Weekend Training

[1Admin]

Greg- if you don't know the area, be careful swimming with all your fighting gear on. A lot younger and a lot dumber we used to do that, just basically sling your rifle and jump in, swim across. LBE, boots, etc. fills with water quickly. Always worked out "cept for that one time."

A little buddy of mine and me were cross a creek. From the LOOKS of it, we were most of the way to the other side. Little trees sticking out of the water right ahead of us. Must be o.k. to stop swimming and put your feet down right?? Wrong. I corrected and looped my arm around a small tree trunk (chest deep still treading water). Little buddy isn't far behind, does the same exact thing, stops swimming and puts feet down. And sinks like an anchor. I do the "I'll help" deal and pretty soon we are both going under. He kicked me or I kicked him (depends on who's telling the story;) and we separate, sinking. Boy that creek was a LOT deeper in that center than we figured.... Feet finally hit bottom, look up and it's like trying to look through motor oil mixed with sweet tea. Kick and push up like hell and finally get back above water. Little buddy does the same and surfaces a few seconds after me. His brother who is on watch on start side has already ditched his rifle and jumped in to help his bro. We drag little buddy to bank of creek. It's February, water is about 60. Little buddy weighs maybe 110 soaking weight. He's shaking and going into shock. What is he more freaked out about? He had to ditch his rifle in the abyss.... Polytech A to the K is at the bottom of Crapwater Creek, FLoriGAbama.... Little buddy is fighting us to let him go back in for his rifle. Brother volunteers. No says I till we get a safety cord tied on the brother. Brother goes in a couple times, down for a few seconds, up without anything. Finally he's down a REALLY long time. I think "oh great" and start pulling him up ("Got me a Marlin!") Brother comes up arse backwards out of the water as I'm pulling like mad, looks like a bad cartoon where a character gets "fished" out of the water. It's funny later, but with the trauma/cold we are all shivering, shaking and a mess.

One person going across and rigging a safety line could have stopped all that. We went with poncho rafts for gear, rifles slung and NO gear worn for water after that. Still had one problem later but I doubt that person's swimming capability.

Poncho rafts, really easy thing to rig, takes less than a minute and could save your bacon...

Sorry for the thread drift

[Grand58742]

Sorry for the thread drift

It's okay, we'll let it slide this once :D

[Greg B.]

Good data, gang. Some new to me and some dredged up from times past by your reminders, but all more than welcome. This should be a cold, wet, tactical disaster of a "learning moment". Too much fun!

Another sub-group has volunteered to deploy their field kitchen (that they've been working on for a year) and feed us during the exercise. It just gets better.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

managed to get everyone but 1 out to the range for IPSC! I believe many leessons were learned and fun was had. I hope everyone else had productive weekends too

[Cimarron]

Some thoughts from a first time shooter at IPSC.

The whole experience was great. Starting with my parking in the wrong area/group. A range member came over and asked me "Can I help you"? I told him I was looking for a group of people and he asked if I was shooting IPSC. I told him yes and he pointed me to another part of the range and said "They're over there, thanks for coming out and have a good time".

To be honest I was fairly nervous about the event. Plus I was late getting there and was tired and sore from getting in late and running/packing the night before. So my stress level was pretty high.

They cycled me in on the second part of the event since I had missed the first. Matt gave me instructions on what I was to do in certain steps. Was I nervous? You bet I was. I have fired pistols at home with maybe a couple others and in a casual setting. But this was in a large group, timed, and scored! Not to mention there were people outside of the OWA that were standing there watching/working the course.

Throughout the course there was not one time I was criticized or laughed at. There was no GI Joe's or Rambo wannabes sturtting around looking like they were the delta elite 6team. There was (I think) shooters as young as 17 up to an elderly gentleman that had to use a walker to get to the shooting line. I could see some that were as nervous as I was and still walked up to the line and gave it their all.

During the shoot there was good conversation, laughing, and light hearted "ribbing". After the shoot I was invited out and had lunch with team Hitandmiss and really enjoyed the food and fellowship.

To all those that have considered doing something like this. I ask you to take that step. Yes it can seem uncomfortable or even scary, but everything you have ever done there was always a "first time".

Mostly, I learned a lot about me (including pulling and firing and nothing happening forgetting I had the safety on :D). That's why you want to go right? See what you can learn? Standing, grip, breathing, sight area, squeeze...

So glad I went and look forward to the next time!

[Greg B.]

It sounds like these games / competitions are a lot of fun, not to mention educational. A "little bird" told me that I'm getting a range membership, for my birthday, next month. We'll see where that goes.

