A River Ran Through It. (Or, AAR, Vader WA, Dec 13, 14, 2008)

[Junior Birdman]

  Well, I'll kick things off on the official AAR for the IBC/ Appleseed at Wade's DAR near Vader, WA:

   (Vader is an old Inuit word meaning "Bowl of cold mud"  )

   The IBC started Thursday am with 6 attendees, and well instructed by Wheeler44, Kool Aid, Dragon Wood, and myself. DW was observing the IBC in preparation for her own IBCs coming up in January. (And she did pick a sunny, warm venue, but wanted to get broken in on a tough one!)  Many thanks to Wheeler for getting us an indoor site for the IBC!

  Day one of the IBC was fast and furious with all the Orange hats taking notes, demonstarting, explaining, and learning the Appleseed way of spreading the seed! We began at 0800 and somehow had time left over to do a few day two items before we knocked off about 1730. They were allowed 7 minutes for lunch and one bathroom break of 50 seconds. (Hey, if you can do stage two in 50 seconds....... )

  Day two was more classroom, initially the Advanced Riflerman stuff, wherein they learned the practical applications and field craft of a Rifleman, troubleshooting on the line, how to run a KD line, etc, and finally the "Mock Appleseed". The day ran a bit long because we allowed 9 minutes for lunch and 60 seconds for a bathroom break, so we finished about 1800.

  The IBC was a great success, as was evidenced by what I saw on the line Saturday morning.

   The drive up from Woodland was "sporty", especially for a southern boy. (When I see white stuff like that, it's usually grits, but they told me they didn't have grits up here) Snowflakes like quarters! Slush 2 inches deep in places! Freezing rain! Hydroplaning! Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open..........   Anyway, after our drive through the winter wonderland, where I wondered if this was such a good idea.....

  We were assembling about daylight at Wade's place. (Wade, unfortunately wasn't able to be there, but we knew he was right there in spirit, especially during the history!)

   The rain nearly stopped, and Wheeler informed me that this was just a "high humidity day" here in Washington, and to expect lots of hearty souls to show up to hone their marksmanship skills. He was not wrong.

   Admin was taken care of and we were soon on top of the hill briefing the shooters for the coming storm of information they would receive.  The Orange hats performed admirably and in no time we were down in the hole, firing on the "Redcoat"targets.

   Trips to and from the target line required the shooters to ford the river flowing from one end of the line to the other. Kool Aid softly uttered the words; "A river runs through it", and it did.

  The shooters were given top notch instruction in the fundamentals with tips and techniques to improve their shooting abilities, and we saw much improvement all along the line. Shooters struggled with stocks that were too long, stoppages, cold, rain, mud, etc, and persevered throughout the day until darkness crept in and we had to quit. I am convinced there was not a shooter on the line that wouldn't have gone another two hours had there been the light for it.
 
   Alas, work, and the real world woudn't allow me to come back for Sunday. But I left Saturday night just as I always do, heart heavy, wishing I could be there among Riflemen another day.

   Another great event in WA! Thanks to all who came and worked so hard in the weather and mud! YOU are truly American heroes! You got up and came out in the weather to learn about your rifle, your heritage, your self, and you went home as better Americans for it.

   Now let's hear from those hearty souls who showed up BOTH days! 

[Wheeler44]

Now let's hear from those hearty souls who showed up BOTH days!

I'm not so sure that hearty is the right word.....Doggedly determined and slightly crazy come to mind though....

Saturdays beautiful weather turned less than pleasant on Sunday temps in the high twenties and low thirties.....That may not sound so cold to the mid-westerners or folks from New England but as we say out here "It's a wet cold" with humidity in the high 80's and low 90's....

After a safety review and some encouragement from the IITs the shooters went down to the "bowl of mud" and engaged the redcoats..what an improvement..those poor, bedraggled targets suffering from our usual winter weather and mud, looking so forlorn, encountered a bunch of common Americans shooting uncommonly well.    Sound familiar?

The shoot progressed steadily if slowly and the shooters really showed improvement.... A testament to both the program and the instructors...A great big Huzzah for the instructor corp.... Polar Bear, AmbulanceDriver, Woody, RL, Earl and Jackattack.... true patriots and men dedicated to the cause.

We had to knock off a little earlier than we did on Saturday due to worsening weather conditions and concern for the safety of the group who all had to travel a considerable distance to get home.

Two shooters made Rifleman.  One a woman who has never fired a rifle before and the other a woman who has  only been shooting for a year and just received her citizenship papers in the last week.

I have a bunch of loaner rifles that look as though I found them on a battlefield that need my continued attention.... I'll post some pertinent numbers  later if I can read my notes through the dried mud and the rips and tear stains...


