Matt in TN

Awesome! Will you wear the Kool-Aid outfit for your run???

And we're open - go and get some!!! If it fills up before you get in, be sure to sign up anyway and get on the waitlist. You will not be charged until you move off the waitlist. We're holding several slots for active 5th Group guys that may very well be released to the public later.

Reminder: Registration opens in 24 hours - Saturday morning at 10:00 am Central Time! Keep in mind three things: 1. You now need an "account" with Practiscore to log in before you can register. It's free and simple, but it takes some time to do. Don't wait until 10am tomorrow to do it. 2. The match fee must be paid in full when you register. We had several people last year sign up and not show up - which kept several other people who really wanted in from coming. Paying up front in full should help that. The cancellation policy is set in stone and non-negotiable: Full refunds will be given if you withdraw more than 30 days before the match. Half your fee will be refunded if you withdraw between 14-29 days before the match. NO REFUND will be given if you withdraw less than 14 days before the match. 3. There are TWO SEPARATE MATCHES set up in Practiscore - one for the 5k and one for the 10k. Be sure to sign up for the correct match. Here's the link for the 5k: https://www.practiscore.com/5k-legion-9-11-memorial-run-n-gun-2018/register Here's the link for the 10k: https://www.practiscore.com/10k-legion-9-11-memorial-run-n-gun-2018/register

Saturday I practiced water crossings at the Rock, and I was glad my boots were tied tightly to my feet. I'm just sayin' -

Early registration invite just went out via email to all who participated in last year's match. Let me know if you were there last year and did NOT get an email just now. And if I catch anyone sharing or using the secret code improperly, I'm going to use you for the dummy drag BOTH days of the match!

Memorial Day is very fitting for this announcement: Registration will open at 10:00am (Central Time) on Saturday, June 9th, 2018. This will give you 90 days to train up once you KNOW you are in. History shows matches like this sell out quickly, so make plans to be near a computer June 9th at 10:00am Central Time. And the Group guys want to reward those of you who took a big chance on them last year with ZERO information by opening registration a week early to anyone who attended last year's Legion Match. Watch for an email either from me or from Practiscore - if you attended last year and DON'T get an email by next weekend please email me at mstennett@twlakes.net and I'll get you set up. In a funny twist - there's a good chance SF Recruiters will be there. Partly for my own selfish reasons, as recruiters can bring more toys off base for us to play with than normal SF guys. And partly for their own selfish reasons, as they are having trouble finding enough intelligent young fit guys to fill their roles. They said if they can run our COF that means they are fit, and if they can do it without shooting anybody they're smart. :-) I warned them their biggest problem will be all the 40 and 50 year olds they'll have to tell over and over again "I don't care how awesome you are, you are too old to begin the training!" As in March - there are TWO SEPARATE MATCHES for the 5k and 10k. Be sure you sign up for the right match. I also ask that you only sign up for ONE match in the first week or so to give everyone a chance to get in. If there are still slots open after the first week and you want to run BOTH the 5k and the 10k - go ahead and sign up then. Prepayment is required on registration. Here's the 5k link: https://www.practiscore.com/5k-legion-9-11-memoria…/register And here's the 10k link: https://www.practiscore.com/10k-legion-9-11-memori…/register

We're going to do things a little differently with this match, and will have three equipment classes to reflect the different ways guys in the Legion fight: “LIGHTFIGHTER”: carry whatever you want, but you are limited to one pistol and one rifle “OPERATOR”: you must wear body armor with plates installed (front and back at a minimum), and are still limited to one pistol and rifle “TIER ONE”: you must FINISH the race with a pack weighing at least 45 lbs (not including your main rifle and pistol) – but that pack may (and should) contain ANYTHING that can give you an advantage. The only limit is that pistol targets must be engaged with pistol rounds, and rifle targets must be engaged with rifle rounds. Want to carry a PCC? Be our guest. Think a scoped bolt gun or different upper in 6.5 Creedmore will give you an advantage? Go for it. You can even carry a shotgun to engage steel pistol targets if you want (birdshot only). Packs may be removed prior to shooting, as that is how 5th Group would generally do it as well – but this will be done on your run time and BEFORE any wait time starts. Green Berets are much more than just knuckle-dragging door kickers; they are well-known for their intelligence as well (just ask one how many languages he speaks, for example). TIER ONE represents a class that has the freedom to think creatively, plan ahead, and bring equipment that might help you in any way you'd like to beat all of the unknown challenges you might face. Take advantage of it, and let's see what you can come up with! I'll have an announcement very soon about registration. Stay tuned...

