2022 Legion Memorial Run N Gun: Sept 10-11, Spencer, TN

[Matt in TN]

Big WIN in the sponsorship field last week: It's pretty small in an overall dollar thing, but Hoist is signing on and providing 300 bottles (1 for every competitor) of their product, This is HUGE because I've been trying for years to get a non-shooting related company as a sponsor (SF owned beer/liquor doesn't count!) , but they all back away when they find out guns are involved. Not Hoist.

Full disclosure: I've never tried it. I learned about it because they sponsor a crazy Navy SEAL/ultrarunner podcast I listen to.  The basics look very good though:

- 3x the electrolytes of traditional sports drinks
- ½ the sugar of traditional sports drinks
- No high-fructose corn syrup
- No artificial preservatives, sweeteners or dyes
- BPA free
- Kosher
- Made in the USA
- 6 delicious flavors 

Find out more at https://drinkhoist.com/

[Matt in TN]

The full Rules & Procedures will be emailed to all competitors one week before match day, but to hit some important highlights:

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.  

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.  

Any questions?  Any warnings/advice for newbies from people who have been here before? 

[Matt in TN]

Most people have heard good stories about all of the good things SFA does, and many of our group even have personal experiences (which makes them ardent supporters).  But we have a lot of new people as well, and some ask questions about how SFA Chpt 38 spends the money we donate from the match - which is perfectly reasonable in this age of shysters and crooks.  So here are some facts to help you feel better about your donations and support:

The Special Forces Association, Chpt 38, is a 501(c) nonprofit organization with ZERO administration costs.  100% of the money donated goes through six different accounts to fund things that support SFA’s mission:

PF (Preservation of the Force and Family): This fund is used to support many family/FRG (Family Readiness Groups) programs in the unit I.e. FRG events, hail and farewells, retirement ceremonies, new comers briefs and other family oriented events.

Immediate Needs: This fund is for Soldiers and their families as well as Legion veteran’s emergency needs. Some examples are: death in the family, unexpected expenses to Soldiers like car repairs and is their only vehicle available, newborn ICU emergencies, and we support the Soldier with gas money to commute to Nashville hospital, if a Soldier/veteran’s house burns down so we put them in a hotel until insurance takes over etc.

Child Care: This fund supports Childcare needs for soldiers in different modes: Unit Formals, FRG briefings, New comers brief etc.

Gold Star: Any needs our Gold Star families have. Also we provide support for our annual Gold Star ceremony.

Catástrofe: When we have multiple casualties or any catastrophic event that affects multiple Soldiers/Vets

Casualty Fund: When we have injured Soldiers or a single casualty and the family needs some type of financial support.

By all means, look into it further starting here: https://sfa38.org/

And if we have anyone here who has had a personal experience with SFA and is willing to share - please don't hesitate to do so!  

[Matt in TN]

Stage 2 (10k Only):  SGT Dustin M. Adkins

In this stage: React to the helicopter crash in the water near Baghdad, Iraq.  Fight from the helicopter to land to clear the area. (GSB)

[My own personal note:   We included this one on purpose because many times the Support folks don't get the recognition they deserve when we focus on the ODA Teams.  This guy was a dentist.  And died in a helicopter crash in a lake in Iraq.  No one is immune.]

A Defense Department press release said Sticklen and Maj. Joseph T. McCloud, 39, of Grosse Pointe Park, Mich., were killed Sunday when the CH-46 helicopter they were in went down in Anbar province west of Baghdad.  Earlier this week, the military identified the other servicemen killed as Air Force Capt. Kermit Evans of Hollandale, Miss., and Army Spc. Dustin M. Adkins of Finger, Tenn.

The Sea Knight helicopter they were in suffered "a power malfunction," according to the military, and landed on Lake Qadisiyah. There were 16 service members aboard.

Out of fears the aircraft would tip or sink, most of them were evacuated out the back of the chopper when it touched down. Four drowned, according to military reports. The pilots managed to "surf-glide" the helicopter across the lake and up a boat ramp, a military spokesman said.

One Marine was pulled from the water - it's unclear if it was Sticklen or McCloud - but attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful, the military said.  Three service members were found after a search. Twelve others survived.  Military officials said the cause of the power failure remains under investigation.

https://www.pilotonline.com/military/article_57e53572-0cf4-5301-a6d0-2901302a4bb5.html

[Matt in TN]

Stage 3 (10k Only):  MSG Robert W. Pittman Jr.

In this stage: Defend the Canal. (18C – Engineer SGT)

Honoring A Hero
https://www.gwcommonwealth.com/news-top-stories/honoring-hero#sthash.71i0pAOg.dpbs

“‘Hero’ is not a word I use lightly, and Robert was a hero,” said Maj. Dave Groves, who knew Pittman while serving in Afghanistan in 2010. “Robert was an absolute consummate professional. If there was a mission to go on, if there was something hard to do, Robert was the first person to volunteer. He was always leading that charge.”

