Matt in TN

It's always hard to get across what to expect at a "blind" match - and especially at a match as unique as this one. Anyone who has been before understands, but for those who are new: here's a 5 minute video summarizing last year's match to give you an idea what you might expect. Everyone feel free to comment if there is anything you might warn a new person about!

Registration is one month out. Prepare yourself.

This will be the last "you may want to buy some gear" post this year: Every Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA, the basic team unit of Special Forces) has TWO 18Es (Special Forces Communications Sergeant) - this is how critical comms are to SF. They are the communication "specialists" on the team and make sure the team can communicate internally (short range comms), they can talk back to command/intel/whoever (long range comms), and even communicate with and provide basic air traffic control for supporting aircraft on a mission. To try to give you JUST A TASTE of integrating comms into your match, we're adding a special bonus this year. IF YOU CARRY A RADIO ON YOUR KIT AND KNOW HOW TO USE IT, YOU'LL HAVE AN ADVANTAGE. During the morning brief, you'll be given the "enemy radio frequency" (this will be somewhere in the 70cm UHF ham band) to monitor while you run. If you know how to use your gear and pay attention, you'll hear the enemy transmitting information that can help you. You DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE A HAM LICENSE to do this. Anyone can listen to any frequency at any time - no license is needed for that. Just like with the land nav stuff - if you don't want to fool with this at all you don't have to. You can still run the course and complete all the challenges, but you may miss the extra bonus that comes if you know how to run comms on your kit.

The next new thing we'll have this year is a land nav portion of the match. If you have land navigation skills you will have an advantage. This will be "beginner level" land nav in that you will be given a bearing and distance and a portion of the course will NOT be marked - so I suggest you get a compass and some way to estimate distance travelled (ranger beads, etc.). If you show up without a compass and with zero land nav skills you will still be able to complete the course, but it's very likely you'll run a longer route or spend some extra time wandering in the woods. The current plan is to have a very simple challenge in the 5k match (and night matches), and a second and more difficult challenge in the 10k match. The Gun Run is doing some very cool things with Land Navigation on a larger and more complicated/skilled scale than we'll do here, and would be an EXCELLENT place to learn more about the subject if you need some help. Check out https://thegunrun.us/ to learn more.

The big news this year is that we will be running a Legion Night Match! Ellis (from https://thegunrun.us/) has graciously agreed to MD the night matches and they will essentially be a simplified version of the daytime 5k course and 5 shooting stages. Friday night will be NVGs only, and Saturday night will be for shooters who want to run white light. Much more to come on this - but I wanted to get it out there early to give people a chance to work up gear.