Well, we went out and played in the water. It was everything I thought it would be, and more. Fourteen people showed up, not counting the field kitchen gang. (Just as a courtesy, everyone gave a donation to them to help defray their expenses.)
Everyone was sitting around, having coffee and doughnuts, so I started looking them over and doing gear checks.
1. Mrs. &%^* was decked out in woodland camo hot pants and halter top.
2. One guy had a 1911 in a thigh rig. After a brief discussion about his rights and the fact that he was stone legal, I informed him that I-75 was that way. Either disarm or follow my finger. At that point, three other handguns headed to their respective vehicles.
3.Reaching down, I thought I had dislocated my shoulder when I went to snatch one guy's ruck off the ground. In addition to the usual three day allotment, I found TWO 5# bags of pistachio nuts, eight steel tent pegs and three hundred rounds of 7.62x39.
Anyway, we pi$$ed away more than an hour getting gear squared away. Oh, hot pants had a proper uniform in their truck. It's time for my medication, milk and cookies, so I'll finish up the AAR tomorrow.

[Greg B.]

Crossing number one was a sight that I had scouted in June. Nothing too serious; about 30 yards of marshy bog on either side of a quick little stream about 8' wide and 2' deep. I sent two scouts out. One to stop at the far bank of the stream and the other to stop at the far edge of the bog. Once they were in position I started sending troops out in pairs, following the scouts trail. I put my No2 in charge and moved out with the second pair. I went as far as the near bank and moved about 20yds downstream to serve as safety man and to observe the crossings. The gods were smiling on me. I had sent two of my three army vets out as the scouts. Their leadership started to tell. The ex sergeant, at the edge of the bog, started establishing a defensive perimeter. The one by the stream retained the last pair to aid with a rear guard and moved out with a peeling movement. It was a little messy because he had to explain it to an accountant and a minister.

The only casualty was a pack of Kools, which were verboten anyway. I'm a cigar man and if I can't smoke, nobody smokes!

[Matt In Oklahoma]

It sounds like these games / competitions are a lot of fun, not to mention educational. A "little bird" told me that I'm getting a range membership, for my birthday, next month. We'll see where that goes.

Well, we went out and played in the water. It was everything I thought it would be, and more. Fourteen people showed up, not counting the field kitchen gang. (Just as a courtesy, everyone gave a donation to them to help defray their expenses.)
Everyone was sitting around, having coffee and doughnuts, so I started looking them over and doing gear checks.
1. Mrs. &%^* was decked out in woodland camo hot pants and halter top.
2. One guy had a 1911 in a thigh rig. After a brief discussion about his rights and the fact that he was stone legal, I informed him that I-75 was that way. Either disarm or follow my finger. At that point, three other handguns headed to their respective vehicles.
3.Reaching down, I thought I had dislocated my shoulder when I went to snatch one guy's ruck off the ground. In addition to the usual three day allotment, I found TWO 5# bags of pistachio nuts, eight steel tent pegs and three hundred rounds of 7.62x39.
Anyway, we pi$$ed away more than an hour getting gear squared away. Oh, hot pants had a proper uniform in their truck. It's time for my medication, milk and cookies, so I'll finish up the AAR tomorrow.

Sounds like you all a real training session! What the issue with ccw? The thigh rig I can see but ccw ?

[Greg B.]

Matt, I'm not sure I understand your question. This was the first time that many of these people had met. It's an OS thing.... I didn't want any "personality conflicts" that couldn't be handled in a "gentlemanly fashion", ergo; no firearms.

We returned to our base (Field Kitchen) in a reverse crossing that went much smoother. After a couple of squeels and an "Aw sh#t", some of our people learned about leeches and how to tuck your BDU trouser legs into your boots, and why. snicker. After some chow and dry socks, we took a little three mile walk to a larger creek that I know about. I know the property owners on both sides of the crossing point. The banks are nearly vertical with 5'-6' of water at the banks and 8' or more in the channel. At this point, it was about 40' across. Heavy hardwood forest on both sides. In the skull session while, studying the crossing, one of the vets suggested a collapsing perimeter, on the dry side and an expanding one on the wet side. Supper's ready. Be back soon.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Matt, I'm not sure I understand your question. This was the first time that many of these people had met. It's an OS thing.... I didn't want any "personality conflicts" that couldn't be handled in a "gentlemanly fashion", ergo; no firearms.
ahhhh i see said the blind man, wow, big move training for a first time meet!

We returned to our base (Field Kitchen) in a reverse crossing that went much smoother. After a couple of squeels and an "Aw sh#t", some of our people learned about leeches and how to tuck your BDU trouser legs into your boots, and why. snicker. After some chow and dry socks, we took a little three mile walk to a larger creek that I know about. I know the property owners on both sides of the crossing point. The banks are nearly vertical with 5'-6' of water at the banks and 8' or more in the channel. At this point, it was about 40' across. Heavy hardwood forest on both sides. In the skull session while, studying the crossing, one of the vets suggested a collapsing perimeter, on the dry side and an expanding one on the wet side. Supper's ready. Be back soon.

Nice, good stuff

[Sharpshooter]

Greg good call on the firerarms control. Sounds like was good meet and training day

[Greg B.]

