A few weeks ago, I attended what I expect to be the first annual TENET Midnight Madness Night Run and Gun. A charity event ran on behalf of the family of CPT. Trevor Graves (5th SFG, Ret.), who was a plank holder of the now “infamous “Legion Memorial match, (really a weekend of events more than a match). When it was announced that the TENET Group (Jason Roberts, John Kettemen, Paul Klopfer, Ben Thompson, Josh Farmer, and Matt Stennett) was putting this on I immediately knew I wanted to be a part of it. That said, it raised some uncomfortable questions. Not only have I never done a night run and gun event, but also the reason behind this match had me asking some sad and frustrating questions again. Questions I don’t have answers for.
I only met Trevor Graves once, in 2021, at my first ever tactical Biathlon. He was unbelievably busy, coordinating chaos as well as running around with a paint ball gun and simulated S-Vest, but he took time to greet as many as he could with a smile and some “tough love “encouragement. I never had an opportunity to get to know him, but as a vet and living with people in and around the SOF and greater military community, I think I have a good idea of the kind of man Trevor was. When this match was announced I was again faced with asking the question, “why”? What is going on that we are losing the strongest, the very best of us? I wish I could say I had a solution, but I still can’t wrap my head around a too common occurrence in this community. Ultimately, we cannot change what has happened and the families that remain need to be remembered and supported.
Knowing the crew who plans, coordinates, and executes Legion, this match was bound to be epic. This was going to be physically and mentally challenging, as well as supporting a very worthy cause with the proceeds of the event all going to the Trevor Graves Memorial fund, held by the Special Forces Charitable Trust. I tracked the updates online until the minute before the event opened. Thirty seconds out I logged into Practice Score and started refreshing every 5 seconds until I saw the match open. I immediately registered, hoping for a slot. Sounds crazy, yes, but if you know the history of the matches these men host, you know they often sell out in less than 90 seconds. There is no room for complacency, you must act deliberately, or you won’t get in. This match basically followed that history, with only a few of the 96 slots remaining after just a few minutes, but I got in.
As a 50-year-old man with numerous major surgeries, there is almost no chance of me being at the top of the competitor board but that doesn’t mean pride and ego will allow me to just accept defeat and not push. Time to start training. Over the next few months, I watched for any updates. Little tips can often be derived from these updates and it benefits competitors to check. (Be aware, there will also be some PsyOps.). I sorted kit, worked to improve my shooting skills, and tested new gear in the Stennett Outlaw three gun matches at Deadzero. I stepped up weighted hikes with my dogs at trails across middle TN and did more zone 2 and 3 cardio. Also, after the Feb Stennett night 3 gun, I started training with a pistol red dot for the first time in my life. I only had a few weeks to get familiar with it and after 35 or so years of watching the front sight, this has been challenging. I ended up running with my TK Rifles built 14.5” AR/ACOG/RMR combo and a new Glock G47 with RMR on a light Ferro belt, a medium sized Haley chest rig and an Eagle pack with some water, med, hard cleaning rod and kit and some extra ammo. Required round count was a minimum of 61 rifle and 47 pistol and I planned to step off with 130 rifle, 120 pistol and 1.5 quarts of water.
Match day has arrived. Weather was perfect for an event like this. Daytime high was mid to high 50s, with a fair 5-10 mph wind and not a cloud in the sky. This was truly a blessing as it had rained much of the evening before, when the RO’s ran. The moon was to be almost full, high in the sky with 97+% illumination all night. Excellent for both classes of shooters, night vision and white Light.
At 1830 hours we opened with an introduction to Patrick Tucker, owner of the range complex which hosted the event, Cedar Creek Precision. Not only did he host it, but he also competed in the event with the ROs! In the introduction we learned the complex is built on a land grant that has been with his family since the late 1700s. Thirteen generations of his family have lived on the land, uninterrupted, and it now also holds a 1550-yard rifle range as well as numerous pistol/mixed use ranges and a bunch more I didn’t have an opportunity to see. The story behind the property, as well as the range and how it came to be is worthy of a write up unto itself.
After the introduction we moved into a safety briefing, course and range rules, some intel tips followed by a prayer. About 40 minutes later the moon was up, the sun was down, and the first runner was off. The runners were sent off every seven minutes and broken down by the classes, night vision, and then white light. My slot moved up about an hour, from 0021 hrs. to 2320 hrs., so I had plenty of time to meet some of the other competitors, discuss gear choices and talk with vendors.
