Networking

Compiled by Gila Hayes

I’m looking forward to meeting many of our affiliates and Network members at the National Rifle Association Annual Meeting (NRAAM) in Louisville, KY this month. I recently exchanged some emails with affiliated instructor Joshua Gideon of No Soft Targets, who has promised to stop by the Network’s booth at NRAAM to help put a face to a name–well, actually, put a face to a voice, because Joshua is kicking off No Soft Targets Radio, and already has two interesting episodes posted at http://nosofttargets.com/?cat=9. He also blogs at http://nosofttargets.com/?cat=2 where a number of interesting commentaries are just waiting for your reading enjoyment.

I’d like to encourage all our other Network members and affiliates to keep our NRAAM booth #4231 full and busy by stopping by and spending a few minutes talking with Marty, Vincent and me. If, when you stroll by, we are visiting with prospective new members in the booth, please don’t just walk past, thinking, “They’re too busy!” Instead, stop and join the conversation and if you are moved to do so, please say a few words about why you would not want to be an armed citizen without the protections of your Network membership. Please help us add even more members to the Network. After all, with more of us standing together, we are just that much stronger when we need to fight to protect an individual member’s rights after self defense.

Now back to our usual news and observations about the outreach our affiliates make to armed citizens in their communities. Our affiliates are our eyes, ears and voice at the grass roots level, as they urge their students to join the Network, giving them copies of our Foundation’s booklet What Every Gun Owner Needs to Know About Self-Defense Law. Here are just a few of the affiliates I enjoyed reaching out to last month–

They may call it the Women’s Firearm Academy, but Victoria Wojciechowski teaches a great line up of introductory classes for both women and men who want to master the fundamentals, apply for Utah’s excellent reciprocal carry license, and train on the Academy’s shooting simulator. Learn what this energetic Kalispell, MT firearms instructor has scheduled at http://www.womensfirearmacademy.com/.

In Oregon, we find Jeff Walters who is certified to teach concealed handgun classes for Oregon, Arizona, Florida, and Utah licenses. Jeff writes that he focuses on topics beyond the basics that the state requires, so his students leave class “aware of and ready for the responsibility that goes along with carrying concealed.” He is more than willing to travel to his students’ locales for private group classes. His courses not only meet but exceed the requirements for the student to apply for a concealed handgun license in Oregon and Utah. “Meet” Jeff at http://www.chloregon.com.

In St. Joseph, IL, our affiliated instructor Jim Sandquist at Crossline Defense offers live fire and class room training starting from the most basic gun safety and marksmanship skills, up through using a gun for home defense, concealed carry skills, smoothing out and speeding up pistol manipulations including drawing, magazine changes, and shooting quickly and accurately. On the tactics side of the curriculum, Jim offers training in low light pistol shooting, use of cover, close quarters, shooting while moving, and stress building exercises, to name only a few skills he teaches.

Jim’s training philosophy is that the firearm’s self defense effectiveness depends on good gun handling and shooting skills. “I’m not going to train you to be an ‘operator,’” he quips on his website. “If you want that, join the military. We will teach you what to do, and you will know why we do it...I’m going to train you how to use your firearm for self defense, and because you have trained, you are more likely to access your firearm, engage the threats, and maintain your safety,” concludes his succinct goal statement. Learn more at https://www.crosslinedefense.com/classes.html.

Janet Swahn is enthusiastically sharing the Network’s educational message with her students at CWP101 in South Carolina. Her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/cwp101 is a fun mix of educational snippets and class news. Read course descriptions at http://cwp101.com/shop/ where we note that the Swahns will even help you with the fingerprints that have to go in with a CWP application.

Annette Chapman and her crew at Pistol Prep Academy in Atlanta, IL are sharing the Network’s educational message with their students in a variety of NRA courses, concealed carry license courses, as well as offering firearms safety and use classes for ladies, couples and youth. Their course calendar (linked at http://www.pistolprepacademy.net/register.html) is very full. Stay current with Pistol Prep’s goings-on at https://www.facebook.com/PistolPrepAcademy/timeline.

I always enjoy reading the blog posts Frank Sharpe, senior firearms instructor for Fortress Defense Consultants, writes. I appreciated his link to the Network in a valuable post he wrote not long ago about the reality of interacting with emergency medical providers after being involved in a self-defense incident.

Trainers have argued for decades about the armed citizen requesting medical aid after a self-defense shooting, he introduces. Sharpe is a good writer, and he paints a scenario, introducing, “imagine a 56-year-old man with a carry license, borderline COPD, and bad knees, being attacked by a knife-wielding, 24-year-old meth head in a parking lot.” After detailing the physiological responses to a life-threatening danger, he explains that as the survivor of a violent event, you may not even know you have been injured until considerably later. It’s a great read, so browse over to http://fortressdefense.com/requesting-medical-attention-after-a-defensive-shooting/ and see what he has to say.

Fortress Defense is a self-defense training leader in the Midwest, teaching the armed citizenry of IN, IL, ND defensive firearms skills ranging from introductory courses, to real-life skills like their Daily Carry Skills for the CCL Holder, one handed shooting seminars, rifle courses, Counter Measures to Terrorist Attack, and Emergency Treatment of Gunshot Wounds, to name only a few. Folks, as armed citizens, we are held to standards higher than simply passing our state’s requirement to get a concealed carry license. Fortress Defense has many classes to increase the armed citizen’s skill and understanding.

Network members, support these affiliates and all the others linked at http://armedcitizensnetwork.org/affiliates because they help the Network grow by giving clients a copy of a Network brochure or our Foundation’s educational booklet What Every Gun Owner Needs to Know About Self Defense Law while explaining the value of Network membership for armed citizens.

Affiliates, please email me about programs, classes, open houses and other events you have scheduled in June, July and August so we can encourage members to attend. In addition, if you are getting toward the bottom of your box of our booklets or brochures, email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 360-978-5200 so we can support your efforts to tell your clients about the values of Network membership.

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