The best place to learn all the details about this year's match is on the Facebook Event Page at https://www.facebook.com/events/2216998515118725 - but I totally get that we have several people who (rightly) hate Facebook, so I'll repost what I think are the important points here for non-FBers. Don't be shy if you have questions or if I've left anything out. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Intro: The 2022 Legion Memorial Run N Gun is a centerfire biathlon – competitors will complete a 5k-ish (day, night with NVGs, or night with white light) or 10k-ish (day only) run combined with a shooting competition. The event is a test of man and equipment alike. It is intended to give participants an idea of how being hot, cold, exhausted, and challenged by the environment affects their shooting, and to test the effectiveness of their gear under field conditions. This event is not intended for inexperienced shooters – all participants are expected to be familiar with the operation of their firearms, and to observe basic principles of firearm safety at all times. With the exception of emergencies, Range Officers (ROs) are not allowed to help participants in any way. Good attitudes are a must. If you are the type of person who gets upset when minor changes are made to a plan or when you don’t always get your way, this is not the event for you. Basics: Participants will receive both a score for their run based on how long it took them to complete the course, and a score for their shooting based on how long it took them to clear each course of fire. The run score and shooting score will be equally weighted in determining the participant’s final score. This is true run-what-you-brung field-style shooting. For the most part, if you want to carry it for 5 or 10 clicks, be our guest. There are three equipment classes to reflect the different ways Green Berets fight: “Lightfighter” in which you can carry whatever you want, but are limited to one pistol and one rifle; “Operator” in which you must wear body armor with rifle-rated plates installed (front and back at a minimum), and are still limited to one pistol and rifle; and “Tier One” in which 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). Any weapons carried must be IN ADDITION to a primary rifle and pistol, and weight of the pack must be stand-alone (a plate carrier would not be included or required, for example). 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. Night matches will have only ONE "anything goes" division. Shooters are expected to have all their firearms sighted in and all their gear ready to go on the morning of the shoot. There will be no zeroing at the event. Think of this as a test of how you and your equipment would perform in a Second Amendment situation if you had to go take care of business at your current state of readiness, whatever that is. Run order will be more or less random. We will try to be accommodating to participants who wish to share firearms or equipment (we can have one person run in the morning and the other in the afternoon), or to partners who wish to run together. Due to issues with back-ups and large groups in the past, only two runners can start together. Equipment: The only equipment that is strictly required to participate is a safe center fire rifle, a safe center fire pistol, enough ammo to clear the course (at least twice the minimum required hit count is recommended), eye protection, ear protection, and some form of stopwatch. Rifle targets must be engaged with rifle rounds (no larger than 30-06), and pistol targets must be engaged with pistol rounds. In everything but the “Tier One” class, competitors must carry one rifle and one pistol. Everything else is up to the participant. Shooters may use any type of gear they want to carry their equipment with, the only requirement being that pistols must be carried in a secure holster that covers the trigger if they are to be carried loaded. Rifles may be carried any way you like, as long as they remain pointed in a safe direction. You may not use tracers or armor piercing bullets that have a hardened penetrator core, as we will be using lots of steel targets that we don’t want to see damaged. To be safe – if your bullet attracts a magnet or has a green tip, leave it at home. Rules: First and foremost, all participants will be expected to comply with basic firearms safety at all times. If you demonstrate inability or unwillingness to follow basic firearm safety, you will be asked to leave, with no refund and no apology. Muzzles must be pointed in a safe direction at all times, and fingers must be off the trigger unless the firearm is pointed at a target. Long guns shall only be loaded when a shooter is at a rifle stage, after the RO has given the “fire” command. Shooters may leave their handguns loaded at all times if in a secure holster. However, loaded handguns must remain in that holster unless the shooter has been given the “fire” command on a shooting stage. Some stages will be active, involving moving and shooting. Firearms may remain loaded during movement, but strict muzzle discipline must be maintained. Shooters will be disqualified (DQ’d) and not allowed to finish the course for the following violations: having a loaded rifle anywhere EXCEPT on a shooting stage after the “beep”, dropping a loaded pistol, pointing a loaded weapon at someone, or having a Negligent Discharge (ND). It is solely the judgement of my Staff that I trust if these should occur, and if you argue with an RO you will lose. Procedures: When a shooter approaches a station, he will be required to show the RO an empty mag well and empty chamber on his long gun(s). If another shooter is currently on the stage when he arrives, the one who just arrived will be instructed by the RO to start his stopwatch to keep track of his wait time (this will be subtracted off the participant’s run time when his run score is calculated). It is purely the shooter’s responsibility to keep track of his wait time. The ROs have no responsibility whatsoever to help you do this. Even if an RO offers to help you keep