There was a huge circus tent set up for sponsors. I walked around, listening and talking with the vendors and other competitors. It’s refreshing to be around people who understand this stuff and have similar interest. I spend a couple of hours checking out products and discussing new tech as well as getting to handle some very new and interesting kit. Stuff like phone apps being developed for first responders to aid in situational awareness (VKSys was live tracking some of the competitors on a big screen) to rifles, pistol grips, flashlights, and stocks. There was also food and gourmet Coffee available, with the fire cooked brats stealing the show. About 30 minutes out from my runtime, better get ready.
I changed into a light long sleeve, did some final weapons maintenance, re-checked kit/ammo/ batteries, etc. All good. Temp had dropped to about 38 degrees, so I pulled a cotton tee over my run shirt for an extra layer (mistake) and stuffed a jacket in my pack in case the wait times started to stack. All set, I moved to the start/finish line to wait.
There was a professional photographer on site, and the Mrs. asked me to get pictures if I could, so I bought a picture package. 10 minutes out they took a couple pics at the start line, and I was going to see their second photographer at stage one, where they were to catch some action shots.
Matt, Jason and team constantly monitored the stages and I suspect there was a little stacking (my assumption) so set off intervals adjusted, and my time pushed a bit. I stepped off at 12 on the dot. The run route was well marked with small LED lights on the ground and suspended in trees along the entire course. I’m not sure how many millions of tons of dirt, trees and brush had to be moved to create these ranges, berms and cut this course in, but it was immense. The trails were well groomed, wide, and fairly level. First stage was a quick jog downhill to an array of mixed-use bays.
Stage one was a combination of two ranges. It had shooters starting at a “shoot house” type stage. Shooters entered a door and moved to open slots on interior walls to engage steel rifle targets. Once all rifle targets were neutralized the rifle was dumped and the shooter ran around a berm for pistol targets. Upon arrival shooters were instructed to load the pistol and then engage targets based on the ROs commands, starting with a dueling tree, and moving left to shoot through tires and other obstacles. This was a challenging stage for me, and I ran out of time, acquiring a whopping ten penalties on the very first stage. (+100 points) (NOTE: holster is tight, making re-holstering hard)
Stage two was just one hundred yards to the left and combined two ranges as well. It was a medium length course of fire with pistol targets staged out in a field at about 25-30 yards and once neutralized the shooter had a choice to take a shorter, steep route up to the rifle range or they could take an easier route that was much longer. Once on the rifle portion there were five torso sized targets running up a ridge line between 100-175 yards away. These had to be engaged from a VTAC barricade, shooters choice of position. The closer targets went quickly, but I soon realized that between the smoke from my rounds and the limited throw from my weapons light, I could not spot/engage the last two targets. I timed out with two targets outstanding. Chalk up two more penalties. (+20) (NOTE: I need more throw from my rifle light)
On to stage three, movement was about half a mile up the hill. Along the route there were a couple odd colored chemlights which marked the opening of a cave. For those paying attention, there was an ammo box in the opening with poker chips in it. Bonus chip #1 found. Continue to the stage. Stage three had three firing points designated by chemlights on rock outcrops. The targets were located about 100-120 yards away on the far side of a tree line, left of a chemlight that designated the right-side safety fan. This was a steep angle and you had to move on the firing points to see/engage all three targets. At the beep I moved up and spent the next 90 or so seconds trying to find the first target. My light just did not have enough throw to identify and validate the targets again. It was hugely frustrating. I ended up making it through the first firing point, but I timed out before making it to the second firing point. The RO said a couple words of encouragement, but I heard the shooter ahead of me clear the stage in 88 seconds, so it was frustrating. Take a mental note of what to do better next time and let it go. I can’t change it now. Weapons cleared and checked, off to stage four. (+80)(NOTE: I really need a better flashlight)
It was about a one-mile movement to stage four, which was a fairly close course of fire and incorporated some movement. At the beep we engaged eight to ten pistol gongs in a field while moving right to left toward a parked side by side, which held a staged shotgun. Oddly, I could not hit with my red dot so I transitioned to irons and moved through the pistol targets, holstering and recovering the shotgun. There was no light on the shotgun, so we had to chamber, find and engage four steel targets in the field. With the moon fully up and bright it was fairly easy to see, and I managed to clear this stage. My first success! Off to stage five. (+0)