Wheeler44

[AmbulanceDriver]

Well, let's see how well I can sum up the shoot...

There was some    A little     Most of the shooters probably thought we were  .  After some more  , and yes even a little  , we got to 

Now.  Where the [censored] is the shivering my toes off smiley?


Seriously though, I couldn't sum it up better than JB and Wheeler have.  It was an amazing experience.  Moving from the mentally challenging (although WARM! Thanks Wheeler for finding a place willing to host us INDOORS) IBC the two days prior to the even more mentally challenging and now bone-numbingly cold shoot out at Wade's DAR was quite the experience.  But in the end, having two people earn their Rifleman patch, that made all the treks through the river (well, actually, to us northwesterners that was a "crick")  well and truly worth it.  Or, as others pointed out those days, it was ideal training weather.  Because those communist paratrooping mutant zombie monkeys (seriously, who coined that phrase?  I heard it tossed around an awful lot) aren't gonna choose a nice warm sunny day to come cause trouble....

Wade, thanks for digging out that DAR for us.  It just goes to say, if you build it, they will come.  And be turned into RIFLEMEN.

Was it a perfect Appleseed?  No.  But I think there was one other saying going around.  Something along the lines of, "The perfect is the enemy of the good."  I'd rather have an imperfect appleseed than no appleseed at all.  And I'd rather have an imperfect DAR than no DAR at all.  That being said, the two patches that were handed out, and the heritage that was shared, and the friendships that were forged, and the knowledge that was gained, all those things made it what it is, APPLESEED.

[Junior Birdman]

   Am I correct in thinking that the two patches went to women? If so, that would be an Appleseed first!

   And AD....the correct term is "Mutant, Flesh Eating, Chinese, Zombie, Paratrooper Monkeys". Sheeeez!

[Wheeler44]

Am I correct in thinking that the two patches went to women? If so, that would be an Appleseed first!

Yup, Two patches, two women, one a new shooter and one a new citizen..  How cool is that?

[DragonWood]

Congratulations Ladies!!   I wish I had been there to witness this Appleseed first!

Yup, it was cold and raw and rainy and snowy and FUN!! Lots of great people (26 by my count on Sat) came out in spite of the afore mentioned. My hats off to all that got off the couch and made it out. Try to remember all that you were taught, go practice, then come back to another Appleseed and bring a friend or two!  Oh yeah, dry fire, dry fire, dry fire!

Wade (thanks to you and those who helped you) for making your yard a DAR. I am sorry that I didn't get a chance to say hello to you and Kim....maybe next time, perhaps when the temps get a little warmer! 

Great job to all the IIT's and Wheeler!

DW

[Junior Birdman]

   Very cool! 100% of the Riflemen were WOMEN!!!!  

[Kratos]

I was there with my wife, and we learned so much that we're jumping at the chance to head to the forest, sight in our rifles properly, and then practice what we learned.  I was impressed by how well organized y'all were, how safe things were, and how you all do this because it's important to you.  When I find people and things like this, I get very motivated to "spread the good word".  I've posted on northwestfirearms.com and several people want to go, but they are concerned that there is nothing on the 2009 schedule for OR and WA.  I told them to check periodically, and to join the RWVA forums, because the info will pop up fast.

Thank you all for holding this special event.  My wife and I look forward to coming back with proper HW, to hone our SW, and to attempt to get the Rifleman patch.

[TH]

To the NW team of Appleseed instructors that put on this event...great job!  I didn't get to talk with everyone but I sure did appreciate the one-on-one instruction by Woody, Earl, Ambulance Driver and RL.  Polar Bear did a great job working with 12 yr old John as he fired a .22 for the first time.

I received more quality marksmanship training than I received at 11B AIT, Infantry Officer Basic, my active Army infantry unit, etc.

My 14 yr old son Chasen and I were down on the far end in the mud bog.   In order to keep our minds off of the fact that we were soaked to the bone and freezing we made a game out of watching Kool-Aid each time he came down to our end to see where he would step on our tarp - believe it or not he would only step on one of the few remaining clean spots...lol.  I think he must have some Drill Sgt. in him. 

On Sunday as Wheeler was sharing the various deeds of those who have gone before us, I looked around at those that were there.  They were cold, wet and thinking about the less than favorable weather reports that would affect their drive home.  I remembered a plaque posted down at a training location in San Diego..."The cowards never got started and the weak died along the way."  I was impressed with everyone who came out to this event to get rained on, to lay in the mud, to navigate, er splash, from the firing line to the target line.  Men aren't made sitting at home in front of a cozy fire.  When something means alot to you, when you really value something then you sacrifice to get it.  This country wasn't founded by weaklings who chose a life of comfort over liberty and freedom.  I also appreciate the sacrifice the staff made to spend those cold, wet, muddy, snowy hours with us.

