Matt in TN

Sorry for the delays, but I'm just now getting home and back to internet service after spending all day cleaning up the course. Scores are posted: 5k Scores: https://www.practiscore.com/results/html/285b1124-15fd-4ba5-9e4c-3f6bdc8c8c1d 10k Scores: https://www.practiscore.com/results/html/92225121-8cf4-4462-a7cc-1d76c5076a5b Now for a shower and bed. Much more to come as we unpack and process pics and video. Thanks everyone!!!

I'd like to take a minute to publicly thank Innovative Targets for helping me once again with targets for this year's match. If you're in need of high quality and, well, innovative designs - look no farther than Innovative Targets. ESPECIALLY if you're in Middle Tennessee! Check them out at https://innovativetargets.net/

We’re a little less than a week from match day. I’m guessing several of you are second-guessing yourselves right now. Maybe you didn’t get in as much training as you’d hoped. Maybe you trained you’re a$$ off and didn’t see the results you wanted to. Maybe you’ve seen all of these crazy hints and promises about what’s to come, and are intimidated as hell about trying to do all of this while 30-ish bada$$ Special Forces soldiers and even more Run N Gun regulars stand by and watch you. Don’t be. If you signed up and just SHOW UP to start this race, you’re already better than 90% of the shooters out there who stayed home on the couch on match day. If you FINISH, no matter how long it takes you, you’ve won. Trust me – you’ll feel it just as soon as you cross that finish line – and for many days (months?) thereafter. At some point in the course, you will ask yourself: “Why on earth am I here? I’m not ready for this. I don’t belong here.” The dirty little secret I can promise you: EVERYONE asks themselves that at some point. You DO belong here. The satisfaction and self-image you will get from just finishing this course will stay with you forever, and is something no one can ever take away from you. Many people have found matches like these to be a turning point in their lives, and in a year or two you may not even recognize the person you have become. Just remember - for every person you see pass you, there is someone behind you wishing they could keep up with you. Look behind you every so often just to acknowledge how far you’ve come. And before ANYONE judges anyone else as being "too slow, too fat, or too lazy" - bite your tongue and listen to their story first. Across the country at matches like these we've had people recovering from recent strokes, heart attacks, cancer, pregnancy, amputations, and any other issue you can think of; just because "F#$K CANCER", that's why! Give them an encouraging word when you pass them - it really makes a difference. Even better - if you pass someone really struggling on the course: finish your race, set down your gear, and run back out to find that person. You can run beside them and offer them all the words of support and encouragement that you can think of - you just can't physically help them in any way. Let's do this.

Emails just went out to all approved competitors with your final details. If you didn't get one but think you should have, check your spam filters first then let me know and we'll track down the problem. Read it ALL and come prepared! And no, you can't swap run times with anyone. I hate it for you if you're last (or not where you want to be). Blame Excel's random number generator and your general bad luck in life! And on the WTF? side of things, what's going on with the stellar weather forecast??? I'll believe it when I see it - I'm still waiting for a hurricane, heat wave, and snowstorm all in the same weekend.

I am pleased to announce Nightforce Optics is donating two 50% off certificates to the prize table. These are good for one scope and a "reasonable" amount of accessories to allow toolkits, rings, bases, etc. Their most expensive scope is $4,400 - so these things have some serious value! Be sure to check them out at https://www.nightforceoptics.com/ if you're in need of super rugged optics of the highest quality.

Stage 5: Maquis, WWII The Jedburgh Teams and Operational Groups from the OSS worked closely with the Maquis (French resistance fighters) in WWII to organize, equip, and lead them against the Germans. The OSS is usually talked about as the “precursor to the CIA”, but in many ways it very much foreshadowed missions typical of the Army Special Forces. Heavily armed members of the French Resistance to the Nazi occupiers, these Maquis are typical of the irregular soldiers who inflicted heavy losses on the Germans and kept thousands of them from the front lines. OSS often cooperated with the Maquis and provided leadership and organization to their ranks. Known as Paul, this physician from Corsica killed three Germans with a pistol during a Maquis patrol. Along with the difficulties of finding, communicating with, organizing, and equipping the Maquis, OSS struggled with just identifying friend vs. foe and were frequently double-crossed in the field. [pictures from https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2016/08/18/oss-bugatti-fighting-alongside-the-maquis/]

I am pleased to announce Timney Triggers has signed on as an Obstacle Sponsor and pledged $1,000 in product for the prize table. Please check them out at https://timneytriggers.com/ for all your trigger needs. Better yet, buy one from Alan's Arsenal LLC (http://alansarsenal.3dcartstores.com/), who is a Timney dealer!