Stage five was a longer movement. It was probably about 1.7 miles of mixed terrain to the stage, including some small creeks, etc. I missed an opportunity for a chip in this movement by not paying attention. This was a fast stage, with four pistol targets followed by five rifle targets staged in the woods between 20-40 yards. A bit of left and right movement was required to see all the targets, which was a common theme to this match. We started with both weapons loaded and at the beep the shooter drew their pistol, neutralized the gongs, holstered and transitioned to the rifle. Targets were easy to pick up with the white light in these conditions/distances and it went pretty well for me. Holster continued to give me some issues but overall, a very fun stage. Off to stage six. (+0)
About a one-mile movement to stage six. Along the way I was cruising nicely when my foot caught something and to the ground I went. I hit hard enough to set off the life alert on my Garmin. I did a quick health check, checked my kit to see if I had a yard sale and ensured my muzzle was clear of any obstructions and I was back on my way. Along the way here was a sign, “by land or sea”? Being fairly tired and this point and figuring I had a 50/50 chance; I just went left as it was downhill. What I should have done is looked up to see the lantern in the window of the cabin out in the field, but these are the mental games they play. So, I ran an extra .25 miles on the course for being dumb. At stage six we had a forward movement burn down of about seventy-five yards. You could not see the targets until you got past each barricade. There was a set of IPSC targets behind each and at the end of the lane, two steel torsos. Had I looked up instead of just plowing forward I could have engaged the steel from the last barricade. Not too much time added for that mistake, but seconds add up. I loved this stage. Off to stage seven. (+0, +.25 miles)
Along the route to stage seven there was a decent sized creek with a waterfall and a slackline. Upstream from the falls was an abnormal string of lights. Could be a trick, could be a chip. I had to check. It paid off, chip 2 in hand I’m back on trail. The route took us back toward the camp area, then downhill to the tree line where the ROs at stage seven had twenty bowling pins set up somewhere out in the darkness. Because I had two chips. I could choose to augment my pistol with either a semi auto shotgun with two rounds of birdshot or a CZ scorpion with twenty rounds in the mag. Had I found the third chip, an HK MP5 was also available. Two chips in hand, I took the CZ. At the buzzer we had 20 seconds to knock down all twenty pins. CZ was very accurate at the 30-35 yards to the pins. About twelve pins down, I hand off an empty CZ, drew the pistol and went at it. At the twenty second mark I still had one pin standing. Ten more points added. (+10)
Off to the finish line, about .25 miles which had us run around a pond and up the hill to the line. I came across at 1:55. Drenched in sweat, the mid-thirty-degree air took the edge off until I cooled down, then it got downright cold. Lucky for us, there were three warming fires going! I’m not sure of my wait times, maybe 7 minutes total but I stacked up a whopping 210 penalty points. By far the most I have ever accumulated in a match. The last runner came across the line around 0330 hours and by 0400 the TENET team was ready to announce the winners. We moved into the tent where there was a well-stocked prize table that had been set up. The sponsors that were on site spoke a bit about their companies and why they supported the match. Trevor Saunders spoke about Trevor Graves and reiterated the meaning of this match. Jason went over the founding of TENET Group, its mission and what it means to those who are part of it, then Matt announced the top shooters in NV and WL and continued down the list alternating between run categories.
For me, it was a very humbling match, but also extremely rewarding. Shooting was challenging, especially initial stages. Run route had a significant amount of elevation changes. Much more than I expected in Hopkinsville KY. In the end, I finished mid-pack. Nobody is happy unless they’re first, but my run time was much better than it has been, and looking at the scores, this match was challenging for most shooters. Matt posted about a week later that they had raised and donated $10,000 to Trevor’s family fund. A fun, safe, successful match.
This match will be a “must attend” for me for as many years as I am able to attend and can wrangle a slot. A flawlessly run match from my perspective. Every stage moved along well with little, if any, wait time. Challenging stages on professional ranges with a well-marked and maintained route. It flowed beautifully. I cannot wait until next year.
Very special thank you to the sponsors, who went out of their way to support this match and the participants. I apologize if I missed any.