From one of my 5th Group counterparts. THIS is what it's all about: "This past Friday several of us experienced the honor of participating in funeral services for Major Donald Carr at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Maj. Carr is the embodiment of the American hero; a multi-tour Vietnam MAC-V SOG veteran who left behind country and family to free the oppressed. He went missing June 6, 1971 when the OV-10A Bronco he was riding in disappeared. To the family and his Recon Brothers: It was truly the greatest honor to be a part of bringing your father, grandfather, and friend home. Rest easy Major; we'll take it from here. DOL"

Full disclosure: the prize table will NOT be random draw for this match as I have done in the past. My 5th Group counterparts prefer to award prizes by order of finish. This makes a lot of sense for a match celebrating a group of folks for which "good enough" never is. However - the real prize really IS the match in this case. The time you spend testing yourself, experiencing just a taste of what the 5th Group guys actually do, and having the honor of both competing side by side with active duty SF and honoring their fallen heroes makes the baubles you might pull off prize table seem a little less significant. So if you want a prize off the table, you'd better start training now and show up with your A-game. But really, you should do that anyway. :-)

Ooooh - UML at MTSC? I'm afraid I'm out of town for this one, but you guys have fun!

Since I'm a freaking genius and forgot to put this in the first post, the Facebook Event page for this year's event is located at: https://www.facebook.com/events/201547557109879/?active_tab=discussion By far the best way to keep up with every detail discussed about this event is to visit that page and click "Interested" or "Going" - and you should be notified any time anyone posts anything new regarding the event. I will be also be reposting things I think are important in six other public forums (this is one!) for those who don't do Facebook.

So...I had a meeting with my 5th Group counterparts recently. I don't want to jinx anything, but I will say that if even half the stuff they already have in process comes through this will make "epic" look boring. What we do have nailed down is that the basic schedule will be identical to March: ROs run on Friday. 5k on Saturday with 5 shooting stages (same route and shooting locations as before). 10-ishk on Sunday with 7 shooting stages (new route and two new shooting locations still being nailed down). Should be plenty of side matches with VERY unique opportunities available to help raise funds for the Special Forces Association. More to come...

Dang - you guys had a Heavy Metal fest without me? That's what I get for missing...

For those who have shot my March matches or other Run N Guns - this match is a little different. I decided early on I can't "out badass" 5th Group, so I'm not even going to try. My March matches are simple fun events which test your skills and fitness level. The Legion match is a chance for civilians to actually experience a watered down version of what our 5th Group friends live every day, and is the closest we can get to "real world" in a safe competitive environment. For example - 5th Group rarely knows exactly what they're in for until they get there, so all stages will be shot completely "'blind" and there will be no stage details released before the match. 5th Group never quits, so you can't either. You must keep shooting until you either run out of ammo or the RO makes you stop. There is no "taking the penalty and moving on." It's not always clear who the good guys and bad guys are in the field, so you will be briefed on various intel items as part of the match and be expected to remember, analyze, and decide who and when to shoot and who not to shoot. On the clock. While you're exhausted. In other words, you must be able to perform physically. You must be able to shoot well. And you must be able to think and process information while doing both of the above. More info coming soon. Good luck!

I'm honored to announce I'll be helping to put on the second annual Legion 9/11 Memorial Run N Gun on Sept 8th and 9th, 2018 at Rockcastle Shooting Center in Park City, KY. Details are still sketchy this early, but I wanted to get this out there now to get on everyone's calendar. This will be a benefit match for the Special Forces Association, Chapter 38 (who takes care of 5th Special Forces Group soldiers and their families out of Ft. Campbell, KY). See last year's event page to get an idea what you might expect: https://www.facebook.com/events/1623894691019344/ All photos by Lisa Stennett BACKGROUND: When the United States was attacked on September 11, 2001, the country needed a response. The Green Berets of the 5th Special Forces Group, known as “The Legion,” answered that call. From crushing the Taliban in Afghanistan, to dismantling Al Qaeda networks in Iraq, and combating the Islamic State in Syria, The Legion has carried the torch in the fight against America’s enemies. Many of the battles have been fought in the shadows, known only to those who were there. This 9/11, the Special Forces Association invites you to honor the dedication and sacrifice of The Legion by participating in the second annual Legion 9/11 Memorial Run N Gun This match is an opportunity to test rifle and pistol skills in stages based on combat situations faced by members of The Legion throughout their history. Both a 5k with 5 shooting stages and a 10k with 7 shooting stages will be offered, so you can choose your level of challenge. All proceeds from this match will be donated to the Special Forces Association, Chapter 38 – an organization dedicated to supporting the Soldiers and families of the Special Forces Community. WHAT YOU NEED: Minimum Rifle Round Count: TBD Minimum Pistol Round Count: TBD (Recommend carrying 2 x minimum rnd count. Also, there will be a side matches you can shoot as well) - Rifle that can reach out to TBD yds - Rifle sling - Enough rifle magazines to hold the minimum rifle round count at least - Enough rifle magazine pouches to hold your rifle magazines - Pistol with secure holster (must cover trigger guard) - Enough pistol magazines to hold the minimum pistol round count at least - Enough pistol magazine pouches to hold your pistol magazines - Headlamp for navigating the cave to/from the shooting portion (you cannot use a weapon mounted light for navigating the cave) - Tac light (pistol mounted or hand held) for the shooting portion in the cave - Clear Eye Protection - Hearing Protection TIMELINE: 8 SEPT 0630 - Registration 0730 - Shooters Meeting/Safety Brief 0800 - First Runner TBD - Awards Ceremony 9 SEPT 0630 - Registration 0730 - Shooters Meeting/Safety Brief 0800 - First Runner TBD - Awards Ceremony