Stage 4: Special Reconnaissance, Operation Desert Storm [excerpt taken from a Master’s thesis written by Major William M. Johnson] The first mission was conducted by a split detachment, comprised of three SF soldiers from 1st Battalion, Detachment A-532, and commanded by Master Sergeant Jeffrey Sims. The team had wanted more low-level reconnaissance planes to photograph the infiltration sites just prior to D-day but the Air Force had been busy with sorties for the two Army Corps. The infiltration, conducted on the evening before G-Day, 23 February, by MH-60 from the 160th SOAR, crossed the Iraqi border at 2100 hours and was in position north of the Euphrates River and less than 100 miles from Baghdad. Upon touchdown at their pre-designated position at 2200 hours that night, they would have roughly five hours to prepare their hide site. The helicopter had landed in a freshly plowed field, its furrows almost three feet deep. Boots sank into the loose dirt. They were greeted by the eerie and unwanted sound of dogs barking from somewhere nearby. No one owning the dogs was apparently interested in their midnight howling. In eight hours, the XVIII Airborne Corps and the VII Corps would cross the border. By first light, after hours of hiking to their position and digging their hide site, MSG Sims and his fellow operators were in position. During the night, a 50-car train rolled closely by and MSG Sims SATCOM communicated this information directly to the XVIII Airborne Corps. As soon as the sun shone, people came out. Farmers and sheep herders began walking within hundreds of yards of the hide- site. For the next eight hours, the team sweated out discovery as people passed by their position. No one had expected so much foot traffic. One sheep herder walked in front of the hide-site within a foot of the peephole. Miraculously, the herder did not notice the hide-site and walked on. Another shepherd, this one with a dog, strolled dangerously near. At roughly 1400 hours the team's luck got worse. A small girl and her grandfather stood frozen, staring in the direction of the hide* site. They slowly made their way to the hole. The old man tried to look inconspicuous, but inched closer to the hide-site. Then the girl bolted toward the hide-site. The old man, who appeared to be in his sixties, followed closely behind. Slowly, she lifted the lid and gazed wide-eyed at the three Green Berets. The three men aimed their 9-mm pistols, equipped with silencers, right at the girl's head. The team was already compromised and shooting the two civilians would serve no purpose. The old man started screaming at the other shepherds now wandering several hundred yards away "Americans are here! Americans are here!” The old man and the little girl scrambled to their feet and ran away. Sims let them go. Meanwhile, the team radioed for extraction due to their compromised position. After running to another ditch, some 500 meters away, Sims knew they'd simply have to find another hole from which to make a stand. Within 30 minutes, Iraqi troops began arriving by truck along the highway. The team began sniping the enemy soldiers, knocking them down one by one. The killing was methodical. No rifles were set on automatic. That would waste precious ammunition. Then two busloads of soldiers arrived, increasing the odds against the team's survival. Armed civilians began sneaking across the right and left flanks. Several village men stood on an old masonry wall surrounding a stone house nearby and waived their hands to direct the soldiers to Sim's position. The Green Berets picked off one of them. But the precious firing could not protect them forever. Villagers and soldiers crept up along the irrigation ditches. The team would gun down several and the squads would retreat. But not for good. More buses carrying soldiers came. Finally, one and one-half hours after they had been compromised, an F-16 Eagle roared overhead. At Sims direction, the plane dropped cluster bombs and thousand-pounders into ditches just 300 yards from Sims' position. ODA 532 was rescued by a single MH-60 flown by CWO Randy Stephens and CWO John Crisufulli. It was the only daylight hot extraction carried out during DESERT STORM, with over 240 nautical miles covered by the 160th SOAR crew across enemy territory in broad daylight. The extraction itself was one of intense fire-fight, as MSG Sims element all survived and got aboard the aircraft. It was a successful extraction.

