This past weekend I had the honor of participating in the 2024 Legion Memorial Run and Gun. Legion is an annual charity event put on to raise awareness and funds for the Special Forces Foundation, Chapter 38 who assists 5th Special Forces Group members and their families in times of need. Matt Stennett is the match director, with the Tenet Group (Jason Roberts, Trevor Saunders, John Kettemen, Paul Klopfer, Ben Thompson and Josh Farmer) and Jamie Korenoski (Tomahawk Strategic Solutions) making the rest of the off-site team. Russ, Scott and the team at Deadzero Shooting Park graciously sponsors the match on their facility with the cooperation of their understanding and supportive neighbors. The team who puts this on is like family, and it is a huge undertaking, requiring months of planning and weeks to assemble. This event has been special to me since my first run in 2021, and I will move heaven and earth to make it back for as many years as I am able to.
The Backstory
If you’ve never heard of this event, it was the brainchild of CPT. Trevor Graves, CPT. Trevor Saunders and Matt Stennett. “The Trevor’s” and a few teammates attended Matt’s very first run and gun event at the Rock Castle Training facility in Kentucky in March of 2017. Seeing the training value for the men, they teamed up with Matt in August and started planning the logistics for the first Legion Memorial Match, which was also held at Rock Castle that September. That match proved to be a huge success, and it’s become an annual event, drawing in hundreds of competitors each year, as well as over 60 volunteer range officers who travel in from twenty-two different states. Some come from as far away as Oregon and Utah. In 2019, the match moved to Deadzero Shooting Park in Spenser TN, where it has been held since.
These matches are a combination of long movements, obstacles (both natural and manmade), KIMS games (Keep in memory), mental challenges and often incorporate light land navigation, use of both programable and non-programable radios, emergency medical tasks and of course, shooting. The stages are always challenging but they can be cleared in par time, and these stages are set up in honor of fallen 5th SFG (Special Forces Group) soldiers or a service member who was attached to 5th SFG when they died. Each year is unique and has a 5k~ish and a 10K~ish route. Competitors wear a dog tag of one of the fallen with them through the race, to both honor their memory and give them an opportunity to learn about the person who sacrificed everything for us.
This year was particularly family focused. For those who may not know, an average year in peacetime will have an SF soldier away from their families for 7-10 months. During GWOT, all bets on being home were off. Knowing this, as well as having a large community of active SF guys helping at and running the event, the team put together a family focused event that encourages everyone to bring their family and friends. There was a bouncy slide, open to all. (Kids got moved to the front of the line) There were also more mission focused events that included how to read a compass, basic land navigation, Firearms safety, knot tying and 22lr shooting on the small-bore range. There was a food truck, as well as some charity events the families could participate in, including an Olympic air pistol shooting event and a FN MG48 machine gun shoot as well as vendor tents.
Pre-Match Prep
One might ask, how do I get ready for an event like this? It can seem daunting. I will say, I was nervous my first year but, if you can safely handle and manipulate a centerfire rifle, a centerfire pistol and have enough fitness to walk about 4 miles, you can compete in these events. Don’t be the person who “needs to get in shape before I go back to the gym”, or let fear stop you from trying. Take the step, sign up. Get online and watch some of the videos for prior Legion or other run and gun or tactical biathlons and make a training plan. Then, execute. It may seem like you’re eating the proverbial elephant, but just take one bite at a time. You’ll get there.
This will be my fifth Legion event, so I had some history to guide me. I used my prior performance to set my training plan. As a man over fifty now, sporting multiple surgeries and injuries, I must be smart about my training and how I push myself physically. I have never been a good runner and I know I can’t compete head-to-head with guys who love to run but I also hate to lose and won’t just roll over, so my focus was on 20-30 minutes of zone two cardio five days a week, with a little threshold cardio mixed in. Combining this with stretching, I worked toward the point where I felt I could physically push myself without breaking. I set this in motion about three months out from the event, consistently walking on the treadmill up hill and doing some light hiking with Mrs. FatBoy and our dogs.
With the physical stuff planned, I had to take a realistic look at my shooting. Like most men, I think I’m better than I really am. Shooting static indoors or on the flat range is excellent at re-enforcing the basics, but knowing there will be movement involved in this match I needed to confront my weaknesses if I was going to improve. With this knowledge, I took the step to attend my first multi-gun match late last year. Deadzero and Cedar Creek Precision (Hopkinsville, KY) both host outstanding “outlaw 3 Gun” events that allow you to test yourself and your equipment in an unlimited number of scenarios. With Legion on the horizon, I wore the kit (Belt, chest rig, pack, holster, etc.) I planned to compete with. This allowed me to find places that rubbed, what didn’t fit right or flopped around as well as what worked well. I find these matches both fun, as well as an invaluable tool to help sort gear and see what works, what needs to be tweaked, what needs to be tossed aside and what I needed to work on shooting wise. They also give me experience that I lacked in listening and understanding directions for the stage course of fire, as well as helping with stress inoculation to that damn “BEEP” we all hear that starts our stages. For those who have not had the pleasure yet, this sound has the ability to strip a well thought out stage plan as well as years of fundamental training away instantly.