TENET Group
Cedar Creek Precision
Alan’s Arsenal
Glory Guns
Spikes Tactical
VKSYS
Noveske
Cloud Defense
Premier Body Armor
DTV Tactical
THRiL
Zerotech Optics
Sonic Boom
Hannanman Creative Studios
Gini’s Coffee
I only met Trevor Graves once, in 2021, at my first ever tactical Biathlon. He was unbelievably busy, coordinating chaos as well as running around with a paint ball gun and simulated S-Vest, but he took time to greet as many as he could with a smile and some “tough love “encouragement. I never had an opportunity to get to know him, but as a vet and living with people in and around the SOF and greater military community, I think I have a good idea of the kind of man Trevor was. When this match was announced I was again faced with asking the question, “why”? What is going on that we are losing the strongest, the very best of us? I wish I could say I had a solution, but I still can’t wrap my head around a too common occurrence in this community. Ultimately, we cannot change what has happened and the families that remain need to be remembered and supported.
Knowing the crew who plans, coordinates, and executes Legion, this match was bound to be epic. This was going to be physically and mentally challenging, as well as supporting a very worthy cause with the proceeds of the event all going to the Trevor Graves Memorial fund, held by the Special Forces Charitable Trust. I tracked the updates online until the minute before the event opened. Thirty seconds out I logged into Practice Score and started refreshing every 5 seconds until I saw the match open. I immediately registered, hoping for a slot. Sounds crazy, yes, but if you know the history of the matches these men host, you know they often sell out in less than 90 seconds. There is no room for complacency, you must act deliberately, or you won’t get in. This match basically followed that history, with only a few of the 96 slots remaining after just a few minutes, but I got in.
As a 50-year-old man with numerous major surgeries, there is almost no chance of me being at the top of the competitor board but that doesn’t mean pride and ego will allow me to just accept defeat and not push. Time to start training. Over the next few months, I watched for any updates. Little tips can often be derived from these updates and it benefits competitors to check. (Be aware, there will also be some PsyOps.). I sorted kit, worked to improve my shooting skills, and tested new gear in the Stennett Outlaw three gun matches at Deadzero. I stepped up weighted hikes with my dogs at trails across middle TN and did more zone 2 and 3 cardio. Also, after the Feb Stennett night 3 gun, I started training with a pistol red dot for the first time in my life. I only had a few weeks to get familiar with it and after 35 or so years of watching the front sight, this has been challenging. I ended up running with my TK Rifles built 14.5” AR/ACOG/RMR combo and a new Glock G47 with RMR on a light Ferro belt, a medium sized Haley chest rig and an Eagle pack with some water, med, hard cleaning rod and kit and some extra ammo. Required round count was a minimum of 61 rifle and 47 pistol and I planned to step off with 130 rifle, 120 pistol and 1.5 quarts of water.
Match day has arrived. Weather was perfect for an event like this. Daytime high was mid to high 50s, with a fair 5-10 mph wind and not a cloud in the sky. This was truly a blessing as it had rained much of the evening before, when the RO’s ran. The moon was to be almost full, high in the sky with 97+% illumination all night. Excellent for both classes of shooters, night vision and white Light.
At 1830 hours we opened with an introduction to Patrick Tucker, owner of the range complex which hosted the event, Cedar Creek Precision. Not only did he host it, but he also competed in the event with the ROs! In the introduction we learned the complex is built on a land grant that has been with his family since the late 1700s. Thirteen generations of his family have lived on the land, uninterrupted, and it now also holds a 1550-yard rifle range as well as numerous pistol/mixed use ranges and a bunch more I didn’t have an opportunity to see. The story behind the property, as well as the range and how it came to be is worthy of a write up unto itself.
After the introduction we moved into a safety briefing, course and range rules, some intel tips followed by a prayer. About 40 minutes later the moon was up, the sun was down, and the first runner was off. The runners were sent off every seven minutes and broken down by the classes, night vision, and then white light. My slot moved up about an hour, from 0021 hrs. to 2320 hrs., so I had plenty of time to meet some of the other competitors, discuss gear choices and talk with vendors.
