Week Long Events

[cblackthorne]

Hello,

Someone presented this question on FB so it got me thinking. I realize this would not be for everyone, but would enough reenactors be interested in a week long event?

I have seen week long and longer events at medieval events before. There are at least 3 events like that in the Midwest that I know of. So, could the WWII community support something similar?

There is nothing to say it would have to be a continuous week long battle. You could schedule different battles each day. Sunday could be early war eastern front. Monday could be late war western front, etc. Tuesday could be a tank battle (if you had enough of them). You get the idea.

Thoughts?

Regards,
Chris

[billgaston]

The Arizona Ground Crew Living History Unit does a week long event every year in Stockton California during Bomber Camp. We are site for 10 days full immersion while we prep for, conduct and then close down the area for Bomber Camp.
Bomber Camp lasts for three nights and two days while we train participants in the manner that Air Crews trained for service.

[cblackthorne]

Jan 12, 2016 1:22:32 GMT -5 billgaston said:

The Arizona Ground Crew Living History Unit does a week long event every year in Stockton California during Bomber Camp. We are site for 10 days full immersion while we prep for, conduct and then close down the area for Bomber Camp.
Bomber Camp lasts for three nights and two days while we train participants in the manner that Air Crews trained for service.

That's great!

If you don't mind I have some follow-up questions:

What kinds of activities do you have at the Bomber Camp?

How many attendees do you normally have?

Are all the attendees part of your unit?

Any unique hurdles to having a 10 day event as compared to a weekend event?

Regards,
Chris

[cco23i]

We are the ground section of the training element. We prep the area and set up the area for students then take charge of them while they are there.

[billgaston]

Jan 12, 2016 9:00:48 GMT -5 cblackthorne said:

Jan 12, 2016 1:22:32 GMT -5 billgaston said:

The Arizona Ground Crew Living History Unit does a week long event every year in Stockton California during Bomber Camp. We are site for 10 days full immersion while we prep for, conduct and then close down the area for Bomber Camp.
Bomber Camp lasts for three nights and two days while we train participants in the manner that Air Crews trained for service.

That's great!

If you don't mind I have some follow-up questions:

What kinds of activities do you have at the Bomber Camp? See Below

How many attendees do you normally have? Varies

Are all the attendees part of your unit? Instructor Cadre are made up from our Unit augmented by some others who are invited

Any unique hurdles to having a 10 day event as compared to a weekend event? MANY

Regards,
Chris

Upon our arrival on station we immediately begin the task of prepping for the arrival of our "Cadets", these are people who are paying to experience what it was like to be an Air Crew Cadet in WWII. This prep work includes setting up Tents, prepping the Hangar and Ramp areas, conducting maintenance on the motor pool vehicles (Bomb Truck, Turret Truck, Staff Car, Jeep, Crash Truck and Wrecker), assembling 250lb concrete bombs which will be loaded in the bomb bay and dropped from the aircraft, weapons maintenance on the small arms for the Gunnery Range as well as the ANM2 .50 as well as Aircraft Maintenance, Gunnery Range Set-up, Bombing Range Set-up.

There are many other tasks that must also be accomplished on the administrative side such as Identification Tags, Identification Cards, Special Orders, Mail Processing, Supply Inventories and so on.

Basically from the time we arrive at Stockton Field we are conducting the necessary business of running an Army Air Forces Air Crew Training School in 1944.

When the Cadets arrive, we must go through the Induction Process of photographing and fingerprinting them for issue of the Identification Cards, Issuing Uniforms and Equipment to the Cadets as well as Identification Tags.

Then the training begins with classroom instruction in Air and Land Navigation, Bombing Principles, Use of the Bombsight, Sex Hygiene, First Aid, Emergency Procedures, Aerial Gunnery, Etc. Cadets are trained Live Fire on the Gunnery Range with small arms, shoulder fired shotguns, the Turret Trainer Truck and then transitioned to the ANM2 .50.

Cadets are trained on the Ball Turret in the Ball Turret Trainer and if qualified will operate the Ball Turret in flight. All of this culminates in the flying of a Mission where they will crew the various positions on the aircraft, they go full auto with the ANM2 in the waist gun position (Blank Fire), Operate the Ball Turret in flight and drop 250lb concrete practice bombs onto the target.
This is quite a bit more daunting than a weekend re-enactment, in fact this is not re-enacting we are not pretending, we are really loading bombs and dropping them from an aircraft, just as was done in WWII.

Safety is critical and training and professionalism are a must. We have been doing this since 2008 and have a flawless record. This year we will double down and will use both the B-17 and B-24 in conjunction. Twice as many aircraft and twice as many Cadets. Which also means twice the amount of work. Planning and prep for this event starts two weeks after the last Camp is finished. All year basically we prepare and train for this epic undertaking and always make the next year better in some way than the last.

We do all of this from the time we arrive until we finally leave 10 days later, working normal days of 17 - 18 hours. Basically if you were in the military and ever deployed that is what we are doing, except we are doing it via 1944. For us it is a Full Immersion event which lasts 10 days. For our Cadets, they get an Immersion Experience for 3 nights and 2 days and leave with a better understanding and appreciation for what the Air and Ground Crews went through to train and fly a bomber mission in WWII.

[doc101]

I'd STILL like to assist with that someday...

[billgaston]

Jan 16, 2016 12:37:07 GMT -5 doc101 said:

I'd STILL like to assist with that someday...

Did Dunkirk send you a packet?

[doc101]

Negative. I'm not sure I can do it this year.

[Mayo]

I would also like to assist. I live three hours away from Stockton. Depending on the time of year, I could possibly provide sentries and such. PM me contact info. I have a 30 man Airborne unit, but we also have leg infantry impressions. The father of one of my troops flew a B24. If you send me the details, I can talk about it to some of my guys at an upcoming battle in February. I have 6 guys as close as a 2 1/2 to 3 hour drive from Stockton Ca.

[cco23i]

Guys send me you emails at [e-mail]

[Mayo]

Done.

[mburch66]

Scott,
If accepted as a volunteer, what kind of dough am I looking at dropping to volunteer? Just airfare, or airfare and a hotel? I'm cool to sleep in a squad tent for the week! Hell, that the fun part!

[billgaston]

Jan 19, 2016 18:50:41 GMT -5 mburch66 said:

Scott,
If accepted as a volunteer, what kind of dough am I looking at dropping to volunteer? Just airfare, or airfare and a hotel? I'm cool to sleep in a squad tent for the week! Hell, that the fun part!

Shoot an email to either Scott or me. Scott's email is listed above mine is [e-mail]
We will send an instructor packet to you with all the information.

[cco23i]

One thing about this event is it is the closest thing a civilian will get to a deployment. We roll in hit the ground running and just tear it up until the students leave. It's a GREAT time for we instructors.