The weekend has arrived!
What seemed like it would never arrive, is here. Day one of the race. This year, in keeping with the family atmosphere, my daughter competed in her first ever Run and Gun. Mrs. FatBoy and I helped her prep the morning of, saw her off as well as ran her to the finish. She competed in the 5K on Saturday, way outside her comfort zone. She carried SFC Robert Deeks dog tag. Bobby was a friend of our friend MSG Tim K. (ret), and I know she was proud to honor his memory. As if the route and stages were not hard enough, this year also had the 5th SFG Cognitive Support Specialist set up a battle tracking exercise that spanned the entirety of the course, with intel coming in from staged signs as well as verbal info from informants that was used to update troop movements and activities on a map. I could see the match challenged her both physically and mentally, but she persevered and finished strong. After crossing the finish line, she was tested by the line officer in a series of questions related to the battle tracking which when answered correctly netted her a Legion Memorial Challenge coin. I had run four events to this point and not attained one, she got hers her first try! I’ll leave her story to her, but to say I am proud of her is an understatement. After she stowed her kit and got a big family hug, we walked around talking and then Mrs. FatBoy and her shot an MG48 that FN had set up as one of the charity event activities.
My run
My day came Sunday, running the 10K. Registration started at 0630 and ended at 0730. I checked in and was given my shirt and a map with a set of instructions. Prior to the brief, I picked up MSG Jeff Davis’s dog tag and would carry it with me. Those who may not know Jeff’s story, I encourage you to pick up Eric Blehm’s book “The Only Thing Worth Dying For”. This will give you a glimpse into ODA 574s epic mission that ultimately cost Jeff his life. The Match Directors brief started at 0730, and besides Matt, Jason, Trevor and Jamie stepped up to talk about the cause and how it helps both soldiers and their families. This year Tabitha Farmer was there with her family. She ran the race with her son Devin Saturday and Sunday she spoke briefly about what Chapter 38 and the people who support it have meant to their family after Jon’s passing. It really brings home how important it is to not only keep our fallen hero’s memory alive, but to never forget and support the loved ones they left behind. While I waited, I was asked to carry CW2 Jon Farmers dog tag, which was very special to me as I mentioned Jon’s family was with us this weekend. Brief over, the first runner set off at 0800. My run time wasn’t until 1305 so I mingled a bit and then relaxed and hydrated while chatting with people around the grounds.
Twenty minutes out. I put on my kit, slammed a final bottle of water and the family and I walked toward the start line. I checked in and gave the names of the men I was running for to the starting line officer. We got some pics of us as a family in front of the banners, I gave Mrs. FatBoy a kiss and they set me off on the course at 1305. Weather was beautiful, if not a little hot. Step off temperature said it was about 84*, but my Garmin recorded a max temperature for the run at 95* so who knows? If I’m being honest, it felt like every bit of that and then sum with the humidity. I was sweating before I made it to the first obstacle, which was less than 500 yards from the start/finish line. The course took me downhill to a tree line and down into a clay banked creek that had both an undulating floor as well as sunken trees, trees that spanned bank to bank and various nasty vines with prickers. What was 100 or so yards felt like a mile already and had me slipping, falling, soaked to my waist and my hands already slick with mud. From there I made my way to a hill behind the Known Distance range and found the first of several pieces of intel. Intel recorded; item collected; I kept moving toward stage one.
Stage One was in honor of CW2 Jon Farmer, SCPO Shannon Kent and Scotty Wirtz (PO2). Upon arriving, I handed over the “gift” and then unlike subsequent stages, this stage was roll played. Upon entering the range from behind a barrier that prevented viewing the stage, I was greeted and escorted into a room for a report building exercise with a “Local”. During the tea sipping and engaging conversation, the stage started with a huge boom and the walls falling in on us, which triggered us to exit the room, recover my staged rifle and I was directed on the course of fire real time by our “local”. After clearing the rifle portion, which consisted of four series of tiny green swingers (LGBs) there were a dozen or so steel pistol targets spread across the range that had to be engaged. The stage was set up with numerous no-shoot targets that forced me to move so that I could locate and engage the targets without shooting friendlies. I struggled early on with this stage. I failed to adjust when my initial plan wasn’t working and tried to just plow through. That was a mistake and cost me time and ammo.
Stage two was about a three-quarter of mile movement. This stage honored SSG Aaron Holleyman, who served as a Special Forces Medic. This one is close to my family’s heart as my son in law is currently a Special Forces Medical Sergeant. This stage tested my ability to work through basic medical tasks while simulating an injury that prevented me from using my non-dominant arm. At the beep I had to put a CAT5 tourniquet on Rescue Randy’s leg properly (Randy is a 200# articulating dummy), then move to a staged arterial bleed and pack the wound with gauze before drawing the pistol and engaging a series of steel pistol targets, followed by loading the rifle one handed and then neutralizing a half dozen rifle targets with three shots each. A very creative stage that stressed tasks beyond shooting. It was about a mile movement to the next stage and my legs were burning so badly it had me questioning my life decisions. I was going through water much faster than I anticipated due to the humidity and the elevation they somehow managed to find for the course route.