I cleared up some of the onsite camping confusion while I was there clearing trails today - I know some of you have called and not received a great response on the phone. Onsite camping at Dead Zero Shooting Park will be PRIMITIVE (no power or water hook-ups, only portapots for bathrooms) - basically pitch a tent or park a camper in the grass be self-sufficient. This will cost $10/night. Please email info@deadzeroshooting.com and let them know which nights you want to stay. This will help us have some kind of idea how many people to make arrangements for.

I am pleased to announce Devil Dog Arms has joined on to sponsor Stage 1. Not only are they loaning us the pistols that will be used to make this stage more authentic to the original story, but they are donating an $1,149 pistol for the prize table! Check out their website at https://www.devildogarms.com/ And just to address this head on: the person involved with the Stolen Valor scandal that happened at Devil Dog is no longer affiliated with them in any way, and all new leadership is there now. I had to be absolutely sure of this before I could in good conscious allow them to be involved with the Legion match. More info here: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/01/19/stolen-valor-scandal-gun-company-returns-marines-on-board.html

Stage 3: MoH Recipient Sergeant First Class Melvin Morris, 5SFG Medal of Honor Citation, awarded March 18, 2014: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: Staff Sergeant Melvin Morris distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Commander of a Strike Force drawn from Company D, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, during combat operations against an armed enemy in the vicinity of Chi Lang, Republic of Vietnam on September 17, 1969. On that afternoon, Staff Sergeant Morris’ affiliated companies encountered an extensive enemy mine field and were subsequently engaged by a hostile force. Staff Sergeant Morris learned by radio that a fellow team commander had been killed near an enemy bunker and he immediately reorganized his men into an effective assault posture before advancing forward and splitting off with two men to recover the team commander's body. Observing the maneuver, the hostile force concentrated its fire on Staff Sergeant Morris’ three-man element and successfully wounded both men accompanying him. After assisting the two wounded men back to his forces lines, Staff Sergeant Morris charged forward into withering enemy fire with only his men's suppressive fire as cover. While enemy machine gun emplacements continuously directed strafing fusillades against him, Staff Sergeant Morris destroyed the positions with hand grenades and continued his assault, ultimately eliminating four bunkers. Upon reaching the bunker nearest the fallen team commander, Staff Sergeant Morris repulsed the enemy, retrieved his comrade and began the arduous trek back to friendly lines. He was wounded three times as he struggled forward, but ultimately succeeded in returning his fallen comrade to a friendly position. Staff Sergeant Morris’ extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

I am pleased to announce Tactical Solutions, Inc. has joined us as an Obstacle Sponsor, and will be providing a TS 10/22 for the prize table. Be sure to check them out at https://tacticalsol.com/

Reminder: You will need eye and ear protection and a stopwatch of some sort in addition to your rifle, pistol, and all your ammo. If you show up at a stage without eye and ear protection you will not be allowed to shoot and will get a zero for the shooting stage. If you do not have a stopwatch, you will have no way to measure any "wait time" you may receive while waiting for a shooter ahead of you to shoot. IT IS NOT THE RO's RESPONSIBILITY TO MEASURE YOUR WAIT TIME. Bring your own watch.

I am thrilled to announce that Alan's Arsenal LLC (https://www.facebook.com/AlansArsenal/)is returning yet again this year as a full match sponsor. Be sure to check out their webpage at http://alansarsenal.3dcartstores.com/ and keep them in mind for any firearms needs - ESPECIALLY if you're in the Clarksville, TN area.

