OPERATION FLOOD WARNING

13 September 2008

    It rained and rained and rained some more. In thirteen or fourteen years of going to Camp Stasa, I have not seen this much rain. With the rain, and a hurricane threatening to drive up gas prices, and the fact that training was scheduled on an odd weekend, we weren't sure if anyone at all would show up.

   Well, Weapon M, Mrs Weapon M, Speedbomb, Mad Hatter, Chuckwagon, a new non-call-signed person, and a reporter from WKAR Radio in East Lansing all showed up in the brutal downpour to get really soggy, test our ponchos, and drive Hatter's ATV through the mud.

  First, The Dodge Neon. No way, no how, never ever, not even on a good dry day would I even THINK about driving a Neon to the back. Nope. Not me. But the wife can be persuasive...

  We made it back, though I am still unclear how. Thank God for front wheel drive. I soon realized that we would get stuck if we left the Neon in the woods much longer, as the rain just kept coming down, so I decided to drive it back up front and walk back. That's where I got a flat and got stuck. We put some fix-a-flat in the tire, and Mrs. Weapon M got it out, and took off like the proverbial bat out off hell. Keep a can or two or three of this in your vehicle if you can.

  Next, the ATV. (Above, left) Hatter's machine just plowed on through the mud, at any depth. This is a very useful item, and if you can afford one (can we, honey? pleasepleaseplease?), I suggest you find a good ATV of your own. Get one that can carry an extra person, like Hatter's. These are great for hauling gear, food, supplies, and The Coordinator's wife back to the range. 

  The rain. There comes a point when you just have to surrender to the rain, and abandon any attempts at staying dry. Even my much vaunted Danners could not stop water that leaked in over their top. Jungle boots were made for this exact kind of mess, as they have drain holes in the sides. The ponchos would have worked fine, if we didn't drive that ATV through splashtacular mud puddles, and if the rain didn't decide to come in horizontally at times. Also, the air itself was so wet, that under your poncho began to collect moisture. Maybe something more expensive, like Gore-Tex rain gear would have been okay, but for the most part, we were all just soaked.

   Shooting. Eric passed his gear check, but the rain made shooting his Mosin Nagant just a bit difficult, as the target kept getting soggy, and the rain, mist, and generally yuckiness made seeing the target hard. Still, he did get on the paper at 100 yards, which is a good start. 

   Compass class. In the rain, we covered azimuths, back azimuths, pace counting (we all did this) and the fact that navigation may sometimes require math. We also checked each compass to see that they were all on the same sheet of music. We covered hand and arm signals for "pace count", "map check", and "compass check", and the need to have back up persons for these jobs. In the rain. 

   Frogs. Lots of them. More than you could count. I think they were being flooded out of the swamp area. 

   The range. Everything has been, or is being stripped down and out. For whatever remaining time we are able to use the range, we need to bring our own everything. I don't know if there can be any arrangement made to keep shooting out there, and we need to get with the appropriate people soon on this.

  Guns and gear. It all got wet and required extensive cleaning and drying. NEVER leave your gun in a case after the range, especially when it has rained. Break down and air out ALL of your gear, including ponchos and clothing items. This might take a day or two, but do your rifles first, then air and dry everything else.

  Pictures. We will have more soon. Cameras got wet and foggy, and maybe we should even get a cheap waterproof camera for rainy day training pictures. A couple of the guys took some with their digital cameras, maybe they came out. (The above pics of the lovely Mrs. M were taken before our camera fogged up completely....)

  The reporter, Rob, asked some good questions and we hope we answered all of his questions completely. We also hope he got those chocolate chips and margarine home in time...

  See you in October for The Zombie Qualification Shoot 2008!!!!!

  -Weapon M