Stage three honored MA2 Michael Monsoor, who earned the Medal of Honor for sacrificing himself on a grenade to save his teammates. Though Mike wasn’t 5th SFG, he was attached to SOFT-W, a battalion level command of Special Forces. This stage started by staging my rifle on the ground and at the beep, dropping down to a loaded MG48 and sending a dozen rounds into a steel target full auto. Once the rounds were expended (not long on this beast), I recovered my rifle, loaded and made my way to a series of five shooting positions. There were ten steel targets set up in the field, and only two shots could be made from each position. If I made both shots at each position, I was complete at the last position. Any misses required me to move back to prior positions until all ten targets were hit. This was a great stage with a variety of target sizes and different options for shooting positions. Next stage was about a mile out.
Stage four honored CTP Ben Tiffner and consisted of what I call a “Burn Down” run. At the beep, I loaded and moved down a trail with the rifle and had to neutralize a series of targets with three shots each. Once fired upon with a rifle, it is a rifle target. This is important later. When the 30 rounds are expended, I had to transition to pistol and neutralize the remaining targets with five pistol shots. This stage went by fast, and had I been paying attention to the instructions better I would have realized I was not supposed to mix rifle and pistol on a target. When I ran out of rifle ammo, I only had one rifle round in the target. At that point I transitioned and shot that target with two more pistol rounds before moving on, but it was a failure to neutralize for a stage rule violation. Another lesson learned. When in doubt, ask again. Absolutely awesome stage with a mental twist. Moving to stage five I encountered an informant. He had some information for me, which I jotted down and then he asked me a question about some of the intelligence I collected along the route. Getting this right meant I got about a .5-mile shortcut, which thankfully I did.
Stage five honored SSG Ayman Taha. This stage started with pistol, shooting about ten to twelve steel targets on the far side of a creek, then I transitioned to rifle and moved forward to several different shooting boxes to engage four more series of the “Little Green Bastards” that were staged around the creek and in the woods. At this point in the race, the sky had become very overcast, and I usually run with my shooting glasses on my hat, so I didn’t realize how dark it had gotten. As we’re about to start and I put my glasses on, it was very dark. Almost like night shooting. I lost situational awareness and it cost me, as finding those tiny green targets through a scope, with heavily tinted sunglasses in the canopy with cloud cover was hard. I struggled and it cost me a lot of time. Lesson learned, I switched to a pair of clear glasses I had in my pack. Setting off to stage six I ran across more informants. They too had information for me, as well as asked a question about intel, which I also got correct and was able to shave around another .7th mile or so off the route. At this point, the rain started to fall.
Stage six honored Silver Star recipient, SFC Earl Burke, who fought amongst a tank attack, neutralizing them before falling back to his final defensive position. This stage had me start by simulating shooting three mortar rounds through a 60mm mortar trainer, then engaging a large amount of pistol targets across a creek. Upon hitting all of the pistol, I picked up a substitute for a Carl Gustov recoilless rifle and ran that heavy beast 30 or so yard back to my staged rifle, where I had to engage two different sized steel torsos’ three times each at about 120 yards. Very well laid out range, one of my favorite stages.
Now, it was raining very hard, and the temperature started to drop. This also started to cause me issues with my map, as I was storing it inside a Ziplock and though the bag stayed dry, my hands were wet and started to destroy the map and the notes I had taken. Thankfully, I had taken pics of the posted intel as a contingency.
From stage six, we did the land navigation portion of the run. This consisted of following an unmarked river for .8th mile. Rules were simple, follow the river to the red tape, don’t lose site of the river, don’t get lost. The river and the banks were strewn with deadfall and clay. It was miserable walking in it, but the banks on each side were covered with continuous thickets of mountain laurel and pricker trip vine. There was no easy route. There was no fast route. I just had to make a choice and execute. At the end of the river, I had to make my way up a hill, then under a barbed wire fence that led to a wide-open field of beautiful grass and manicured pine trees. It looked like heaven after coming out of that riverbed. From the fence, there was about a 700-yard movement through the field to stage seven.
Stage seven honored Sgt Daniel Winegeart. Upon arriving the RO asked an intel question. Getting it wrong meant I would have to wear a glove on my dominant hand that has all the finger’s glue together, making it all but impossible to manipulate the weapons with that hand. I was fortunate enough to get the question correct and could forgo the glove. This stage required one hit on five rifle torsos about 100-130 yards away in the woods. The rifle had to be touching a tree that acted as the shooting box. Not all the targets were visible from one site of the tree, so I had to engage the last rifle target on the right side then ground a safe rifle, move left to a log where I would draw and engage about a dozen to fifteen pistol plates. The rain had my shooting glasses almost impossible to see through, even after wiping them. The rifle scope did fine, despite the drops on the ocular, but when I drew the pistol my ACRO red dot had water drops all over the front and rear lens. An initial shake had me in business but between the rain and the recoil of the pistol sending fine water drops all over the lenses, I quickly got to a point that I was seeing several dots and had to use my hand to clear the front and rear lens. This cost me a few seconds and was another lesson learned. I need to treat my lenses with some form of anti-fog/water repellent. It was maybe another mile to stage eight, the final stage before the run home. There were two more intel tips along this route and my map was drenched at this point. My backup plan of the phone also wasn’t working now as the touch screen of my iPhone would not work with my wet hands. This isn’t good…. I switched to a felt marker, increased my font size and hoped it wouldn’t bleed out.
