Shoot With & Support 5th Group Special Forces: 9/9-9/10, Rockcastle Shooting Center

[Matt in TN]

For those that don't know, I'm doing all the match admin stuff while my 5th Group counterparts give me direction on what they want to see and take care of the sponsorships and prize table stuff. I am amazed (but not surprised, given what these guys make happen on a regular basis) how much they've been able to accomplish in the three short weeks since we hatched this idea. Here's all the sponsors they have on board already:



For anyone NOT coming - you will be sorry you didn't shoot this match when you see the video and pics. I wish I could share more ahead of time - but $50 match fee, all these sponsors, a great cause, awesome stages you won't see anywhere else - you've got nothing to lose!

And don't even think of using your current fitness level as an excuse. ANYONE can finish this course, no matter your fitness level. And I promise you, you will never have so much fun working so hard in your life.

We have only 16 slots left open for the 5k, and PLENTY still available for the shooting stages only ("2-Gun Match") on Sunday. Don't wait. Just do it.

[ClangClang]

Matt, what's the possibility of camping onsite at Rockcastle? Trying to minimize costs.

[Matt in TN]

Rockcastle runs an onsite Lodge, so they won't allow camping (except in rare circumstances) as it would undercut their Lodge stays. There are several campgrounds nearby though if you need to cut costs - just look on google maps.

However - they are running a special match rate of $59/night at the Lodge. And staying there really does get you the full experience. There are so many little things that come along with cramming a bunch of like-minded folks in close proximity to each other - it's well worth it!

[Matt in TN]

Some gear/preparation advice directly from 5th Group Personnel:

Here are my thoughts on equipment load outs for a match like this. I will discuss my mindset on how I would go about organizing myself and my equipment for a situation like this. I will add pictures for examples of loadouts as soon as I get more than a second free. This might not be exactly what you thought it would be at first, but if you're patient I think you can gain from it. I hope this helps somebody out there at least....

It is my opinion, that the best way to start attacking a problem set like this is to first outline the problem, the knowns/unknowns, and the gaps in either your training or equipment. Only after you do this can you be truly confident that what you have setup is truly best for you and the situation.

First: The problem
This situation can be reminiscent of a combat scenario. You know your general goals, but are blind to the things most gamers deem mandatory such as a finite round-count, target ranges and sizes and locations. While some of this information may be presented to you at the stage brief it does you little to no good during match preparation. If faced with a problem-set like this we will attempt to define what we can, and outline the things we cannot that will affect our equipment loadout. This is an example of what I would define as the problem.
Problem: Move 5 kilometers, on foot, carrying all necessary equipment throughout varying levels and types of terrain, stopping sporadically to engage targets of unknown type, size, distance and number.

Second: Knowns/Unkowns
Now we can begin to outline issues that we have with this that will drive our preparation. First I like to address the "knowns". Thinking on the things that we truly know helps us to orient ourselves productively right off the bat.
Knowns:
All targets will be engaged with a centerfire rifle and/or pistol
Said rifle, pistol, equipment and ammunition must be carried throughout the entire course (safely!)
Match is run rain or shine
Location of the course
Varying terrain both on stable and unstable ground
Weapons must not be loaded until told to do so
May not rearrange gear once arriving at stage

Unknowns:
Total number of targets
Distance to individual targets
Type or variance of obstacles on course

These are just examples. I would keep record of them. As you continue planning, reference your knowns and unknowns. Its possible that some new data has emerged and you can now either fill a hole or verify a previous unknown. After defining what knowns and unknowns that we can, we will begin our initial planning process. For this situation it will mostly involve equipment selection. In order to do this it might be necessary to make assumptions. Assumptions are something that we will assume to be true in order to effectively plan for the event. You can use many things to make you assumptions, but they should be logical. Prior experience in the area, data gathered from research or commone sense are all ways of coming to assumptions. For example, as a competitor I noticed that Matt is involved in this match. I also know that Matt previously ran a match on the same property. Lets go back and review Matt's match with a thread located on this very forum. After reading I make a couple of assumptions.

Assumptions:
I will get very dirty
I will engage targets with weapons that are not mine

There are many other examples, but these two will drive my planning. My first assumption will lead me to plan for a way to keep my equipment from being affected by my environment. It would really suck to drag all that ammo across the course just to have it fail because you didn't have a way of keeping your rifle from getting totally destroyed. Our second assumption could possibly drive our trainup. Perhaps your current eyewear provide no issues when shooting through a reddot optic but are horrendous when trying to shoot from a.... let's just say iron-sight AK47...hypothetically. This might drive you to carry more/different equipment.

After assumptions, knowns and unknowns are complete you should have a fairly solid list of all the equipment that you need to bring with you. Now that brings us to the part most people were waiting on.....How the hell do you carry all of it, without just stuffing it into a backpack?

