Muddylicious.

Operation Muddylicious, Jan 6th, 2007, saw a handful of teams, including the newly established OCV unit, deploy to Camp Stasa to participate in a full AQT drill, re-qualify, do some tactical training, and gape in wonder and amazement at the growing number of Holy Rifles present (The One Rifle, above all others, amen, amen).

It was, well, rather muddy. Black Jack and Irish (you would be hard pressed to find a better set of instructors) were running the full blown AQT for nine hardy participants. There are links to this online. This is one of the better shooting drills in which one can participate.

Big props to Hunter for busting a 200+ on the AQT drill with his new AR. Hunter is a good example of someone whose progress we have enjoyed watching. From "FNG" to expert on the AQT is quite a step.

Left: The AQT. Do this, Maynard. Right: Hunter gets the prize.

Because it was a fun, muddy day, and the road was in such a gleefully sloppy condition, Mad Hatter and Weapon M decided to re-qualify Level One. The gear check went well, the weapon break down was good. (We did talk about adjusting the level one first aid kit from a one ounce tube of antibiotic ointment to several, maybe four, single use packets. These can be purchased in bulk and the cost shared by many.)

Both Weapon M with his Daewoo .223 and Mad Hatter, with his AK, shot the requirement on the second try, neither using a scope.

The walk, along which we were accompanied by D-Day, was a hideous, sloppy, agonizing mess of militia fun. The fact that we each carried two side arms (for effect, or we were too lazy to remove them, whatever) did not help. But you should learn how your sidearm fits and carries, and if it rubs you the wrong way or not. We do not require side arms, except for support persons, but many of us carry them anyway. Because we can.

Left: Faces and hands are highly visible.                           Right: Good boots are critical.

Black Jack then took The OCV and assorted other folks out for two-person team tactical training. This covered listening techniques (one of which will be shown only to persons in the field), movement techniques, noise reduction, and a simple, field expedient way to check for trip wires by dangling a small branch in front of you. (Note, US servicemen in Iraq now spray a room entrance with silly string to check for tripwires, which shows good old American ingenuity at work...)

Class. Overall good camo. Note black gear on left. Good bunch.

A lot of people incorporate black into their camo set up. In the summer when heavy foliage provides dense shadows, this might (might, might, might) be okay, but when the leaf cover has been reduced, black tends to stand out. Subdue your coloring, even black, please.

Not an excessive day, but remember each time you shoot or otherwise train can really only help. There may come a day when the survival of your community depends upon it.