Stage eight honored SFC Brett Walden, who was one of the horse soldiers of the Afghanistan invasion. This stage was straight forward. I was asked an intel question at arrival, which led to a tip I would receive shortly. At the beep I moved forward and engaged around fifteen pistol targets in a field, then ran to a wooden horse set up in a manner that allowed it to move if I moved or under recoil. The tip gave me the distances to the targets in the field, from the tiny poppers at 100-120 meters out to the last pair of gongs at just over 300 meters. It was pouring rain at this point and there was no keeping the water off the lenses, so I did my best to use a “frame hold” with the ACRO on the pistol targets and just did my best to see through the scope. Thankfully, they had the rifle steel painted black with a white steel backer so they stood out really well despite the rain and the wet lenses.
The run in was about .4th of a mile. Mrs. FatBoy and my daughter were there cheering me on, as were fellow competitors and their family and friends. I can’t express how much that helps. Upon crossing the line, I was met by an RO who checked for a clear rifle, had me safely clear my pistol and then pulled me aside to ask me a series of questions. After seeing my daughter get her coin, I figured I knew what this was, but I have to be honest, pressure was on. If she got the coin and I didn’t I’d never hear the end of it. Questions kept coming and since there was no time limit, I compared what I couldn’t read on the map to the phone pics and ultimately, I was awarded my first Legion Challenge coin. I hung Jeffs tag on the battlefield cross and moved to get out of the wet clothes and put down a plate a schnitzel and spaetzle Mrs. FatBoy had waiting.
Runners continued to stream down the hill and across the line for almost four more hours. The early runners faced very bright sun and crippling humidity. The mid-day runners had a mixture of heat and rain, bright sun and extreme cloud cover and the late runners had rain and darkness to contend with. Dealing with these challenges is one of the things I love most about Run and Gun, Mother Nature gets a vote. Just like real life, sometimes shits not fair. You can bitch, complain and quit or you can accept this and find a way to overcome adversity. There is a lot of personal growth that comes from competing in this type of event. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and stepping up to be challenged. Whether you come out on top or not, if you finish, you win.
Last runner came across the line about 1930. It was an epic scene with dozens of people running in with him, and dozens more cheering him on along the final route. Rain has finally let up and the ROs started to come in with the stage equipment. Everyone got cleaned up the best they could and made their way to the pavilion. There was a large prize table with an array of awesome awards, from the two Legion Award Swords to triggers, rifles, Nalgene bottles to scopes and everything in between. Jason spoke again about the impact of this match. Pete, from Alan’s Arsenal spoke about Ayman Taha and what he meant to him personally as well as awarded the high Olympic pistol shooter with a custom-made Gold AR-15. Shortly after, Matt and Trevor came down with the scores, but before going into that Trevor recognized and awarded the kids who attended each of the training courses. You could see the joy not only on their faces, but of their parents. Then, Jason and Trevor presented Matt a battle axe in appreciation for all the years of work he’s put into this match, custom made from an M240 machine gun barrel with a bearded axe head that has Matt at least initially prepared should he find himself in a Mad Max type situation. Matt called out the winners, alternating from Operator class to Lightfighter, moving down each subsequent place in class and giving the competitor the opportunity to draw from the prize table. It was a massive table with everyone having a chance to walk it for a prize. Of special note was two runners who drove all the way out just to be on standby for this race. They ended up stepping off as the last two runners and with the weather they were just entering the land navigation portion at dark. They were stopped for both safety and (my impression) the amount of time it would have taken for them to do this in the dark. These two runners were given the fifth and sixth option at the table for keeping a great attitude, sticking it out and dealing with everything thrown at them until they were pulled through no fault of their own. Another example of the Legion taking care of its own.
Lasting Impressions
Like every year before, I loved this event. This year was very special to me with my daughter also participating and having Mrs. FatBoy on site helping prep, taking pics and keeping us fed. I learned some valuable lessons about shooting in the rain, where I failed in my cardio training as well as where I need to work on both my cognitive and shooting skills. I met some awesome new friends, reconnected with friends from years prior and was privileged to witness people overcome adversity and thrive. Russ and Scott had the facility and the grounds prepared for the mass of people that this drew each day. Hundreds of extra people, vehicles, campers, etc. all managed seamlessly with grounds groomed like a golf course. Jason, Trevor, John, Paul, Ben, Josh and of course Matt’s months of work was evident as the match flowed smooth and efficiently from my perspective. The RO’s were outstanding, as always, and kept things moving safely and fun despite the heat and the rain. I cannot say enough about the Legion Memorial Match, its organizers and staff or how much it has meant to me personally. I’m already wondering what they’ll dream up for us next year.
(Garmin watch paused for an unknown amount of time/distance around stage 7)
A very special thanks you to the sponsors. If I missed any of you, I apologize.