At 41 years old, only a few months after retiring from the Army, Pittman was killed in combat while serving as an Asymmetric Warfare Group consultant in Afghanistan in 2010.

Pittman was a 1986 graduate of Greenwood High School and attended Mississippi Delta Junior College. He was the older of two children; his younger sister is named Allison.  His mother and father said Pittman had always wanted to join the Army. Before he turned 21, his parents would not sign the release form for him to enlist.  “We kept trying to talk him into finishing college, because he was so smart,” said Wayne.  In January 1990, Pittman enlisted in the Army.

When asked what motivated Pittman to join the Army, Vicki said “John Wayne. I think he watched too many John Wayne movies.”  Wayne said his son did not like the idea of working inside a building or office all day to make a living.  “He wanted to be outside,” he said. “That was the reason the Army was so attractive to him. He could be outside and do all the stuff that you do in the Army.”

Not only did Pittman like being outside, but he had a passion for his work.

After completing basic training and Airborne school, he completed Ranger school and served in the 6th Ranger Training Battalion at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. He was then assigned to the 187th Infantry Regiment at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he served as an infantryman, team leader, squad leader and scout squad leader. In August 1996, Pittman attended the Special Forces engineer course, where upon completion he was assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group in Fort Campbell in 1997.

With the exception of a two-year assignment with the 1st Special Warfare Training Group at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Pittman spent the remainder of his 20-year Army career with the 5th Special Forces Group.  While assigned to the 5th Special Forces, he served as a Special Forces engineer sergeant, sniper team leader, senior instructor for Phase II of the Special Forces qualification course, Special Forces operations sergeant and  troop sergeant major.  He retired in April 2010.

Pittman had a distinguished military career, receiving numerous awards, decorations and badges. One of his awards was the Bronze Star Medal with the “V” device to denote heroism. It is the fourth highest military decoration for valor.  “Robert called and said I had to get a copy of USA Today,” said Vicki.  The date he said she needed to get was a few days old.  “I was on a mission,” she said. “I called every motel, everybody I could think of, and finally found a place that still had copies. I accomplished my mission. I think I got all that they had.”

USA Today’s Oct. 20, 2003, front page featured a story about Master Sgt. Tony Pryor, who earned the Silver Star and who was Pittman’s commander. Pittman, although unnamed in the article, is mentioned: “... seven Green Berets in the unit received Bronze Stars for valor in that fight.”  He was part of a team of 26 Special Forces soldiers who raided an al-Qaeda compound in the mountains north of Kandahar the year before.

Because Pittman was part of the Special Forces, his parents did not know many of the details of their son’s missions. But they were “super proud” of him, Vicki said.  They did, however, find out more information after Pittman passed away.  “After we learned more of what he did, my heart was just filled with pride,” said Vicki. “It was just bursting to know that he did all of that.”  “In the military, Robert was always out front,” said Wayne. “Many times, if he heard shots fired, he’d run to the shots being fired.”

Pittman began working with Asymmetric Warfare Group, an Army unit headquartered in Fort Meade, after he retired from the Army.  “He formed his own company, Southern Eagle Consultant LLC, and he did contract work, and he was actually working for AWG as a consultant,” said Wayne.

At the time of his death, Pittman was serving as an adviser to Lt. Col. David Flynn’s battalion in Afghanistan.  The Battle of Bakersfield, including information about Pittman’s death on July 30, 2010, is included in two books — “All In: The Education of General David Petraeus” by Paula Broadwell and Lt. Gen. Daniel Bolger’s “Why We Lost.”  Three died that day, and 12 were wounded.

Bolger’s book features Pittman advising soldiers during his time as a contractor. His advice taught small units in contact to maneuver rapidly and not in the ways the Taliban anticipated.  “Pittman argued for always seeking the harder path, not taking the obvious, inviting trail, which was invariably filled with IEDs.”

Buried in Arlington, Virginia, Pittman, who lived in Clarksville, Tennessee, was survived by a wife, Melissa, and two daughters — Loren, who is now 26, and Robbie, who is now 21.

“He did what he loved — being out on the field with soldiers, advising and assisting them,” said Groves. “Robert represented more than any of us who serve in this uniform could hope to represent, in my opinion.”

[Matt in TN]

Be sure you have eye and ear protection. Yes, it sucks to run in glasses and plugs/muffs. Either deal with it, or take the extra time to put them on before you arrive at a stage. If you show up at a stage without either, you will not be allowed to shoot.