Stage 2: MoH Winner Staff Sergeant Robert J. Miller, 3SFG Medal of Honor Citation, awarded October 6, 2010: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: Staff Sergeant Robert J. Miller distinguished himself by extraordinary acts of heroism while serving as the Weapons Sergeant in Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3312, Special Operations Task Force-33, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan during combat operations against an armed enemy in Konar Province, Afghanistan on January 25, 2008. While conducting a combat reconnaissance patrol through the Gowardesh Valley, Staff Sergeant Miller and his small element of U.S. and Afghan National Army soldiers engaged a force of 15 to 20 insurgents occupying prepared fighting positions. Staff Sergeant Miller initiated the assault by engaging the enemy positions with his vehicle’s turret-mounted Mark-19 40 millimeter automatic grenade launcher while simultaneously providing detailed descriptions of the enemy positions to his command, enabling effective, accurate close air support. Following the engagement, Staff Sergeant Miller led a small squad forward to conduct a battle damage assessment. As the group neared the small, steep, narrow valley that the enemy had inhabited, a large, well-coordinated insurgent force initiated a near ambush, assaulting from elevated positions with ample cover. Exposed and with little available cover, the patrol was totally vulnerable to enemy rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapon fire. As point man, Staff Sergeant Miller was at the front of the patrol, cut off from supporting elements, and less than 20 meters from enemy forces. Nonetheless, with total disregard for his own safety, he called for his men to quickly move back to covered positions as he charged the enemy over exposed ground and under overwhelming enemy fire in order to provide protective fire for his team. While maneuvering to engage the enemy, Staff Sergeant Miller was shot in his upper torso. Ignoring the wound, he continued to push the fight, moving to draw fire from over one hundred enemy fighters upon himself. He then again charged forward through an open area in order to allow his teammates to safely reach cover. After killing at least 10 insurgents, wounding dozens more, and repeatedly exposing himself to withering enemy fire while moving from position to position, Staff Sergeant Miller was mortally wounded by enemy fire. His extraordinary valor ultimately saved the lives of seven members of his own team and 15 Afghanistan National Army soldiers. Staff Sergeant Miller’s heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty, and at the cost of his own life, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.

Hahaha! I am not surprised at all to hear that story.

Sometimes SF has to walk longer than they plan to as well.

Stage 7 (10k only) sees a return of the Horse Soldiers and ODA 595: In the days following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, the Defense Department sent two teams of Army Special Forces soldiers to Afghanistan to bring down the Taliban. SFODA 595, the “Horse Soldiers,” went on missions that were extended for weeks and months. They did it all without body armor or tactical vehicles, living with Afghan partners and following an Afghan plan – often using horses and pack animals. 595 was charged with leading the Northern Alliance and the men of former (assassinated) Ahmed Shah Massoud to unite Afghanistan against Taliban rule. These Green Berets were among the first to deploy to Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Some of them rode into battle on horseback alongside fighters from the Northern Alliance. There were no guarantees that General Dostum of the Afghan Northern Alliance would safeguard the team, and many members had never ridden horseback before. The team found itself uniquely postured to react to the Nation’s call to duty after the 9/11 attacks. And as a SPECIAL BONUS: Horse Soldier Bourbon (https://horsesoldierbourbon.com/) is donating two bottles of their finest, signed by Mark Nutsch, who was Captain of ODA 595 when they went into Afghanistan. These will go to the stage winners in whichever two Divisions have the most competitors.

Thanks Bryan - very kind of you to say. We've been honored to have you. I don't want to sound unwelcoming, but I'll be the first to admit this match is not for everyone. How about: If you enjoy arguing with ROs to get every single point possible, this match is not for you. If you enjoy quoting chapter and verse of the rulebook, this match is not for you. If you want to challenge yourself, punish yourself, and be proud of what you've done at the end of the day - and to HELL with how you compare to everyone else - this match is most definitely for you.

ROUND COUNT: Anyone who has shot Legion before knows this can be complicated as you have a few different options. Let's start with simple: If you shoot every target as I intend (and how I plan to shoot it), you will need to make: 5k: 56 rifle hits & 30 pistol hits 10k: 69 rifle hits & 50 pistol hits If you've never done this before, I highly suggest carrying around TWICE that number to leave room for misses and problems. If you've done this before - you're on your own to decide how much you need! Any rifle targets could theoretically be neutralized with pistol (if your rifle goes down, for example), but it will take 5 pistol hits to neutralize a torso target that would only take 3 rifle hits to neutralize. And you may need extra handgun ammo elsewhere if things go badly for you. So a little extra handgun ammo is never a bad idea. Pistol targets can NOT be engaged with rifle for safety reasons - sorry. Tier One guys can carry whatever weapons they want in that giant pack, just keep in mind pistol targets need pistol rounds and rifle targets need rifle rounds. You can use a shotgun to engage pistol targets as well, but you must use nothing bigger than birdshot. What else am I forgetting? Any questions? Photo by Lisa Stennett