Deadzero Shooting Park
Alan’s Arsenal
Spikes Tactical
Special Forces Association – Chapter 38
Tomahawk Strategic Solutions
Personal Survival Solutions
FN Firearms
Innovative Targets
Tenet Group
Samson
Run and Gun Tactics
Nightforce Precision Optics
Shadow Systems
Krate Tactical
Backman Consulting
The Cohen Clinic
The Backstory
If you’ve never heard of this event, it was the brainchild of CPT. Trevor Graves, CPT. Trevor Saunders and Matt Stennett. “The Trevor’s” and a few teammates attended Matt’s very first run and gun event at the Rock Castle Training facility in Kentucky in March of 2017. Seeing the training value for the men, they teamed up with Matt in August and started planning the logistics for the first Legion Memorial Match, which was also held at Rock Castle that September. That match proved to be a huge success, and it’s become an annual event, drawing in hundreds of competitors each year, as well as over 60 volunteer range officers who travel in from twenty-two different states. Some come from as far away as Oregon and Utah. In 2019, the match moved to Deadzero Shooting Park in Spenser TN, where it has been held since.
These matches are a combination of long movements, obstacles (both natural and manmade), KIMS games (Keep in memory), mental challenges and often incorporate light land navigation, use of both programable and non-programable radios, emergency medical tasks and of course, shooting. The stages are always challenging but they can be cleared in par time, and these stages are set up in honor of fallen 5th SFG (Special Forces Group) soldiers or a service member who was attached to 5th SFG when they died. Each year is unique and has a 5k~ish and a 10K~ish route. Competitors wear a dog tag of one of the fallen with them through the race, to both honor their memory and give them an opportunity to learn about the person who sacrificed everything for us.
This year was particularly family focused. For those who may not know, an average year in peacetime will have an SF soldier away from their families for 7-10 months. During GWOT, all bets on being home were off. Knowing this, as well as having a large community of active SF guys helping at and running the event, the team put together a family focused event that encourages everyone to bring their family and friends. There was a bouncy slide, open to all. (Kids got moved to the front of the line) There were also more mission focused events that included how to read a compass, basic land navigation, Firearms safety, knot tying and 22lr shooting on the small-bore range. There was a food truck, as well as some charity events the families could participate in, including an Olympic air pistol shooting event and a FN MG48 machine gun shoot as well as vendor tents.
Pre-Match Prep
One might ask, how do I get ready for an event like this? It can seem daunting. I will say, I was nervous my first year but, if you can safely handle and manipulate a centerfire rifle, a centerfire pistol and have enough fitness to walk about 4 miles, you can compete in these events. Don’t be the person who “needs to get in shape before I go back to the gym”, or let fear stop you from trying. Take the step, sign up. Get online and watch some of the videos for prior Legion or other run and gun or tactical biathlons and make a training plan. Then, execute. It may seem like you’re eating the proverbial elephant, but just take one bite at a time. You’ll get there.
This will be my fifth Legion event, so I had some history to guide me. I used my prior performance to set my training plan. As a man over fifty now, sporting multiple surgeries and injuries, I must be smart about my training and how I push myself physically. I have never been a good runner and I know I can’t compete head-to-head with guys who love to run but I also hate to lose and won’t just roll over, so my focus was on 20-30 minutes of zone two cardio five days a week, with a little threshold cardio mixed in. Combining this with stretching, I worked toward the point where I felt I could physically push myself without breaking. I set this in motion about three months out from the event, consistently walking on the treadmill up hill and doing some light hiking with Mrs. FatBoy and our dogs.
With the physical stuff planned, I had to take a realistic look at my shooting. Like most men, I think I’m better than I really am. Shooting static indoors or on the flat range is excellent at re-enforcing the basics, but knowing there will be movement involved in this match I needed to confront my weaknesses if I was going to improve. With this knowledge, I took the step to attend my first multi-gun match late last year. Deadzero and Cedar Creek Precision (Hopkinsville, KY) both host outstanding “outlaw 3 Gun” events that allow you to test yourself and your equipment in an unlimited number of scenarios. With Legion on the horizon, I wore the kit (Belt, chest rig, pack, holster, etc.) I planned to compete with. This allowed me to find places that rubbed, what didn’t fit right or flopped around as well as what worked well. I find these matches both fun, as well as an invaluable tool to help sort gear and see what works, what needs to be tweaked, what needs to be tossed aside and what I needed to work on shooting wise. They also give me experience that I lacked in listening and understanding directions for the stage course of fire, as well as helping with stress inoculation to that damn “BEEP” we all hear that starts our stages. For those who have not had the pleasure yet, this sound has the ability to strip a well thought out stage plan as well as years of fundamental training away instantly.
The weekend has arrived!