Once you have all of your necessary equipment decided on, if you can collect it into one space. The best way to do this is to physically evaluate what all you have. After that I like to separate my equipment into different tiers. For the purpose of this match it will be slightly different from how we would plan, but still very similar.

Tier 1 - This will be stuff loaded directly onto my body sans stuff on a chest rig (if one is used). For my purposes this is all the equipment including my clothes, or equipment carried by my clothes and all the equipment on my belt, whether using some type of pistol belt or rigging everything up to a sturdy trouser belt. Based off of our knowns, unknowns and assumptions we can plan what needs to be at this tier of gear. This is all equipment that I need rapid access too. This is stuff that I will use first during the course of fire and then topped off out of my bag afterwards. If I were to run this match my loadout would look something like this:
PLACE HOLDER FOR PICTURE
Combat Pant (ie Crye, Patagonia, or cheap ass cargo pants) - Something that will dry quickly if I happen to get wet or super muddy. Plenty of pockets for storing dope cards, snacks,etc
Short sleeve outdoor shirt - I prefer short sleeve if the weather allows and I think I might get wet. I don't see the need in this situation to go around wearing your long sleeve Crye combat top. Your friends really don't think its as cool as you do. If you deem it necessary, then by all means, CM. If not I like something with a couple of pockets up top, and something that will also dry fast. You know, IF I get wet.
Volund Gear Inner Belt - Velcro lined inner belt. Same as standard competition inner belt but with a G-Hook instead of just velcro for retention
Volund Gear Outter belt - This goes over the outter belt. Extremely more lo-profile than your standard "battle belt" as well as more rigid. Not as likely to get hung up on obstacle or move around. There are many systems like it, but this one is AWESOME! On this belt I would have my pistol holster, 1-2 rifle mag pouch with some form of active retention, 2 pistol mag pouches with some form of active retention and dump pouch. I also keep a multi-tool on my belt to the rear of holster as well as a med pouch. The multi-tool is a disaster mitigater, so I want it as fast as possible when there is a bad situation. The med pouch is just a good idea to train with but not necessary for this match. If you use one in your current career field, this is a good place to put it along with the others I'll mention later. I don't always wear a full-on pistol belt, but when I do...it looks a lot like this
Eyepro - Better worn than carried. If the route takes you through the woods, taking a stick to the dome is a real possibility. I could see stowing your ear pro between stages, but I'd keep that eye pro on your head.


Tier 2 - This is how you carry your immediate surplus. For most guys this is going to look like a chest rack, but there are other creative ways to address it. I would use a chest rack because its A) What I know B ) Reinforces my work loadout and C ) The only other creative way I can personally think of is stuffing shit in your pockets or carrying a second bag. I did think of just loading 90% of my stuff in a bag, and then topping my belt off between stages but I think the chest rack works best for me. Here is what my loadout would look like:
PLACE HOLDER FOR PICTURE
A relatively small rig is all that is really needed, especially without the requirement to carry a radio or first aid. The first mistake most people make in a chest rack is trying to bring a double basic load, along with a bunch of other unnecessary stuff. There are way better ways to carry all that stuff in your bag, where it carries on your body way better than up front on your chest. Keep it light. On the rack that I will post photos of I am carrying 3 mags, a radio pouch, a med pouch, and a GP pouch. One creative way that I found to carry my GP pouch is with the Haley Strategic Multi-Mission Hanger Pouch. The pouch uses velcro, found on most chest racks these days, and hangs down. It's actually pretty great on the comfort level and doesn't bounce around the family jewels as much as most would guess when looking at it. It can be removed easily when not needed, stays where its supposed to when you do, and can be pulled off if you need to work out of it when using it as a back up medical pouch or weapons repair kit pouch. If you don't have a need to carry a radio or med kit in your daily life, then you could absolutely carry everything you need to shoot this match effectively on what most would call a micro rig. Other brands I really like for the appropriate size of kit are the Haley Strategic D3CR, HSGI AO Small Chest rig, and really anything from Mayflower. All of these kits also integrate seamlessly into some great body armor setups with quick clips. If building your own kit, for mag pouches I would use something with a retaining band, especially for this match. We could debate the effectiveness of passive retention all night. When there are unknowns involved, active retention is often best. For a GP pouch, generally go smaller than you think you need. If you get a big one, you will just stuff it with everything you think you need. You don't. You really don't. What I would really get away from is anything with the words "thigh rig" in it. They are rarely the appropriate piece of kit for anyone, are often set up incorrectly, and hinder movement extremely. If its not on your belt ready to feed the gun, its in the chest rig waiting, or in the pack.....