track of your time, you have no one but yourself to blame if this is not done. When the shooter is ready to shoot the stage, the RO will record his wait time if any. The shooter will be given a quick summary of the course of fire. The RO will ask if the shooter understands the course of fire. If the answer is yes, the shooter will be given the “fire” command, at which time he may load his rifle and/or draw his pistol and begin shooting the stage. All stages will have a zone where the shooter must fire from -- either a particular hole in a barricade that you must shoot through, or a marked zone on the ground, in which every part of your body or equipment which touches the ground must remain inside of when you fire. Hits made from outside the designated area will not count toward completion of the course of fire. Every shooting stage will have a 3 minute time limit. This is to keep the runners moving and to prevent large backups of shooters waiting to shoot a stage. At the end of that 3 minute period, the shooter will be stopped and time penalties applied to their score for any target not fully neutralized as per the course of fire requirements. If for any reason the “cease fire” command is given, you will immediately cease fire, holster your handgun, and unload your rifle. You will do likewise when you complete a stage, or time out. The RO should tell you your time for the stage. The RO will record your time on their iPad. You may want to carry a pen and notepad to keep track of your score in there is a mix-up with the scoring. Every shooter must show the RO an empty mag well and chamber on his rifle before leaving each stage. The RO will give directions on where to go to continue down the trail. Shooters are NOT required to leave their rifle’s bolt open during the run… this is actually discouraged, as it will allow lots of that beautiful Tennessee red clay to accumulate inside the action. There will be ample opportunity for this to happen on the course. The Run: The path for participants to follow will be marked with brightly colored flags and/or tape. Shooters must stay close to the marked path. Do not cut corners. Failure to follow the marked trail may take you into the impact area of a hot range!!! If the trail takes you through some difficult terrain, this is on purpose! Parts of the trail may be down a road. Keep to the left edge of the road and watch for traffic. Your Fitness: This event is in a remote area, and you need to be aware of over-exertion. We should have some folks with medical skills on hand, but your health is your responsibility. If you start having problems, slow down... drink some water... listen to your body! There is no shame in walking the course; know yourself and your limitations. Accommodations: Dead Zero Shooting Park is in a remote area south of Spencer, TN, so lodging may be challenging. Primitive camping will be allowed on-site for $10/night. Call Dead Zero at 423-800-7758 to make a reservation to camp. A Hotel/Lodge, Cabins and campgrounds with full hookups are available at Fall Creek Falls State Park about 15 miles away, but the Mountaineer Folk Festival is being held there this weekend so most of these sites are booked well in advance. The city of Dunlap is less than 20 miles to the south and has a couple hotels, restaurants, and a Walmart. The cities of Chattanooga and Cookeville are within about 40 miles and have all sorts of nicer options for food and lodging. There will be people on site all day Friday, as the ROs will be running the course. Registration for the day matches open at 6:30 a.m. and closes at 7:30 a.m on the morning of the match. The safety briefing begins at 7:30 a.m. Anyone who does not get signed in by 7:30 will not be allowed to participate, so be on time. The first runner will be sent out at 8:00 a.m., and another runner will be sent out in a uniform interval thereafter. The ROs will have run the course the day before. They will be scored along with all the other contestants. After the last runner has crossed the finish line, we will calculate the results. The winners will be announced, and trophies and prizes will be awarded as 5th Group sees fit. Night matches will be similarly run with a start time TBD. How to Sign Up: The registration fee for the Legion 9/11 Memorial Run N Gun is $120 for the 5k (night or day) and $170 for the 10k. Registration will be limited in number so all runners can finish the course before dark. Registration will be handled through Practiscore, Dead Zero will have you sign a waiver the morning of the match, and we will collect full payment (CASH or CHECK ONLY – NO CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS WILL BE ACCEPTED AND THERE IS NO ATM ONSITE - Edit: payment may be online, we're currently investigating this) the morning of the match. Make sure you are familiar with all of our rules and procedures before signing up. All participants must register under their true names. Tickets are non-transferable. Pre-registration is mandatory, and no walk-ons will be allowed on match day as space and time is limited. Several discounted slots are being held for active-duty 5th Group personnel. If you are 5th Group, please email mstennett@twlakes.net to confirm your status and claim your reduced competitor slot. All proceeds from the match will go the Special Forces Association, Chapter 38. Learn more about them here: http://sfa38.org/ Cancellation Policy: Please cancel your registration through Practiscore as soon as you know you can’t come. We always have several people on the waitlist, and if you don’t cancel early enough not only can they not get in, but the Special Forces Association won’t max out the contribution we can make to them. DON’T BE THAT GUY who just decides not to show up and doesn’t tell anyone. Directions: The start and finish line are both located near the Pro Shop at Dead Zero Shooting Park, 1195 TN-111 Scenic, Spencer, TN 38585. Chattanooga, TN has a small airport and is less than an hour’s drive from Dead Zero. Nashville International Airport is a little under two hours’ drive. Pictures, as always, by Lisa Stennett

