Jade Helm 26 Concept of Operations
Concept of Operations
SITUATION:
Halloween Tactical Throwdown — October 31–November 1. Mystery Operations presents a heart-pounding weekend event that blends marksmanship, endurance, and strategy with a Halloween edge. Designed for competitive shooters and fitness-minded athletes alike, the Halloween Tactical Throwdown challenges teams and individuals across two relentless days of competition.
NEW UPDATE:
Jade Helm 26 Battle Buddies vs. Lone Rangers will include a gear drop/resupply, so competitors get the right weapons and gear for upcoming stages. PCC and Shotgun are viable options! See Course of Fire for details.
MISSION:
*COSTUMES OPTIONAL BUT HIGHLY APPRECIATED AND POSSIBLY REWARDED*
Best costume, voted on by staff, get first pick of prize table!
Jade Helm 26 is designed to test competitors both mentally and physically. On Saturday, there will be two categories: Battle Buddies, which is a two-person team division, and Lone Rangers, for individual participants. Both divisions will undertake the same course of fire.
The Battle Buddies and Lone Ranger Course will feature nine stages across eight miles, including significant elevation changes. Participants will primarily use rifles and pistols, with the option to use pistol caliber carbines or shotguns for both pistol and rifle targets. Shotguns may be used for any target with the right load (bird for close pistol, buck for further pistol, and slugs for rifle) Expect a substantial round count. ~150 rifle & ~150 pistol. TBD shotgun targets will be allowed to be neutralized by pistol or rifle.
To excel as a Lone Ranger, one must possess exceptional shooting and athletic skills. The stages are crafted to test two average shooters, yet you must complete them solo without additional time. This entails managing the ammunition for two, maintaining accuracy, and swiftly transitioning between shooting positions. If you're uncertain of your capabilities, it's advisable to partner up. However, if a partner is not an option and you still have reservations, the Survivor Scramble may be the ideal choice.
On Sunday, the course will be the Survivor Scramble on the opposite side of the property. The primary weapons for the six stages spanning a five-mile course will be “rifle and pistol”, or “PCC only”. The round count will be around 50 pistol and 50 rifle.
The Survivor Scramble is designed for individual competitors seeking more opportunities for shooting and running, those looking for redemption, wanting to settle a bet, needing a comeback after a partnership fallout, or who are new to shooting.
DATE AND TIME:
October 30th, Range Officers
October 31st, Battle Buddies vs. Lone Rangers
November 1st, Survivor Scramble (Scored separate from BB/LR but counts for Top Ops 26 Championship points)
A mandatory safety briefing is scheduled for 0730 hours on each day of competition. There is only one safety brief per day, don’t ask about run order prior to the brief. We cannot not make run order changes. Just be at the brief.
RO’s are welcome to show up during the week to help set up. I plan to arrive at Noon on the 26th. We have ambitious stage plans! Limited lodging available at rock house and cabin. First come first served.
Competitors are welcome to show up on Friday. Tent and RV camping is available with showers/toilets as well as electric and water hookups. No sewage hookups. Leave the road at campground clear. There is excess camping on the Airstrip which is north of campground on 336 just past Cedar Creek Road on the left. There are no hookups or amenities there. Once the campground is full, all camping will be directed to the airstrip. Leakey has many AirBnB and VRBO options.
Absolutely no open campfires on the property. BBQ grills are fine.
Absolutely no dogs. The only dogs you will see belong to the landowners.
AOR:
H.W. Lewis Ranch Campground, 3932 Ranch to Market 336, Leakey, Texas 78873
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
Download the App: https://rgtimer.com is web-based app that is super simple to use. Use a reputable browser to go there and click "Launch App" in top right corner the home page. On iOS, tap the three dots at bottom right, share, add to home screen, then add. On Android, tap the three dots at top right, install and create shortcut, then install. The icon should be on your home screen now; move it to where it is handy to find. The races will be run from this homescreen app. That way, if you lose service after leaving HQ, the app will run offline. Setup can be done in seconds.
Attend the mandatory 0730 briefing, be prompt. Competitors will be roll called. Then then safety and course instructions will be given. Start times will be updated and shown in the app.
BATTLE BUDDIES ONLY:
Battle Buddies need to bring any gear with you that you wish to have at the gear drop/resupply to complete stages 6 through 9. The limit is one soft sided gun case per competitor. Everything must fit inside of it. Any items not completely enclosed are subject to be lost. Any hard sided cases will be rejected unless the competitor has flown to attend the match.
At 0815, no further bags will be accepted. They will then be dropped off the gear drop at bottom of hill and you will not have access until reaching them on the course. It is advised that you label bags with your name or team name.
Arrive 5 minutes early to the start/stop table to fill out a liability waiver. Competitors will then depart on the course at the designated time. If you wish to go earlier, you may standby to fill a slot for someone who is late. If you are late and miss your start time, you will go to the end of the run order or must standby for someone else to be late. No exceptions.