Sorry, no. These are the "outlaws outlaw match", with no set rules or governing body. Several of us know each other well and copy each other's good ideas - and several of us have never even met and disagree on what a Run N Gun should be. So they are all different, and they are all good in their own way. Probably the best way to hear about upcoming matches is a Run N Gun discussion group/community on Facebook. Like any FB Group it has has its share of stupid stuff, but it also has a good amount of good stuff.

I lied - one more post. I keep getting questions like "why am I just now hearing about this 'Run N Gun' thing, and where can I find one near me?" So here's a quick graph showing the exploding growth of Run N Gun recently to answer question #1, and a map of all the current RNG locations to answer question #2. Every Run N Gun is slightly different, with different rules and expression of the centerfire biathlon idea. I love the variety and think it's a good thing they are all so different, but be sure to ask a lot of questions and understand what you're in for before you just show up and expect it to be exactly like the last one you did.

This is my last post and I will let this thread die a good death: Here's a short compilation video you can share with your friends when they ask "What on earth is a 'Run N Gun'???" It is 3 days of awesome crammed into less than 5 minutes, so it is an assault on your senses that you will likely have to watch multiple times to catch everything that's in there. Hopefully it provides just a glimpse of what it felt like to participate. Stay tuned until the end for a special announcement!

I fully intended to do a "Ladies of Run N Gun" group picture at the event, but I got distracted and forgot so this collage will have to do. We had 4 awesome ladies shoot the 5k, 5 shoot the 10k, and 2 freaking AMAZONS shoot both in the 15k challenge. Note to all the big beefy guys who really struggled with the slackline - every one of these ladies made it across. :-)

I'm not sure if everyone saw these guys, but we had three different young men shoot the 5k Saturday. These kids showed more fortitude, respect, and skill than I EVER had at their age. I really look forward to seeing what they'll do with our world as they get older and we hand things over to them. Ben Trumble is 11 years old, Thomas Ray is 12, and Logan Carmical is 13.

We had a bunch of people not fill out the gear data in the registration form, but here is a summary of the data we do have. The Rifle Manufacturer data is so cluttered it's useless - other than it's a list of various rifle manufacturers represented at the match. No surprise that the vast majority of competitors shot an AR-15 in 5.56x45. The pistol data was better filled out. Again, no surprise that a Glock 9mm seems to be the pistol of choice. The Pistol Manufacturer graph is cluttered with too much data and hard to read, but I was a little surprised that the XDM beat out the G19 in the models carried, and the G17 wasn't nearly as dominant as I thought it would be.

Since so many people had trouble with the slackline I asked the two time Combat Class winner this weekend to demonstrate his technique for getting him and his 50lbs of gear across the 40' span. There are several different ways to do this based on your own personal strengths and exactly what you're carrying, but this one worked very well.

I saw several of you frustrated on the course because you did not finish (DNF) a course of fire before your time was up. Here's some data to put that in perspective - you were not alone! I know it hurts to not finish, but from looking at these numbers I think the difficulty level was about right this year. Even better - we had a very similar VTAC stage (but actually easier) last March and 62% of the people could not finish it. The Rifleman stage was almost identical with the exception of more visible targets this year (and MUCH better weather!). Last year we had 56% of people DNF that stage. No matter which way you cut it, we are seeing a HUGE improvement in both shooters and runners year over year.

Here's the 10k age data with the same caveats: only 55 out of the 72 competitors gave me their ages (so the others are left out of this data) and Combat Class and Race Class are mixed together.

I had many people wanting to see how they did against people their own age, so I collected VOLUNTARY age data during registration and tried to think of a way to present it that would make sense. There are two problems with this data: 18 out of the 81 people that ran did not give me their age so I left them out, and Combat Class is thrown together with Race Class in this data. But knowing all that - here's what I came up with. Knowing your own age and times/scores you should be able to figure out where you fell in this range. Here's the 5k data summary. 10k is in the works.