Alan's Arsenal has added last year's leftover shirts (totally different design that several people asked about this year), and the engraved whiskey glasses to their website. All proceeds from these sales go to SFA Chpt 38, and you can order them here: https://alansarsenal.3dcartstores.com/search.asp?keyword=Legion&search=Search Be sure to order some gun parts while you're there to thank them for helping us out yet again!

I am thrilled to announce we presented SFA Chpt 38 with a $20,000.00 check Saturday from the match at the 5th Group Reunion Picnic on the hallowed ground that is Gabriel Field at Ft. Campbell. Thank you everyone for helping me to make this happen.

Official match video is up. Share it with your friends and family to give them a 5 minute taste of what you did last weekend. Or share it with people you think might want to attend next year. Or share it to give our sponsors some well deserved attention and love. Or most importantly: share it to tell the stories of the fallen, and never forget their names or their stories. All pictures by Lisa Stennett. Music by Tool, "Reflection" from the Lateralus album.

Alan's Arsenal LLC has graciously agreed to sell and ship 2021 Legion Match shirts for us to take care of leftovers: $20 with free shipping, and all proceeds go to SFA. Buy one if you forgot to get one on match day, if you couldn't attend but want a cool shirt, or if you don't care about t-shirts at all but want to help out the Special Forces Association, Chpt 38. https://alansarsenal.3dcartstores.com/2021-Legion-911-Memorial-Run-n-Gun-T-shirt_p_913.html?fbclid=IwAR0E3L2OGvTQWgtFE089xJYqx-sZixaIHwqhzjbSlwlrv3FP_n3LqzW3UuQ

I'm so sorry I missed this - I've been on the range and away from cell service most of this time! Hopefully you got your question answered onsite, but just in case: yes, each shooting stage will be scored on how fast you can neutralize all targets. Any targets left not fully neutralized at 10 seconds to your shoot time. You are welcome to send as many rounds downrange as you want to accomplish that with no penalties. Well, except for Stage 7 if you're running the 10k - but you know that quirk by now.

I'm excited to announce KRG (Kinetic Research Group) has joined on as an obstacle sponsor. Check out their website at https://kineticresearchgroup.com/ and be sure to thank them for their support!

I'm pleased to announce Tactical Solutions is returning as a sponsor this year, and committed to $1,500.00 in product for the prize table. Be sure to check out their website at: https://tacticalsol.com/ and thank them for supporting the match!

I'm thrilled to announce Alan's Arsenal LLC is returning for the fifth year in a row as a Title Sponsor, and is bringing over $5,000.00 in gear for the prize table. And they're having a Labor Day sale on their website Sept. 2 - 7th. What better way to thank them for supporting the match than by buying something on sale??? Be sure to tell them why you're there when you do - Check it out at: https://alansarsenal.3dcartstores.com/

We've had several people at past matches ask for more Legion SWAG, so we're going for it this year. $5 to SFA will get you a morale patch $20 to SFA will get you a custom engraved whiskey glass $20 to SFA will get you a t-shirt And of course you can buy all three, or multiple of each if you want! Add to that the beer donations and PVS-14 raffle already mentioned, and you really want to bring lots of cash with you to the match! Remember there is no ATM anywhere nearby, so bring it with you or miss out. Here's a proof of the patch and whiskey glass engraving:

I am thrilled to announce Timney Triggers will be returning this year as a sponsor, and bringing over $3,500.00 worth of gear for the prize table! Check out their website at https://timneytriggers.com/ for all your trigger needs, and be sure to thank them for sponsoring the match!

Dead Zero Shooting Park is donating their entire facility to us for no charge so we can maximize our donation to SFA. So be sure to sling some money their way while you're waiting for your run (or after you finish your run)! Rent a 50 BMG and shoot it at 1,000 yds, rent some range time on their LR rifle course to verify your zero and dope, shoot a round of Sporting Clays, 5-stand, or skeet, buy some merch from their Pro Shop, or even just drinks and snacks. At the very least - THANK THEM for making this all possible! If you think there's any chance you might pull an item cool enough to need an FFL transfer off the prize table (there are several!), you might want to plan on staying an extra day. Dead Zero will handle the transfer, but they typically are gone for the day by the time we finish the Awards Ceremony. They can also coordinate shipping to your FFL - but you cover the shipping cost. And unfortunately, shipping anything that could be considered a "pistol" (like an AR-15 lower) is stupid expensive. Keep that in mind when you walk the prize table. Check out their website at: https://deadzeroshooting.com/ to look through all the options and plan your visit.

I'm pleased to announce Nightforce Optics has returned yet again as a sponsor, and sent two 50% off certificates and two certificates for their X-Treme Duty Unimount ($260.00 each). It's hard to put a value on these as it depends on what you buy - but these prizes combined could be worth well over $4,000.00. Be sure to "like" NF's facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/NightforceOptics/) and check out their website at: https://www.nightforceoptics.com/ for any optic needs you might have. And don't by shy about asking Sean Murphy's advice - he's the Nightforce guru and always happy to talk optics, and will be with us all weekend long! Be sure to thank both Sean and Nightforce for sponsoring the match. It really makes a difference!