Samson Manufacturing (https://www.samson-mfg.com/) has supported every match I've put on, and the Run N Guns at Rockcastle literally would never have happened without Bryan Ray's help getting me started. So I'm honored to announce that not only is Samson returning to sponsor yet another match, but with a bigger donation to the prize table than they've ever done before! If you need high quality handguards and accessories you should look no further than Samson. I'm a lifetime customer and you should be too -

Some things you need to know: 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. You will have a maximum of 3 minutes to complete each shooting course of fire. Any targets not fully neutralized per the COF will add 10 seconds each to your shoot time. Any "no shoot" targets hit will also add 10 seconds each to your shoot time. In the civilian word hitting a "no shoot" carries a much stiffer penalty, but SF has different rules. "Good guys" are not always that good, and if there's any question one might shoot you in the back later it's best to be safe. That's all I'm going to say about that. This will be specified during each stage briefing, but in general torso targets take 3 rifle hits or 5 pistol hits to neutralize (oh yeah - and D-zone hits don't count). SF would never just put two hits into someone and move on - they shoot until the target is no longer a threat. Since we can't do that here, I asked them for the average number of hits they made in the field to accomplish that task. That's where we came up with the 3/5 rule. Some steel targets will only take one hit to neutralize - but again, it will be made clear during the stage briefing. Pay attention. Your net run time (finish time minus start time minus any wait times) will make up 50% of your total score. All of your shoot times combined will make up the other 50% of your score. So you most both shoot well and run fast to do well at this match. Any questions???

I am thrilled to announce Barrett has just signed on as a major sponsor and donated an MRAD to be given away at this year's match. This is a $6,600 rifle and is especially fitting because it's the civilian version of SOCOM's new M22 Advanced Sniper Rifle. More to come as I nail down a few last details, but you will have an incredibly unique opportunity at this year's match because of this partnership. I suggest bringing lots of cash (to be donated to SFA as a part of this opportunity), brushing up on your wind reading skills, lowering your heart rate, and stabilizing your breathing while pulling the trigger smoothly. If you're coming to the Legion Match for the prizes you're there for the wrong reasons - so I don't want this to start the wrong kind of hype for this match. But it is just such a perfect fit I can't help but share the good news! Be sure to thank Barrett for their support of this match, but more importantly for creating awesome weapons that help our guys crush the souls of their enemies! https://barrett.net/

Now that the Oklahoma match is over - it's time for another hint: one of our stages will be based on an event in the life of OSS & Marine Colonel Peter J. Ortiz. The OSS in many ways was the precursor to modern Special Forces, and 5SFG wants to take you on a tour of SF History for this match. There are literally entire books written about Ortiz, but here's a short article to get you started: https://sofrep.com/specialoperations/marine-col-peter-j-ortiz-oss-career-reads-like-fiction/ A blurb to get you to click the link and read more: "His legend grew, there are several stories of him waltzing into German occupied towns in full uniform and having a go with the German troops. While the stories vary, they reinforce the fact that he was not afraid to go anywhere in his operational area. In the book “Herringbone Cloak–GI Dagger: Marines of the OSS” written by LTC Robert Mattingly, perhaps the best version of these events unfolded: Ortiz, in particular, was fond of going straight into the German-occupied towns. On one occasion, he strolled into a cafe dressed in a long cape. Several Germans were drinking and cursing the maquis. One mentioned the fate which would befall the filthy American swine when he was caught. (The Nazis apparently knew of Ortiz’ existence in the area with the maquis) This proved a great mistake. Captain Ortiz threw back the cape revealing his Marine uniform. In each hand, he held a .45 automatic. When the shooting stopped, there were fewer Nazis to plan his capture and Ortiz was gone into the night." I know these all sound like crazy Hollywood movies, but take a minute to reflect on the fact that these men actually existed, and these stores actually happened. And around 50 years from now when they finally get declassified, maybe we'll be lucky enough to read some similar stories about the fine young men we'll run with in September. I have no doubt they are doing all this and more.

Everyone is always curious to see how the competition is shaping up, so below is the Division breakdown as it stands now. The "heat" as usual is in Lightfighter. However, many of the 5SFG guys don't sign up until the last minute once they know they won't be deployed or in a training cycle, and most of those guys go Tier One or Operator. Has anyone started training yet???