting rather emotional over them , asking myself am I the kind of person that would take the shot or take the bullet for greater good. I would like to be able to say "absolutely", but the more honest answer would be "I don't know". I do know that I walked away from this last event with more questions than answers about who I am as human being and a citizen. Here is where my words begin to fail me, I still wish to become a rifleman, the patch has begun to symbolize more than just being skilled at hitting a target but rather has come to mean a state of being.

I am reminded of a quote  "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." [/size]― Nelson Mandela  There are brave men and women who already know the answer to my question, and may they be blessed and protected in their willingness to take the shot or take the bullet. Maybe, just maybe when I become a rifleman I will know the answer to that question as well and I hope that it will be one I am proud of.In this journey of mine, Project Appleseed has brought some most unexpected things to my mind and my heart. My appreciation to you all and especially to the instructors here in Alabama. I plan to do more Appleseed events and help in whatever way I can, as I can.
Sincerely,Terri McDanielHuntsville, Al[/size][/font]

[Engineer shooting]

A Lawley and an Engineer, it was destiny.   

[StevenK]

Congratulations from the Peoples Republic of New Jersey

[Pop Revere]

Just found this post and I had to comment.
Heather it was a joy watching you receive your RED hat in Calera. I also enjoyed helping to retire your old orange hat the rifleman way. I look forward to seeing and working with you again.

In Liberty,
AR-Mike

P.S. We got to get Mean Machine to trade in her old Orange hat for a new Red hat.