Battle Buddies competitors should be carrying everything they need to complete the course of fire from stages 1 through 5. They will resupply and anything they need to put in the bag again be completely enclosed. The bag will be brought back to the campground for you to pick up at the staff’s earliest convenience.
LONE RANGERS ONLY:
Lone Rangers will be inserted into the course at the bottom of the hill and shoot stages 6 through 9 first. They do not need to bring a bag to the brief. After stage 9 they will proceed to their vehicles at the campground to resupply with the needed equipment for stages 1 through 5.
ALL COMPETITORS:
To start, you will present your phone to the designated RO and they will enter a start code. You are now on your run time. Follow the flagged and signed course to the stages.
When arriving at a stage, enter the specific Wait Time Code to start tracking any wait time. Once you have received the Written Stage Brief and instructions from the Range Officers and are up to shoot, they will instruct you to end your wait time on the app. You are now on your time. Shoot the stage. RO’s will help you enter your time and any targets failed to neutralize, then confirm with their specific code. Proceed to the next stage.
Once complete with all stages and back to your original start point, present your phone to the designated RO and they will enter a finish code. You are now complete.
COURSE OF FIRE
Jade Helm 26 Battle Buddies and Lone Rangers Course of Fire
Subject to change during setup and testing.
Battle Buddies & Lone Rangers = ~8 miles & 9 Stages
Survivor Scramble = ~5 Miles & 6 Stages
These are team stages designed for teammates to carry different weapons to suit a range of target sizes and distances. Recommended for Battle Buddies, rifle caliber weapons is an SBR/Carbine/Rifle with red dot/LPVO/MPVO. Lone Rangers will be responsible for all the targets by themselves and should find a suitable compromise for a rifle caliber weapon. Rifle will only engage rifle targets or cardboard option targets. Recommended for Battle Buddies, pistol caliber weapons are pistols and/or optional pistol caliber carbines. Competitors may carry as many weapons as they want. Pistols require safe holsters. P320’s and Flux Raiders must be carried cold. Pistol caliber carbines will be treated as rifles during competition but may engage any target. Pistols may also engage any target. Shotguns are shotguns, carry one or not, your choice. Lead birdshot, buckshot, and slugs will be applicable. CHAMBER FLAGS ARE REQUIRED FOR ALL LONG GUNS!
* Stages 1-5 are rifle and pistol only. Stages 6-9 are open class with PCC and shotguns allowed. * Stages 1-5 up to 500 yard targets, most being closer. Stages 6-9 up to 300 yard targets, most being closer. *
These stages require movement of teams with loaded weapons. The upmost safety, including communication, will be required. Teammates must be standing even and online if engaging targets in the same zone of fire. Teammates may engage targets from different positions in different directions provided they stay in their respective and safe zones of fire. Shooting a target in your teammates zone of fire will result in a match disqualification. Failure to move and shoot in a safe method, especially without communication, will not be tolerated by range officers and result in a match disqualification. Communication is a two-way street. These stages may also lack designated roles and tasks for each teammate to fulfill. It will be left to the team to decide the best way to shoot a stage. Safe teamwork is the priority. Lone Rangers, have fun and be safe with no friends.
These stages also require multiple weapons transitions.Vetted and Un-vetted competitors will exercise different weapons transition procedures.
Pistols: If applicable on stage, except P320’s, pistols may be loaded and holstered at start. If un-vetted, time will be given for loading by RO command. Vetted may draw and safely/deliberately holster at their leisure during the stage. Un-vetted may draw hot pistols, but only holster after clearing the pistol. Pistols do not need to be holstered when moving and still in use, only kept pointed in a safe direction, finger off trigger, and safety engaged if equipped. Pistols must be holstered to transition to rifle for all competitors
LONG GUNS: Rifles/PCCs/Shotguns: If applicable on stage may also be loaded at start by RO command. Time will be given to all competitors for loading. Long guns do not need to be clear when moving and still in use, only kept pointed in a safe direction, finger off trigger, and safety engaged. Vetted may transition from long gun to pistol by engaging the safety and slung pointed down front of their body before drawing pistol at their leisure during the stage. Un-vetted must clear long guns before transitioning to pistol. Un-vetted shooting pistol first on a stage, will start with long gun unloaded. Cold long guns, out of use, may be slung in any method with the barrel pointed in a safe direction.
Vetting Process: https://youtu.be/loQD17-7q6o?si=RP2w0d32hgBUDBVI
Stage 1: “Dawn of the Dead”
TBD Hits Pistol & TBD Hits Rifle – Time/Par Points Scoring - PAR TBD
This stage requires movement, team safety and communication are paramount.