So from an AAR perspective:

What went right:
     1.  The format of having a block of instruction followed by firing followed by a block of instruction was solid.  The reinforcement on Sunday of Saturday's teaching points was great, especially for the slow kid here. 
     2.  The demonstration by Wheeler of his NPOA with the laser was awesome and drove home the purpose NPOA and firing on the rifleman's cadence.  Do this again and again for new shooters and you will see them lock-in the NPOA concept.
     3.  Having a roof to shoot under - you guys rock!
     4.  Wheeler letting Chasen use his 10/22 when Chasen's front sight broke Sunday am and Chasen still shot a 192 - thank you again Wheeler.
     5.  Attitude - For the instructors I dealt with they were always polite, professional, friendly, sincere, genuine.  I'm sure the others were too but I didn't get to interact with them.
     6.  The hand-outs, T-shirt and pocket Constitution.
     7.  The various instructors sharing American history - awesome.
 

What could be improved:
     1.  On-site chiropractic care for those of us who didn't know we could assume the 'twisted-spine-knee-touching-elbow-turkey-neck-to-twist-head-to-weld-cheek-to-buttstock' prone position or the 'last-time-I-sat-cross-legged-my-legs-didn't-go-numb' seated firing position.
     2.  Be sensitive to younger shooters when it comes to language.
     3.  From my Army days when we'd roll up to a range we'd get a briefing on what we were going to do for the day and approximate time hacks, e.g.  This morning from 9 - noon you'll be learning 'X'.  You'll get about as much time for lunch as it takes to walk up that hill, don't run or you'll slip and slide right back down, walk to your car, don't stop to look at the cows as the clock is ticking, eat your food then report right back down here.  From after lunch until dark you'll be learning 'X'.
     4.  This one is extra credit - it would be ideal, I know I'm pushing it here, to receive some info on the preferred sling and sights for a Liberty rifle.  The reason I bring this up is that we had just ordered a sling and sights the week prior.  We were dead on with the sights but we purchased a sling that didn't work with the instruction.

Overall it was a very successful event from our perspective.  I've attached a few pictures.  One before we turned into mud-magnets.  One that doesn't really show how wet/muddy it was, one with snowflakes and one with Polar Bear instructing John.

So we're up here in the Snohomish / Monroe area waiting for the Monroe DAR to open.  We'd be happy to assist in opening it up if any help is needed.  Let me know.  For the first Appleseed event at this new DAR we're planning on going and we know some other Fathers/sons that will join us.

Take care.

Respectfully,

Troy

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[Wheeler44]

Checking targets in the bowl of cold mud

[Wheeler44]

Breakfast, Appleseed style.

[Wheeler44]

Makin' the best of it

[Wheeler44]

An ugly Red hat givin' an ugly demonstration

[oldgrunt]

Oh boy that looked so fun... I use to love shooting in the snow.. My unit would shoot GRAF and hornfelt in germany We would shoot tilll we made expert each time ..lol those were the days ..lol  My hats off to ya drive on...

[SnowFlake]

I have to say this was one of the funnest and most memorable moments in my life! after the appleseed event was over, all I could dream about for the next few days was literary.

It certainly was a freezing cold, snowing, & the muddiest weekend to be out there but the Instructors made it all worthwhile, the training I got was priceless not to mention the fact that I was one of the woman who made rifleman the next day  . A big THANK YOU goes out to all the Instructors for providing excellent tips & quality training throughout the weekend.

I have been shooting on and off for the past year & half but this was my first appleseed event. I first heard about it a couple of days prior to the event, I got my citizenship on Thursday and felt proud to go shooting for the first time as a citizen of this country that same weekend!

Lying there in the mud trying to focus on the target with hands shaking from the cold, trying to control my breathing and see through the falling snow the tiny little target and hearing the Instructor yell the command "you have 60 seconds to load and shoot!" was indeed a challenge!
I thought it would be impossible to ever achieve rifleman patch the first time I heard that command (and many similar commands).
I mean, given the time frame alone it wasn't enough time for me to even find my NPOA let alone fire all ten shots! But I was very surprised at the end of the second day how much I have improved and was actually able to make it rifleman despite all the odds! The Instructors training was what made it possible.

I can't wait to attend the next appleseed event, Thank you all for making this possible, and I wont stop spreading the word  and hopefully bring more girls the next time around  .

[Earl]

I have been lost for a long time, and thought I would share the best pictures from my files of this my first ITT gig.