There was a huge circus tent set up for sponsors. I walked around, listening and talking with the vendors and other competitors. It’s refreshing to be around people who understand this stuff and have similar interest. I spend a couple of hours checking out products and discussing new tech as well as getting to handle some very new and interesting kit. Stuff like phone apps being developed for first responders to aid in situational awareness (VKSys was live tracking some of the competitors on a big screen) to rifles, pistol grips, flashlights, and stocks. There was also food and gourmet Coffee available, with the fire cooked brats stealing the show. About 30 minutes out from my runtime, better get ready.
I changed into a light long sleeve, did some final weapons maintenance, re-checked kit/ammo/ batteries, etc. All good. Temp had dropped to about 38 degrees, so I pulled a cotton tee over my run shirt for an extra layer (mistake) and stuffed a jacket in my pack in case the wait times started to stack. All set, I moved to the start/finish line to wait.
There was a professional photographer on site, and the Mrs. asked me to get pictures if I could, so I bought a picture package. 10 minutes out they took a couple pics at the start line, and I was going to see their second photographer at stage one, where they were to catch some action shots.
Matt, Jason and team constantly monitored the stages and I suspect there was a little stacking (my assumption) so set off intervals adjusted, and my time pushed a bit. I stepped off at 12 on the dot. The run route was well marked with small LED lights on the ground and suspended in trees along the entire course. I’m not sure how many millions of tons of dirt, trees and brush had to be moved to create these ranges, berms and cut this course in, but it was immense. The trails were well groomed, wide, and fairly level. First stage was a quick jog downhill to an array of mixed-use bays.
Stage one was a combination of two ranges. It had shooters starting at a “shoot house” type stage. Shooters entered a door and moved to open slots on interior walls to engage steel rifle targets. Once all rifle targets were neutralized the rifle was dumped and the shooter ran around a berm for pistol targets. Upon arrival shooters were instructed to load the pistol and then engage targets based on the ROs commands, starting with a dueling tree, and moving left to shoot through tires and other obstacles. This was a challenging stage for me, and I ran out of time, acquiring a whopping ten penalties on the very first stage. (+100 points) (NOTE: holster is tight, making re-holstering hard)
Stage two was just one hundred yards to the left and combined two ranges as well. It was a medium length course of fire with pistol targets staged out in a field at about 25-30 yards and once neutralized the shooter had a choice to take a shorter, steep route up to the rifle range or they could take an easier route that was much longer. Once on the rifle portion there were five torso sized targets running up a ridge line between 100-175 yards away. These had to be engaged from a VTAC barricade, shooters choice of position. The closer targets went quickly, but I soon realized that between the smoke from my rounds and the limited throw from my weapons light, I could not spot/engage the last two targets. I timed out with two targets outstanding. Chalk up two more penalties. (+20) (NOTE: I need more throw from my rifle light)
On to stage three, movement was about half a mile up the hill. Along the route there were a couple odd colored chemlights which marked the opening of a cave. For those paying attention, there was an ammo box in the opening with poker chips in it. Bonus chip #1 found. Continue to the stage. Stage three had three firing points designated by chemlights on rock outcrops. The targets were located about 100-120 yards away on the far side of a tree line, left of a chemlight that designated the right-side safety fan. This was a steep angle and you had to move on the firing points to see/engage all three targets. At the beep I moved up and spent the next 90 or so seconds trying to find the first target. My light just did not have enough throw to identify and validate the targets again. It was hugely frustrating. I ended up making it through the first firing point, but I timed out before making it to the second firing point. The RO said a couple words of encouragement, but I heard the shooter ahead of me clear the stage in 88 seconds, so it was frustrating. Take a mental note of what to do better next time and let it go. I can’t change it now. Weapons cleared and checked, off to stage four. (+80)(NOTE: I really need a better flashlight)
It was about a one-mile movement to stage four, which was a fairly close course of fire and incorporated some movement. At the beep we engaged eight to ten pistol gongs in a field while moving right to left toward a parked side by side, which held a staged shotgun. Oddly, I could not hit with my red dot so I transitioned to irons and moved through the pistol targets, holstering and recovering the shotgun. There was no light on the shotgun, so we had to chamber, find and engage four steel targets in the field. With the moon fully up and bright it was fairly easy to see, and I managed to clear this stage. My first success! Off to stage five. (+0)
