Military Through the Ages 2026 After Action Report

First and foremost, I must say, MTA has been the most successful and largest event I have done with the Legion since I joined. We had 17 adults, and 3 children attend the event.

When we arrived on site, we had several members already there ready to go to set up camp, which was a lot. Luckily many hands make light work, and we were able to have the entire camp set up before night fall. All in all, we had 5 wall tents, 4 flies, 2 A-frame tents (for our Celtic friends) and a corner of a fort wall. In true Roman fashion and efficacy, we were the first camp to put up canvas structures on site. Once camp was set up, we waited for all our members to trickle in and get them set up for the weekend. Several of us went out for a nice dinner, while others ventured to a nearby brewery to partake in several food trucks present. Regardless which place we went for dinner, everyone had a relaxing evening catching up with one another.

Saturday morning started bright and early at 7a.m. Taylor our Auxilia expert, put the men through their paces with some close order drill while I attended the company officers meeting. We definitely needed that close order drill to bust the winter rust off everyone. Shortly there after, Taylor, Zach, James, and Sean were awarded a silver military armilla for their service and dedication to the Legion throughout the years. After the small award ceremony, Joe helped cook breakfast for everyone while the rest of the Cohort policed camp to ensure it was ready for the public. Once the gates open, people flooded into the site. We went from an open courtyard, to a congested free for all with spectators and it was spectacular! The men took turns standing “duty” on the fort wall, ushering spectators into camp. Paula educated folks on food ways and cooking methods, while Heidi next door spoke on Boudica and her rebellion using a “moving map.” Andrew and Crystal showed everyone how to play some ancient games, and Elias stood guard welcoming everyone into camp. As always, Taylor went into full teacher mode and withstood the sun almost all day talking about Auxiliary forces the Romans used. James took command of the Catapulta and explained all things artillery and siege equipment. Zach, Dan, and Leonard fascinated the public with life of the Roman soldier, tactics and cavalry usage during battles. Our wonderful new Celt friends Gus, Edith, and Sullivan showed a different perspective on the Boudican rebellion by explaining life as the Iceni tribe under the Roman boot heel. We participated in a drill demo on the field of honor at 10:00 AM. Taylor’s hardened discipline with the morning drill really paid off and the men put on a wonderful display of close order drill. Taylor yelled commands in Latin, while I translated and narrated what was going on to the public. With it being earlier in the day, we did not have a huge crowd, but everyone was very engaged, especially when the Legionaries hurled their pilums down range. The infantry charge towards the public was also quite the favorite amongst the spectators. Around 11:30 the judges came around and spent a very long time in camp talking to all of our members and evaluating our historical accuracy and content we were presenting. They seemed very interested in every aspect of camp, in fact, it was difficult for them to get around with how many members of the public were milling about camp. Everyone did a fantastic job with their stations when the judges came around. Afterwards, it was very busy all day with people coming in and out of camp, and when they were able, some of the members of the Cohort walked around to look at the other camp displays. James prepared a wonderful late lunch of lentil stew for everyone which is always delicious! As the evening winded down, and public hours ending, the Jamestown Settlement site put on a much appreciated chili dinner for all reenactors. It was a great time of comradery between fellow reenactors of all time periods and another chance for everyone to catch up with long time friends. Once the sun went down, several of our members “invaded” the Greek camp for a symposium where the guest speaker talked about the Persian Empire. I don’t think many people lasted long after that, with a tiring day under the blazing sun and talking to so many people everyone hit the tents pretty early.

Sunday morning started out a little slower which honestly was a welcomed small reprieve. Heidi and I brought breakfast for the Cohort and as soon as it was cleaned up the public arrived for another exciting day. Luckily our schedule was a little more relaxed so the Cohort members were able to walk around more and take in the sites like a spectator. Around 10:30 AM the Jamestown Settlement Guard started their parade to distribute participation ribbons and any awards units received from the judges. We were lucky to receive our first accolades as a living history group earning an Honorable Mention within the “cold steel” category. Legio XIIII GMV Cohort II has never received an award so this was a great start! The judges made mention on both score cards that our camp was the “most improved” camp on site which was an amazing compliment. The rest of the day was spent like Saturday talking to the public until our voices became sore. Several of our Cohort members had to leave early due to personal constraints as happens on many Sundays since many of our members have a long way to travel. Those that remained did not hesitate to pick up extra duties when engaging with the public. At 2:30 PM we formed up for the event’s Pass in Review. We marched around the site in historical order while the speaker narrated a small paragraph on each unit. After the parade we started to break down camp which surprisingly did not go to bad at all. Everyone stepped up and we were able to pack everyone up within an hour and half, and with how much of a display we had, was excellent timing. We all said our goodbyes and departed to our respected homes.

All in all, this was without a doubt, the best event the Legion has been a part of. The amount of team work and dedication everyone had is beyond exemplary. I am very proud of everyone who came out and honored to be able to lead this Cohort. This Cohort survives because of these dedicated living historians and I can not wait to see how much we grow. I cannot thank these members enough for everything they do, you all are amazing and I’m glad you’re here!

Our next event is Fort Loudoun which more information can be found on our events page here on the website.

Legio XIIII, Protinus!