What seemed like it would never arrive, is here. Day one of the race. This year, in keeping with the family atmosphere, my daughter competed in her first ever Run and Gun. Mrs. FatBoy and I helped her prep the morning of, saw her off as well as ran her to the finish. She competed in the 5K on Saturday, way outside her comfort zone. She carried SFC Robert Deeks dog tag. Bobby was a friend of our friend MSG Tim K. (ret), and I know she was proud to honor his memory. As if the route and stages were not hard enough, this year also had the 5th SFG Cognitive Support Specialist set up a battle tracking exercise that spanned the entirety of the course, with intel coming in from staged signs as well as verbal info from informants that was used to update troop movements and activities on a map. I could see the match challenged her both physically and mentally, but she persevered and finished strong. After crossing the finish line, she was tested by the line officer in a series of questions related to the battle tracking which when answered correctly netted her a Legion Memorial Challenge coin. I had run four events to this point and not attained one, she got hers her first try! I’ll leave her story to her, but to say I am proud of her is an understatement. After she stowed her kit and got a big family hug, we walked around talking and then Mrs. FatBoy and her shot an MG48 that FN had set up as one of the charity event activities.
My run
My day came Sunday, running the 10K. Registration started at 0630 and ended at 0730. I checked in and was given my shirt and a map with a set of instructions. Prior to the brief, I picked up MSG Jeff Davis’s dog tag and would carry it with me. Those who may not know Jeff’s story, I encourage you to pick up Eric Blehm’s book “The Only Thing Worth Dying For”. This will give you a glimpse into ODA 574s epic mission that ultimately cost Jeff his life. The Match Directors brief started at 0730, and besides Matt, Jason, Trevor and Jamie stepped up to talk about the cause and how it helps both soldiers and their families. This year Tabitha Farmer was there with her family. She ran the race with her son Devin Saturday and Sunday she spoke briefly about what Chapter 38 and the people who support it have meant to their family after Jon’s passing. It really brings home how important it is to not only keep our fallen hero’s memory alive, but to never forget and support the loved ones they left behind. While I waited, I was asked to carry CW2 Jon Farmers dog tag, which was very special to me as I mentioned Jon’s family was with us this weekend. Brief over, the first runner set off at 0800. My run time wasn’t until 1305 so I mingled a bit and then relaxed and hydrated while chatting with people around the grounds.
Twenty minutes out. I put on my kit, slammed a final bottle of water and the family and I walked toward the start line. I checked in and gave the names of the men I was running for to the starting line officer. We got some pics of us as a family in front of the banners, I gave Mrs. FatBoy a kiss and they set me off on the course at 1305. Weather was beautiful, if not a little hot. Step off temperature said it was about 84*, but my Garmin recorded a max temperature for the run at 95* so who knows? If I’m being honest, it felt like every bit of that and then sum with the humidity. I was sweating before I made it to the first obstacle, which was less than 500 yards from the start/finish line. The course took me downhill to a tree line and down into a clay banked creek that had both an undulating floor as well as sunken trees, trees that spanned bank to bank and various nasty vines with prickers. What was 100 or so yards felt like a mile already and had me slipping, falling, soaked to my waist and my hands already slick with mud. From there I made my way to a hill behind the Known Distance range and found the first of several pieces of intel. Intel recorded; item collected; I kept moving toward stage one.
Stage One was in honor of CW2 Jon Farmer, SCPO Shannon Kent and Scotty Wirtz (PO2). Upon arriving, I handed over the “gift” and then unlike subsequent stages, this stage was roll played. Upon entering the range from behind a barrier that prevented viewing the stage, I was greeted and escorted into a room for a report building exercise with a “Local”. During the tea sipping and engaging conversation, the stage started with a huge boom and the walls falling in on us, which triggered us to exit the room, recover my staged rifle and I was directed on the course of fire real time by our “local”. After clearing the rifle portion, which consisted of four series of tiny green swingers (LGBs) there were a dozen or so steel pistol targets spread across the range that had to be engaged. The stage was set up with numerous no-shoot targets that forced me to move so that I could locate and engage the targets without shooting friendlies. I struggled early on with this stage. I failed to adjust when my initial plan wasn’t working and tried to just plow through. That was a mistake and cost me time and ammo.
Stage two was about a three-quarter of mile movement. This stage honored SSG Aaron Holleyman, who served as a Special Forces Medic. This one is close to my family’s heart as my son in law is currently a Special Forces Medical Sergeant. This stage tested my ability to work through basic medical tasks while simulating an injury that prevented me from using my non-dominant arm. At the beep I had to put a CAT5 tourniquet on Rescue Randy’s leg properly (Randy is a 200# articulating dummy), then move to a staged arterial bleed and pack the wound with gauze before drawing the pistol and engaging a series of steel pistol targets, followed by loading the rifle one handed and then neutralizing a half dozen rifle targets with three shots each. A very creative stage that stressed tasks beyond shooting. It was about a mile movement to the next stage and my legs were burning so badly it had me questioning my life decisions. I was going through water much faster than I anticipated due to the humidity and the elevation they somehow managed to find for the course route.
Stage three honored MA2 Michael Monsoor, who earned the Medal of Honor for sacrificing himself on a grenade to save his teammates. Though Mike wasn’t 5th SFG, he was attached to SOFT-W, a battalion level command of Special Forces. This stage started by staging my rifle on the ground and at the beep, dropping down to a loaded MG48 and sending a dozen rounds into a steel target full auto. Once the rounds were expended (not long on this beast), I recovered my rifle, loaded and made my way to a series of five shooting positions. There were ten steel targets set up in the field, and only two shots could be made from each position. If I made both shots at each position, I was complete at the last position. Any misses required me to move back to prior positions until all ten targets were hit. This was a great stage with a variety of target sizes and different options for shooting positions. Next stage was about a mile out.