Tier 3 - Your non-immediate surplus equipment. This will be everything else you have left. This often does require some creativity in housing. If you throw it all in a pack, chances are whatever is on the bottom you will need first and rapidly. Also, just throwing everything into the bag doesn't carry very well. Heavy items will all eventually end up on the bottom and create an awful sensation that can lead to lower back pain as you run. The solution for this, unfortunately, often ends up being: buy the right piece of equipment for the job. Some good rules of thumb here are similar to the chest rack. Don't buy something huge. Look at your physical load out after gathering all your equipment. Set aside what is carried and worn on your person, belt or chest rig. Its possible all that is in your bag is backup batteries, spare ear pro, and your filled mags. In that case, pick the smallest surplus carrying system you can and go to work. I'll post pictures of bags that I have found helpful. Things I would consider: If you have this awesome bailout bag in your closet or truck that you have carefully pieced together and is the envy of all of your friends; Then bring it out and drag it through the mud. Use this opportunity to test your equipment, training or plans for either.

[Matt in TN]

Alright - we're less than two weeks out. And we have a few slots still left open. It's not too late to sign up!

For those of you who have trained your whole lives for something like this, this match will be awesome! You will finally have a place you can put all of your skills together in a match that plays to your strengths, and you'll feel like a thoroughbred finally set free to run.

For those of you who have NEVER attempted anything like this, are intimidated by all of the crazy workouts posted here, and are having severe second thoughts lately - it will be even better. Whatever you do, JUST DON'T QUIT. 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.
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. I would love nothing better than to see the last and slowest competitor of the day, trudging their way up the last hill, accompanied by 40 of their newest friends. Help me make that happen.

Let's do this.

[Matt in TN]

Ok folks - Saturday is officially "sold out" now! There are still plenty of slots open for Sunday's match (shooting stages only - no run or obstacles). You might as well sign up now and book a room for Saturday night - you know you'll only want a hot shower and a few beers after Saturday (as opposed to a long drive home), and then a 2nd chance at those stages on Sunday after all the "man, I wish I would have..." talk over drinks after the match.

Some pretty cool stats from registration:

91 total competitors
35 are active duty 5th Group
60% are signed up for Combat Class

This last one blows my mind - we've had a handful of nuts run "heavy" at other matches for various trophies or bragging rights. Maybe 5 people at most. This match has FIFTY FOUR! I am REALLY looking forward to seeing all these maniacs work through this course!

And I'd still encourage anyone interested to sign up for Saturday and get on the waiting list. We had several last minute cancellations in March, so it wouldn't surprise me if we had a few here too.

[Matt in TN]

Those who know Rockcastle have already figured this out from the course map - but for everyone else: Stage 3 occurs in the complete darkness of a cave. YOU WILL NEED A LIGHT. If you show up at the cave without a light, you will not be allowed to enter the cave and will zero the stage. You cannot borrow a light from a buddy or an RO - you must carry it for the entire race.

Weaponlights are fine to use while shooting, but there are portions of the cave you must navigate BEFORE you shoot, and if you unholster your loaded pistol and start waving it around (with other competitors and ROs in front of you) to see where you're going, you'll get a Match DQ and be sent home. Plan accordingly.

Here's a video from the March match that shows the basics. The actual shooting portion of this match will be different than March, so don't let that get into your head!

[Matt in TN]

Another reminder - you will need eye and ear protection for this match. Yes, running with glasses on sucks. Either deal with it, or take the extra time to take your glasses off when you run and put them on before you shoot.

We just have too many opportunities for ricochets and plenty of loud noises to let this go. If you show up to a shooting stage without eye and ear protection you will not be allowed to shoot and receive a zero score for the stage.

[Matt in TN]

Another reminder for newbies: you will need a STOPWATCH of some sort. There's a good chance when you run up to a stage there will be someone shooting there already (and quite possibly a line of people waiting to shoot). At that point, the RO will tell you to start your wait time. Start your stopwatch, and let it run until it's your turn to move forward. During your wait time you are NOT allowed to sit, take off your gear, eat, drink, or do anything but just stand there exactly as you ran up - it's like a "timeout" and it should not give you any advantage over those who didn't have a wait time.

This wait time may occur in different places depending on the stage - sometimes before the obstacle (so you have to beat the obstacle and then immediately start shooting), sometimes right before the shooting. The RO will guide you for those details.

[Matt in TN]

Because the entire point of the weekend was remembering those fallen and trying to understand just a little of what our 5th Special Forces Group brothers and their families go through, I'm taking a different tack with the match videos this time. It is beyond difficult to try to summarize in a few short minutes the amazing and humbling experiences of this weekend, but this is my effort so others may try to understand.

Here is Stage 1: AL JAFR