Sorry for the tardiness, I keep tripping over life.

After some conversation, I explained how they would cross, hand over hand, on a slack line, using caribeiners and towing their rafted gear with a short lenth of paracord. I had a coil of 3/8" genuine dacron climbing rope lashed to my ruck. I chose a volunteer to swim one end of it across and secure it to a tree. While this was going on, I had six people establish a perimeter WITHOUT the vet's guidance, this time. Again, a little ragged, but learning is happening. By now it was time to secure our end of the line and did so with the belly about six inches above the water. Any fool can get into a river. Sometimes you could use a hand getting out. so, I went first. I locked onto the rope, lowered my gear, on the three logs to the water and started down the bank. It's going too good. Just below the water a root stuck out of the bank. I stepped on that slippery ba%#@rd and went hind end over tea kettle into the river! Wouldn't you know, I'm the only person that got his head wet during the whole operation. There goes the phone.... back ASAP When I got across, the person there pulled my gear up while I pulled myself up. I took his place and he moved into a defensive position. The next person relieved me and I moved about 20 yards upstream to observe. I was pleanantly surprised at how smoothly and quickly the crossing was completed. I could see the "dry" perimeter shrink inward and, at the same time the "wet" perimeter expand. The last person across, one of my vets, unfastened the rope and was pulled across. (That stuff is no kind of cheap). We recrossed the river on a bridge, about 200yds. down stream and hiked back to our base.

The third crossing would wait for morning, because it is about 120ft. wide, rapid water of varying depths and a rock bottom.

[Greg B.]

Okay, it's Sunday morning and everyone is bright eyed and bushy tailed. Yeah, right! My people were having Advil, Aleve and Icey Hot for breakfast. Some of them had aches and pains where they didn't know they had places. Such is training when you leave the classroom behind.

At the river, I announced that I was going to sit this one out (I've been crossing at this point, alone, most of my life. I want to observe because I'm still looking to fill some leadership slots). It was an interesting show. To my delight, my vets did what soldiers have done since time began. They found a log, sat down and had something to eat. Their expertise wouldn't be part of the equation. While everyone was discussing ropes and human chains, etc., ol' hotpants goes up the bank and cuts a sapling about eight feet long and returns to the river. Wading in, she continuously probes the bottom in front of her. People turn and watch. she moves foreward slowly, because the rock bottom is like walking on ball bearings. In the first third of rhe way across, she hasn't even got wet knees. In the second third the water deepens, but she's ready for it. What she wasn't ready for was a rock rolling out from under her feet. The gal went down on her butt and the current caught her. She was about twenty feet down stream before she got stopped, by using her staff. (I was pleased to see several people start moving to her aid) Hotpants used the staff to regain her feet, move to shallow water and return, up stream, to her original track. I thought she was done, but she started back across! At it's deepest, here, there's only about 2-1/2 feet of water, but the current can be wicked. She made it across and hollered back, "What're you ****ies waitin' for?"

Surprising me, the group didn't all run into the river like a herd. Some of what they've been taught about interval must have stuck. By the time it was over, there were a lot of new scrapes and bruises and one twisted ankle to be dealt with. Everyone also got a valuable lesson in probing shallow water. Hotpants is now a squad leader.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

We visited the local LDS cannery this weekend and I would like to thank Karen for getting it set up. It was quite a learning experience as I knew zero about this stuff. Some of the folks had been before but most of us had not. It's not to say we wont order precanned stuff anymore either but as with many other things we wanted to learn what canneries were about and how it was done.
I gotta say if you are gonna rock the outfit your gonna have to work pretty hard as it doesnt do much to bring out the eyes LOL



If anything I learned we have a hard working group. I looked up and it looked like the tasmanian devil was in his whirlwind mode there were lids, labels n beans flying everywhere and it was done before you knew it to include cleanup. For a bunch of folks who arent in an organized, structured and directed unit they throw down!

[Cimarron]

We visited the local LDS cannery this weekend and I would like to thank Karen for getting it set up. It was quite a learning experience as I knew zero about this stuff. Some of the folks had been before but most of us had not. It's not to say we wont order precanned stuff anymore either but as with many other things we wanted to learn what canneries were about and how it was done.
I gotta say if you are gonna rock the outfit your gonna have to work pretty hard as it doesnt do much to bring out the eyes LOL

[ATTACH]1293[/ATTACH]

If anything I learned we have a hard working group. I looked up and it looked like the tasmanian devil was in his whirlwind mode there were lids, labels n beans flying everywhere and it was done before you knew it to include cleanup. For a bunch of folks who arent in an organized, structured and directed unit they throw down!

I was one of the ones that had never been. I too stopped scooping macaroni and looked around for a second. The thought I had was the someone kicked an ant hill. The OWA was in motion. I didn't see one idle body. What was suppose to be a three hour job we did in just over one..not bad at all.
Thank you Karen for organizing this.