Stage four honored CTP Ben Tiffner and consisted of what I call a “Burn Down” run. At the beep, I loaded and moved down a trail with the rifle and had to neutralize a series of targets with three shots each. Once fired upon with a rifle, it is a rifle target. This is important later. When the 30 rounds are expended, I had to transition to pistol and neutralize the remaining targets with five pistol shots. This stage went by fast, and had I been paying attention to the instructions better I would have realized I was not supposed to mix rifle and pistol on a target. When I ran out of rifle ammo, I only had one rifle round in the target. At that point I transitioned and shot that target with two more pistol rounds before moving on, but it was a failure to neutralize for a stage rule violation. Another lesson learned. When in doubt, ask again. Absolutely awesome stage with a mental twist. Moving to stage five I encountered an informant. He had some information for me, which I jotted down and then he asked me a question about some of the intelligence I collected along the route. Getting this right meant I got about a .5-mile shortcut, which thankfully I did.
Stage five honored SSG Ayman Taha. This stage started with pistol, shooting about ten to twelve steel targets on the far side of a creek, then I transitioned to rifle and moved forward to several different shooting boxes to engage four more series of the “Little Green Bastards” that were staged around the creek and in the woods. At this point in the race, the sky had become very overcast, and I usually run with my shooting glasses on my hat, so I didn’t realize how dark it had gotten. As we’re about to start and I put my glasses on, it was very dark. Almost like night shooting. I lost situational awareness and it cost me, as finding those tiny green targets through a scope, with heavily tinted sunglasses in the canopy with cloud cover was hard. I struggled and it cost me a lot of time. Lesson learned, I switched to a pair of clear glasses I had in my pack. Setting off to stage six I ran across more informants. They too had information for me, as well as asked a question about intel, which I also got correct and was able to shave around another .7th mile or so off the route. At this point, the rain started to fall.
Stage six honored Silver Star recipient, SFC Earl Burke, who fought amongst a tank attack, neutralizing them before falling back to his final defensive position. This stage had me start by simulating shooting three mortar rounds through a 60mm mortar trainer, then engaging a large amount of pistol targets across a creek. Upon hitting all of the pistol, I picked up a substitute for a Carl Gustov recoilless rifle and ran that heavy beast 30 or so yard back to my staged rifle, where I had to engage two different sized steel torsos’ three times each at about 120 yards. Very well laid out range, one of my favorite stages.
Now, it was raining very hard, and the temperature started to drop. This also started to cause me issues with my map, as I was storing it inside a Ziplock and though the bag stayed dry, my hands were wet and started to destroy the map and the notes I had taken. Thankfully, I had taken pics of the posted intel as a contingency.
From stage six, we did the land navigation portion of the run. This consisted of following an unmarked river for .8th mile. Rules were simple, follow the river to the red tape, don’t lose site of the river, don’t get lost. The river and the banks were strewn with deadfall and clay. It was miserable walking in it, but the banks on each side were covered with continuous thickets of mountain laurel and pricker trip vine. There was no easy route. There was no fast route. I just had to make a choice and execute. At the end of the river, I had to make my way up a hill, then under a barbed wire fence that led to a wide-open field of beautiful grass and manicured pine trees. It looked like heaven after coming out of that riverbed. From the fence, there was about a 700-yard movement through the field to stage seven.
Stage seven honored Sgt Daniel Winegeart. Upon arriving the RO asked an intel question. Getting it wrong meant I would have to wear a glove on my dominant hand that has all the finger’s glue together, making it all but impossible to manipulate the weapons with that hand. I was fortunate enough to get the question correct and could forgo the glove. This stage required one hit on five rifle torsos about 100-130 yards away in the woods. The rifle had to be touching a tree that acted as the shooting box. Not all the targets were visible from one site of the tree, so I had to engage the last rifle target on the right side then ground a safe rifle, move left to a log where I would draw and engage about a dozen to fifteen pistol plates. The rain had my shooting glasses almost impossible to see through, even after wiping them. The rifle scope did fine, despite the drops on the ocular, but when I drew the pistol my ACRO red dot had water drops all over the front and rear lens. An initial shake had me in business but between the rain and the recoil of the pistol sending fine water drops all over the lenses, I quickly got to a point that I was seeing several dots and had to use my hand to clear the front and rear lens. This cost me a few seconds and was another lesson learned. I need to treat my lenses with some form of anti-fog/water repellent. It was maybe another mile to stage eight, the final stage before the run home. There were two more intel tips along this route and my map was drenched at this point. My backup plan of the phone also wasn’t working now as the touch screen of my iPhone would not work with my wet hands. This isn’t good…. I switched to a felt marker, increased my font size and hoped it wouldn’t bleed out.