Stage 2: “The Nightmare Before Christmas”
50 Hits Rifle, 50 Hits Pistol – Hit Tally Scoring - PAR an eternity TBD
This stage requires movement, team safety and communication are paramount.
Shooters will have plenty of time to move down the road and hit as many gongs as possible with rifle and pistol. Rifle gongs are white; pistol gongs are orange. Once hit, a gong is neutralized and cannot be shot again. Each gong is worth 2 points. When PAR time or the stage ends, whichever comes first, neutralized gongs are scored up to 200 points. Shooters cannot go backward on the road. All gongs are on the right side and must be shot from a near-right angle. The left side of the road is off-limits.
Stage 3: “28 Days Later”
TBD Hits Pistol & TBD Hits Rifle – Time/Par Points Scoring - PAR TBD
This stage requires movement, team safety and communication are paramount.
Stage 4: “The Thing”
TBD Hits Pistol & TBD Hits Rifle – Time/Par Points Scoring - PAR TBD
This stage requires movement, team safety and communication are paramount.
Stage 5: “Shawn of the Dead”
TBD Hits Pistol & TBD Hits Rifle – Time/Par Points Scoring - PAR TBD
This stage requires movement, team safety and communication are paramount.
Stage 6: “Army of Darkness”
TBD Hits Pistol/PCC/Shotgun/Rifle – Time/Par Points Scoring - PAR TBD
This stage requires movement, team safety and communication are paramount.
Stage 7: “Aliens”
TBD Hits Pistol/PCC/Shotgun/Rifle – Time/Par Points Scoring - PAR TBD
This stage requires movement, team safety and communication are paramount.
Stage 8: “Psycho”
TBD Hits Pistol/PCC/Shotgun/Rifle – Time/Par Points Scoring - PAR TBD
This stage requires movement, team safety and communication are paramount.
Stage 9: “Get Out”
TBD Hits Pistol/PCC/Shotgun/Rifle – Time/Par Points Scoring - PAR TBD
This stage requires movement, team safety and communication are paramount.
OTHER EQUIPMENT:
-Tourniquet Mandatory, other medical supplies highly suggested.
-Costume(s) optional but appreciated.
-Water, bring more than you need.
-Snacks.
-Pack or load bearing equipment
-Required weapons, see Rules.
-Proper clothing and footwear.
SAFETY ISSUES:
See Rules for comprehensive list.
-Movement is a component of these shooting stages involving loaded firearms. All shooting should be conducted on-line with one another and directed forward or to the side, away from the teammate you are beside. Communication is key.
-Ensure communication with Range Officers, teammates, fellow competitors, and maintain self-dialogue.
-During the shooting stages, two-person teams must communicate and maneuver safely. Should there be any forward movement on a stage, the team is required to remain aligned and limit their shooting zones to their side of the partner. Advancing ahead of the partner or crossing over to engage targets on the partner's side is not permitted.
-Range officers will closely monitor participants to ensure safety. They will issue an early warning if the team's advancement is not in alignment, particularly if pistols are drawn or rifles are loaded. Should the team fail to correct their advancement promptly and safely, a cease fire will be called. The timer will continue during this cease fire, and the team cannot proceed until the shooters are realigned and the Range Officer gives the command to resume. Severe misalignment with drawn, pointed, or firing weapons will result in disqualification from the match.
-If a team member fires at a target in their partner's zone during a stage that involves moving forward, the team will be disqualified from the match. For instance, if your partner is to your right and you shoot a target on that side, it could be considered a safety violation if the angle is such that they might see the muzzle. We're simply discussing basic range safety procedures. Partners are allowed to switch sides during a forward-moving stage, provided they communicate effectively and handle their weapons safely.
-In stages without forward progression, partners can engage the majority of targets from their current positions. Targets that are restricted from certain locations will be designated. Depending on the stage layout, lateral movement may be permitted to secure a more advantageous shooting position. Communication between partners is essential. As a standard safety protocol, if you are in motion, ensure your weapon is set to safe and pointed in a safe direction.
ADMINISTRATIVE:
-Absolutely no open campfires on the property. BBQ grills are fine.
-Absolutely no dogs. The only dogs you will see belong to the landowners.
-Rockhouse is limited to Range Officer staff only.
-Use the provided porta-potties.
-The bathhouse has a limited amount of water. Limit yourselves or it won’t be available.
-See Rules for comprehensive administrative directions.
Addendum:
-All costumes should be tasteful and while possibly outrageous, not inappropriate.
-We plan on setting up a kids nerf course on the front stretch of the course between the campground and the river. Kids of a reasonable age are able to play there at their guardians will. There are no babysitters available.
-Also, a trunk or treat would be really neat to do. If you’re hanging around your vehicle, have some candy or something to give out.
-If you are planning on bringing your kids, let me know please. We want to provide an opportunity for all on this holiday but if there are no kids, there are better uses of our setup time.
-Thank you!