Going to try this. Post an e-mail we got back from IRAQ. (OPERATION FULL DRAW) started last winter. The 40th MP had the chance to start a TRAD ARCHERY range. But they did not have any equipment. So us cheese heads took care of that. In behalf of the hole TRAD ARCHERY world. You know it was just our time to help. I gota send my thanks to all that contributed to the cause. Sounds like it is going off with a large arm slap. And maybe a broken arrow.
WTA (WISCONSIN TRADITIONAL ARCHERS)
>
> Ladies and Gentlemen,
>
> I am the First Sergeant for the 59th Military Police Company, stationed here
> in Iraq under the 40th MP Bn (I/R). We are some of the people that will get
> to enjoy traditional instinctive archery, thanks to all of your generous
> donations. We have been working very hard to set up our range ever since
> all the boxes arrived from the States. I am pleased to say, that today will
> be our grand opening. I wanted to personally thank each and every one of
> you for bringing this to us over here. Please extend our gratitude to all
> the others that had a part in making Operation Full Draw come to life. I
> think it is awesome that on a day we remember our Fallen; we can open this
> range, and know that great Americans stand behind us every day. We named
> the range "3 Rivers Archery Range, Sponsored by WTA". This was for two
> reasons; first, Iraq has three main rivers that connect, the Shatt al-Arab,
> the Euphrates, and the Tigris. The second reason was because one of the
> donations was a gift card from 3 Rivers Archery Supplies from Ashley, IN, so
> it seemed to fit. We set up the range, where up to four people can shot at
> once as far out as 25 yards. We have an elevated platform and ground firing
> points. We have the three big bags, one turkey, a boar, and a bird that is
> suspended off the ground. The entire range is set up in a grove of very old
> and tall palm trees called the "Oasis". The grove used to be part of Saddam
> Hussein's palace grounds for Al Faw Palace. At 3:00 pm our time today we
> will have a grand opening for everyone stationed here at Camp Cropper and
> Camp Striker. We will definitely be thinking of you today and will let
> everyone know that none of this would be here today, had it not been for all
> of you. On this Memorial Day, for those of you who knew someone who served
> our Nation and paid the highest price, thank you, their sacrifice stays with
> us every day.
> Again,
>
> Thank you for the Archery Range.
> Archers approach the line!
>
> Very Respectfully,
>
> 1SG Hahn, Steven R.
> WARRIOR-7
> 59th Military Police Company
> NO FEAR!
>
> Camp Cropper, Iraq
:thumbsup: :clapper:
Awesome
Alright!!
Post some pics when you can and tell the troops about tradgang.com.
Thanks to you and your organization for helping our troops.
They know about Trad Gang. Sent that to them months ago for help with equipment. Thay do have a couple of TRAD DUDES in the force. So they are in good hands. You know you are never out of ammo if you have two sticks and a string.
thats awsome way to go :clapper: :archer2:
(IT FEELS GOOD) like to thank RER BOWS also they sent them 5 new bows. Trust me they are GOOOOD BOWS so they got the right stuff.
I love reading stories like this! Thank you everyone that helped these men and women set-up the range, and a large Thank You to our Troops serving. :clapper:
Thanks PA-Spot for sharing this news with us.
Thats Awesome...
:thumbsup:
That's great!!
Awesome!!
:thumbsup: :clapper: :clapper:
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y80/Jlasch/OperationFullDraw.jpg)
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y80/Jlasch/OperationFullDraw-1.jpg)
Brian Taggart gets all the credit for putting this thing together. He did all of the solicitaions for equipment, coordinated the entire project, and shipped everything to Iraq. Fantastic effort!!
Great Job for our troops (boys and girls) in harms way. Awesome work, God Bless
:thumbsup:
Glad to see everything made it in one piece. :clapper: I fletched up 6 dz arrows and saw several of the bows before they where shipped out. Most bows where brand new, RER's and Dwyer Longbows and a few more.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
:clapper:
Outstanding!
:clapper:
Very good gesture!
Way to go.
God bless all our men and women who serve.
:clapper:
Wow!!!great to see.I sent three long-bows,an arm load of arrows and all kinds of stuff to another place called "Camp Cuervo",over in Afgahanistan.
Like Whip said Brian Taggert gets the bulk of the credit here. Thank you to Brian and all the donors. :clapper:
Very good work those soldiers really appreciate what everyone is doing for them.
Some clarification and history about Camp Cuervo, It was started in 2004 when a group of soldiers stationed in Baghdad at Camp Cuervo, [These camps or FOB's would be renamed in honor of a fallen soldier, so there is no longer a base with that name.]
Sent out a bunch of emails looking for archery equipment, they were all sharing a bear target bow. The Michigan Longbow Association started sending and petitioning for equipment and since then has sent 100's of bows and thousands of arrows to various bases in both Iraq and Afghanistan. This project contunues today with John Vasos and Jon Stewart doing most of the coordination. The name "Camp Cuervo" has remained, but is no longer an actual base.
There is a fairly new facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/home.php?sk=group_112515148777307&ap=1
and pictures at The Michigan Longbow Association website:http://www.michiganlongbow.org/ccac.htm
also a big thanks to Rinehart targets for all of their support and patriots all across the country.
Putn steel on TARGET! Cool Beans.....♠ :bigsmyl:
:thumbsup: God bless,Mudd :campfire:
Excellent. I love to read about gestures like this. Looks like they're getting a well deserved break!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Way to go guys! What a treat it will be for those soldiers to have the same little escape we get to enjoy watching arrows fly.
There are a lot of fine folks on this site! :clapper: :clapper:
Wow! That's too cool. What I would have given for a trad range, when I was at Cmp Cropper.
David Meckel who posted above gave me the bows, arrows, feathers, gloves, points and other misc equipment to send over to
Afganistan. I was introduced to David by a mutual friend, Bob Poffinbarger a former recon Marine who was shot in the head and paralyzed back in 66 in Viet Nam.
John Vasos asked me to coordinate the Afganistan Range as I also am a former Marine. The range in Afganistan is called Camp Hansen. When David saw the Camp Cuervo shirt I was wearing he asked about what it meant. 10 minutes later he had a table full of archery equipment and told me to send it over.
If someone on here can take e-mail photos and post them on here I will e-mail the photos over to you.
If you haven't participated in helping our troops this way, try it. You will never regret it and it gives you a feeling that will stay with you the rest of your life. "pay it forward"
Semper Fi
Jon
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :clapper: :clapper: Great Stuff!!!
Jon is so right about the feeling you get from helping our Troops out. When Sgt. Kirkendall (Aaron) posted some pics of the guys shooting a bow I sent it made my 'year'! Knowing they are using some arrows or other gear I sent to have fun and relieve stress just makes me smile every time I think of it. :clapper: :clapper:
Having served I know that hit a mark for them. We used to say nobody loves a soldier till the enemy is at the front gate. I would have appreciated such a gesture and it proves to those men and women they are loved and thanked. Those gestures speak to all veterans and those serving. GOOD JOB!! and thanks.
Wow!!! Good job guys. Gary