Stage eight honored SFC Brett Walden, who was one of the horse soldiers of the Afghanistan invasion. This stage was straight forward. I was asked an intel question at arrival, which led to a tip I would receive shortly. At the beep I moved forward and engaged around fifteen pistol targets in a field, then ran to a wooden horse set up in a manner that allowed it to move if I moved or under recoil. The tip gave me the distances to the targets in the field, from the tiny poppers at 100-120 meters out to the last pair of gongs at just over 300 meters. It was pouring rain at this point and there was no keeping the water off the lenses, so I did my best to use a “frame hold” with the ACRO on the pistol targets and just did my best to see through the scope. Thankfully, they had the rifle steel painted black with a white steel backer so they stood out really well despite the rain and the wet lenses.
The run in was about .4th of a mile. Mrs. FatBoy and my daughter were there cheering me on, as were fellow competitors and their family and friends. I can’t express how much that helps. Upon crossing the line, I was met by an RO who checked for a clear rifle, had me safely clear my pistol and then pulled me aside to ask me a series of questions. After seeing my daughter get her coin, I figured I knew what this was, but I have to be honest, pressure was on. If she got the coin and I didn’t I’d never hear the end of it. Questions kept coming and since there was no time limit, I compared what I couldn’t read on the map to the phone pics and ultimately, I was awarded my first Legion Challenge coin. I hung Jeffs tag on the battlefield cross and moved to get out of the wet clothes and put down a plate a schnitzel and spaetzle Mrs. FatBoy had waiting.
Runners continued to stream down the hill and across the line for almost four more hours. The early runners faced very bright sun and crippling humidity. The mid-day runners had a mixture of heat and rain, bright sun and extreme cloud cover and the late runners had rain and darkness to contend with. Dealing with these challenges is one of the things I love most about Run and Gun, Mother Nature gets a vote. Just like real life, sometimes shits not fair. You can bitch, complain and quit or you can accept this and find a way to overcome adversity. There is a lot of personal growth that comes from competing in this type of event. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and stepping up to be challenged. Whether you come out on top or not, if you finish, you win.
Last runner came across the line about 1930. It was an epic scene with dozens of people running in with him, and dozens more cheering him on along the final route. Rain has finally let up and the ROs started to come in with the stage equipment. Everyone got cleaned up the best they could and made their way to the pavilion. There was a large prize table with an array of awesome awards, from the two Legion Award Swords to triggers, rifles, Nalgene bottles to scopes and everything in between. Jason spoke again about the impact of this match. Pete, from Alan’s Arsenal spoke about Ayman Taha and what he meant to him personally as well as awarded the high Olympic pistol shooter with a custom-made Gold AR-15. Shortly after, Matt and Trevor came down with the scores, but before going into that Trevor recognized and awarded the kids who attended each of the training courses. You could see the joy not only on their faces, but of their parents. Then, Jason and Trevor presented Matt a battle axe in appreciation for all the years of work he’s put into this match, custom made from an M240 machine gun barrel with a bearded axe head that has Matt at least initially prepared should he find himself in a Mad Max type situation. Matt called out the winners, alternating from Operator class to Lightfighter, moving down each subsequent place in class and giving the competitor the opportunity to draw from the prize table. It was a massive table with everyone having a chance to walk it for a prize. Of special note was two runners who drove all the way out just to be on standby for this race. They ended up stepping off as the last two runners and with the weather they were just entering the land navigation portion at dark. They were stopped for both safety and (my impression) the amount of time it would have taken for them to do this in the dark. These two runners were given the fifth and sixth option at the table for keeping a great attitude, sticking it out and dealing with everything thrown at them until they were pulled through no fault of their own. Another example of the Legion taking care of its own.
Lasting Impressions
Like every year before, I loved this event. This year was very special to me with my daughter also participating and having Mrs. FatBoy on site helping prep, taking pics and keeping us fed. I learned some valuable lessons about shooting in the rain, where I failed in my cardio training as well as where I need to work on both my cognitive and shooting skills. I met some awesome new friends, reconnected with friends from years prior and was privileged to witness people overcome adversity and thrive. Russ and Scott had the facility and the grounds prepared for the mass of people that this drew each day. Hundreds of extra people, vehicles, campers, etc. all managed seamlessly with grounds groomed like a golf course. Jason, Trevor, John, Paul, Ben, Josh and of course Matt’s months of work was evident as the match flowed smooth and efficiently from my perspective. The RO’s were outstanding, as always, and kept things moving safely and fun despite the heat and the rain. I cannot say enough about the Legion Memorial Match, its organizers and staff or how much it has meant to me personally. I’m already wondering what they’ll dream up for us next year.
(Garmin watch paused for an unknown amount of time/distance around stage 7)
A very special thanks you to the sponsors. If I missed any of you, I apologize.
Deadzero Shooting Park
Alan’s Arsenal
Spikes Tactical
Special Forces Association – Chapter 38
Tomahawk Strategic Solutions
Personal Survival Solutions
FN Firearms
Innovative Targets
Tenet Group
Samson
Run and Gun Tactics
Nightforce Precision Optics
Shadow Systems
Krate Tactical
Backman Consulting
The Cohen Clinic
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