I'm thrilled to announce that Spike's Tactical is returning yet again as a Title Sponsor this year, pledging three different rifles to the prize table with a total value well over $5,000.00. Be sure to like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/spikestactical/, check out their website at https://www.spikestactical.com/, and tell them THANK YOU for sponsoring Legion!

I am pleased to announce The Star Spangled Brewing Co. has signed on as a sponsor! Not only will the owner be running the race with Staff on Friday, but they will be providing FREE BEER to all match finishers on Saturday (possibly Sunday if you 5k guys don't drink it all!) near the finish line. We must be clear here so we don't screw this up: ONCE A BEER TOUCHES YOUR LIPS, YOU WILL NOT TOUCH A GUN FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. And of course and always: don't drink and drive. This is intended for competitors to relax and enjoy a beer or two after finishing their race and while they wait for everyone else to finish. Donations to the Special Forces Association, Chapter 38 are appreciated, and we'll make it easy for you to donate right when you pick up your free beer. Like them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/StarSpangledBrewingCo/) and check out their website at: https://www.starspangledbrewingco.com/ - and be sure to thank them for supporting the match!

A correction on Jon's bio from his widow - it seems he had so many deployments they wouldn't all fit on the one page: ⁠ Jon had a total of 10 deployments, 7 combat deployment and 3 operational. He supported Operation Iraqi Freedom in October 2007 and January 2009; Operation New Dawn in August 2010; Operation Enduring Freedom January 2012 and January 2014; Operation Inherent Resolve November 2017 and November 2018 until his passing in January 2019. ⁠ She also notes that he was actually shot at more on the operational deployments than the combat.

Stage 7 (10k only) is in honor of Chief Warrant Officer Jonathan Robert Farmer, who was killed by a suicide bomber in the line of duty in Syria on January 16, 2019. In this stage: Intel has identified the HQ of the people who sent the suicide bomber. Attack from a distance, taking out High Value Targets (HVTs) including the commander, officers, and bomb maker himself. Protect yourself from enemy flanking maneuvers as needed. - De Oppresso Liber -

Remember - you will need eye and ear protection to shoot. If you show up at a stage without either, you will not be allowed to shoot and will have to take a zero for that stage. Many people carry extras, because $hit happens and you don't have to run back an extra mile to figure out where you dropped yours. You don't have to wear it when you run if you don't want - but it is mandatory for shooting. You'll also need a stopwatch of some kind to record your wait times if you have any. If you show up at a stage and someone is already there shooting it, the RO will tell you to start your wait time. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to time this and track it accurately - the RO will NOT do it for you. When it's your turn to shoot, the RO will ask for your wait time and it will be subtracted from your net run time. While you are on wait time, you are NOT ALLOWED to eat, drink, sit, meditate, sleep, reload magazines, move gear around, or anything else that could give you an advantage over someone who does not have wait time. It's supposed to simply be a "time out" to not penalize you for back-ups at shooting stages. Just stand there and enjoy the brief rest that the guy in front of you probably didn't get.

Stage 6 (10k only) is in honor of Senior Chief Petty Officer Scott Dayton, an LCPO (Leading Chief Petty Officer) of a 4-man EOD Team, who served closely with 5SFG. Senior Chief Dayton was tragically killed in the line of duty in Syria on November 24, 2016. In this stage: defuse a bomb, then fight through an attack when things go wrong. - De Oppresso Liber -

We have several unique terrain-based obstacles this year that will test both your physical skills and your mental toughness. If you have any claustrophobic tendencies, you may want to start learning to face them and power through. As with all of our matches - the 5k has an "easier" version of this obstacle, but the 10k has the "all in" version. Be ready. It's also come to my attention that I should warn everyone they will get wet on this course, so you should dress appropriately. If you're smart and skilled you can minimize this to avoid almost all of the water. If you're neither of those things or just prefer to plow through the depths - that's fine with me too. And of course Mother Nature has a say too. She may decide we ALL get soaked no matter what we do. It has certainly happened before. Be prepared for anything you might encounter in fairly rough/remote terrain in the Southeastern United States. I'm pretty sure there are no alligators onsite - but I'd prefer them to all the ticks and chiggers I can PROMISE you are there. Treat your clothes with Permethrin. Apply Deet liberally. DO NOT wear shorts, no matter how hot it is - especially if you're doing the 10k. You will regret it.