Stage five was a longer movement. It was probably about 1.7 miles of mixed terrain to the stage, including some small creeks, etc. I missed an opportunity for a chip in this movement by not paying attention. This was a fast stage, with four pistol targets followed by five rifle targets staged in the woods between 20-40 yards. A bit of left and right movement was required to see all the targets, which was a common theme to this match. We started with both weapons loaded and at the beep the shooter drew their pistol, neutralized the gongs, holstered and transitioned to the rifle. Targets were easy to pick up with the white light in these conditions/distances and it went pretty well for me. Holster continued to give me some issues but overall, a very fun stage. Off to stage six. (+0)
About a one-mile movement to stage six. Along the way I was cruising nicely when my foot caught something and to the ground I went. I hit hard enough to set off the life alert on my Garmin. I did a quick health check, checked my kit to see if I had a yard sale and ensured my muzzle was clear of any obstructions and I was back on my way. Along the way here was a sign, “by land or sea”? Being fairly tired and this point and figuring I had a 50/50 chance; I just went left as it was downhill. What I should have done is looked up to see the lantern in the window of the cabin out in the field, but these are the mental games they play. So, I ran an extra .25 miles on the course for being dumb. At stage six we had a forward movement burn down of about seventy-five yards. You could not see the targets until you got past each barricade. There was a set of IPSC targets behind each and at the end of the lane, two steel torsos. Had I looked up instead of just plowing forward I could have engaged the steel from the last barricade. Not too much time added for that mistake, but seconds add up. I loved this stage. Off to stage seven. (+0, +.25 miles)
Along the route to stage seven there was a decent sized creek with a waterfall and a slackline. Upstream from the falls was an abnormal string of lights. Could be a trick, could be a chip. I had to check. It paid off, chip 2 in hand I’m back on trail. The route took us back toward the camp area, then downhill to the tree line where the ROs at stage seven had twenty bowling pins set up somewhere out in the darkness. Because I had two chips. I could choose to augment my pistol with either a semi auto shotgun with two rounds of birdshot or a CZ scorpion with twenty rounds in the mag. Had I found the third chip, an HK MP5 was also available. Two chips in hand, I took the CZ. At the buzzer we had 20 seconds to knock down all twenty pins. CZ was very accurate at the 30-35 yards to the pins. About twelve pins down, I hand off an empty CZ, drew the pistol and went at it. At the twenty second mark I still had one pin standing. Ten more points added. (+10)
Off to the finish line, about .25 miles which had us run around a pond and up the hill to the line. I came across at 1:55. Drenched in sweat, the mid-thirty-degree air took the edge off until I cooled down, then it got downright cold. Lucky for us, there were three warming fires going! I’m not sure of my wait times, maybe 7 minutes total but I stacked up a whopping 210 penalty points. By far the most I have ever accumulated in a match. The last runner came across the line around 0330 hours and by 0400 the TENET team was ready to announce the winners. We moved into the tent where there was a well-stocked prize table that had been set up. The sponsors that were on site spoke a bit about their companies and why they supported the match. Trevor Saunders spoke about Trevor Graves and reiterated the meaning of this match. Jason went over the founding of TENET Group, its mission and what it means to those who are part of it, then Matt announced the top shooters in NV and WL and continued down the list alternating between run categories.
For me, it was a very humbling match, but also extremely rewarding. Shooting was challenging, especially initial stages. Run route had a significant amount of elevation changes. Much more than I expected in Hopkinsville KY. In the end, I finished mid-pack. Nobody is happy unless they’re first, but my run time was much better than it has been, and looking at the scores, this match was challenging for most shooters. Matt posted about a week later that they had raised and donated $10,000 to Trevor’s family fund. A fun, safe, successful match.
This match will be a “must attend” for me for as many years as I am able to attend and can wrangle a slot. A flawlessly run match from my perspective. Every stage moved along well with little, if any, wait time. Challenging stages on professional ranges with a well-marked and maintained route. It flowed beautifully. I cannot wait until next year.
Very special thank you to the sponsors, who went out of their way to support this match and the participants. I apologize if I missed any.
TENET Group
Cedar Creek Precision
Alan’s Arsenal
Glory Guns
Spikes Tactical
VKSYS
Noveske
Cloud Defense
Premier Body Armor
DTV Tactical
THRiL
Zerotech Optics
Sonic Boom
Hannanman Creative Studios
Gini’s Coffee