Other things you probably want to have too:

1. Stopwatch to log your wait time (ROs will NOT do it for you)
2. Compass to plot your course through an unmarked section of trail (not mandatory - but will get you a shorter course)
3. Radio to listen in on enemy transmissions (not mandatory, but will help you if you can listed to the 70cm ham band)

[Matt in TN]

We have a lot of new challenges this year, but I haven't yet told you about the heaviest weight I'll ever ask you to carry:

SFA has provided us a dog tag for every fallen soldier in 5th Group History.  Pick one up before you go on your run, and carry that soldier with you on the course.  Draw strength from his memory, and when you feel like quitting or slowing down think of how insignificant your struggles are compared to all he and his family went through.  Honor him with your performance and perseverance.

Hang that dog tag in a place of honor after you cross the finish line, then go home and learn about that soldier who went with you on the course.  Tell your family and friends about him, and remember him well.

Military gets first pick of the dog tags, but civilians CAN and SHOULD take part in this too.  DON'T YOU DARE leave one single dog tag uncarried - no one gets left behind. 

[Matt in TN]

Bring plenty of extra cash as always this weekend - we'll have at least one rifle raffle, Ashley Edgcombe's painting raffle, a few different colors of t-shirts for $25 each, a limited number of morale patches for $10 each, and stickers for $5 each.  

All to raise more money for the Special Forces Association, Chapter 38.  Last year we netted them $20,000.  We're on track to net $30,000 this year - but only with your help and generosity! 

[Wheelgunner]

Just a quick note to thank Matt, Jay, Ellis, and all the ROs and volunteers who put on last night's amazing white light 5k match!  The stages were fun and challenging, and the opportunity to test skills and equipment in a nighttime setting was invaluable.  Carrying a fallen soldier's dog tags was an honor and was a physical reminder of the match's purpose while out there on the course.  I enjoyed seeing several folks from last year, and the camaraderie made for a good time for all.  Excellent work, gentlemen! 

Fellow TGOers, if you haven't been to a Legion event yet, you're missing out.

[Matt in TN]

If you haven't seen them already, scores from the day matches are posted here:

5k: https://practiscore.com/results/html/feb76616-2136-448a-9c0f-a77e86ea6245

10k: https://practiscore.com/results/html/de8b80bb-fa1b-4897-bbff-4ad7bafc1266

Ellis is old-school, so scores for the night matches were emailed out to all competitors.

Pictures from Friday (Staff & VIP run day) are up at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lstennett/albums/72177720302120383 Lisa has over 3,000 pictures to go through, so it'll take some time before she publishes the rest. Shortly after those get out I'll get the official match video done and published.

Thank you so much to everyone who participated!

[Matt in TN]

From Lisa:

Legion Memorial Run N Gun photos for Friday and Saturday are up. Sunday pictures are in the works and should be up soon. Feel free to share pics with friends and family. Any other uses of these photos must have permissions and photo credits. Leave the watermark, it's a small thing to ask. These albums are best viewed and downloaded from a desktop or laptop, devices can be problematic.

**Edited to add: I had some difficulties with some internal settings in one camera and this has led to the photos being a bit jumbled between days. 95% of you will find your photos in the correct album. The other 5% are going to have to look around a bit. I tried to sort this out as best I could, but at this point - it is what it is. My apologies.

Saturday pics:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/lstennett/albums/72177720302204432

Friday pics: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lstennett/albums/72177720302120383 (many have been added since first posting)

 

Edited September 19, 2022 by Matt in TN

[Matt in TN]

From Lisa:

Legion Memorial Run N Gun photos for SUNDAY are up. Feel free to share pics with friends and family. Any other uses of these photos must have permissions and photo credits. Leave the watermark, it's a small thing to ask. These albums are best viewed and downloaded from a desktop or laptop, other devices can be problematic.

**Edited to add: I had some difficulties with some internal settings in one camera and this has led to the photos being a bit jumbled between days. 95% of you will find your photos in the correct album. The other 5% are going to have to look around a bit. I tried to sort this out as best I could, but at this point - it is what it is. My apologies.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lstennett/albums/72177720302240686

[Matt in TN]

The official match video is up! 6 months of work and 3 days of action, all crammed into 5 minutes of video.

Share it so people can get just a taste of the amazing accomplishments you made two weeks ago. Share it to give the sponsors some much-earned love and recognition. Share it to help the match grow.

But most importantly: share it to remember the names and stories of the eight 5th Group heroes we honored with stages this year (not to mention all those we carried with us on the course). May we never forget.
 

 

Edited October 1, 2022 by Matt in TN

[Matt in TN]

Big thanks to Karl (http://www.tacticalrifleman.com/) for joining us this year, and for helping to share our story with his almost 1 million subscribers!

It's humbling enough to do this as a simple civilian - I can't imagine the impact it has when you knew several of the honorees.

 

Edited October 1, 2022 by Matt in TN

[Matt in TN]

I am beyond proud and thrilled to announce, that with all of your help and generosity we were able to present the Special Forces Association, Chpt 38 with a check for $30,000.00 at their Reunion Dinner a couple weeks ago.

Thank you all for helping us to make this happen.