KNOM, the Alaska Radio Mission, sent a reporter to  a recent Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinic -- and not just any clinic. This particular clinic focused on personal protection of a very specific kind: bear defense.

KNOM Profiles features an in-depth interview with Women On Target volunteer Alexandra Brown, an NRA Certified Instructor and Training Counselor. 

“Women On Target is for any woman anywhere who’d like a fun, safe introduction to various shooting sports,” Brown explains in the interview. “It allows the local people to choose a program to fit their needs.”

“So, bear safety for Alaska.”

Brown and her volunteers tailored the day's lessons to the very real possibility of a bear encounter. Above, Brown leads her participants through the safety briefing and range exercises. 

Women On Target National Coordinator Diane Danielson was thrilled to see the creativity in making the range exercises as real as possible. "They did a great job of simulating a bear, with a target on movable skids," Danielson said. "They would start the target moving, with it making a path to the shooter, giving each participant the chance to actually shoot at a charging target rather than a stationary one." More...

NRAblog is excited to introduce Jessica Blanks, a new member of the NRA Headquarters Shooting Range staff. As the Range's new "Customer Service Specialist,” she's responsible for a variety of tasks. Her main focus is on customer service, keeping the lines of communication open between the Range and its customers.

Blanks assists NRA Range Manager Greg Wodack and his staff of 33 Range Safety Officers, providing administrative support. She's also responsible for cash receipts, inventory management and electronically filing and maintaining the customer the data base.

"I think Jessica's a perfect fit for the Range," Wodack told NRAblog. "I'm looking forward to our continued growth and success, and we welcome her to our team."

Blanks was born in Louisiana and grew up in a military family. At one time she lived in Texas – and she's still a big Dallas Cowboys fan.

Blanks says she grew up shooting guns and hunting with her father. She attributes her love for the outdoors to her father, a retired Army Colonel. Blanks has always admired the NRA and its fight to defend the Second Amendment. "It's a privilege to work for the NRA,” Blanks told NRAblog. In addition to firearms, she enjoys cooking, painting, drawing, and music. She holds a second degree black belt Tae Kwon Do.

Blanks received her Associates degree from Northern Virginia Community College and is working on her bachelors degree. She plans to continue her education with a post graduate degree in Art Therapy.

More...

National Instructor Trainer John Howard was invited on Tom Gresham's Gun Talk Sunday, August 22. Howard presented information on the NRA's Certified Instructor program. He discussed the necessary steps to attain the status of NRA Certified Instructor.

"We've gotten a good response from your interview," a producer e-mailed Howard. "Many listeners really liked hearing about the training program, but even more liked hearing about how the trainers price and advertise their classes."

Click here to listen to the interview -- Howard begins around 4:44.

"Our courses are considered the national standard," Howard told Gresham at the beginning of the interview. "What we do is we take experienced shooters and provide them with a lesson plan. We set the objectives. We prepare experienced shooters to actually teach and pass on that experience." 

Interested in becoming an NRA Certified Instructor? Learn more here.

John Howard, NRA National Instructor Trainer, will check in with Tom Gresham's Gun Talk Radio at 2 p.m. on Sunday, August 22. Gun Talk, which says it's the only nationally-syndicated radio talk show about guns and the shooting sports, features trainers and instructors in an effort to inform its listeners of the options available to them.

John Howard leads the NRA Instructor Training program here at NRA Headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia. This program offers training to those who want to become an NRA firearms instructor, and has produced more than 65,000 instructors, 3,800 coaches, and 1,700 training counselors over the years.

Tune in Sunday afternoon to hear Howard and Tom Gresham discuss the process for becoming an NRA Certified Instructor. It's an interview you won't want to miss.

Tom Gresham's Gun Talk Radio airs live on Sundays from 2 - 5 p.m. EST and runs on 100 stations, plus SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio. Look here for more info.

NRA Certified Instructor and Range Safety Officer Connie Elliot volunteered at the recent Boy Scout Jamboree, where thousands of scouts participated in the shooting sports. Read on for Elliot's story on running the OK Corral air gun range and how introducing young people to shooting became a rewarding experience.

Attending the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) National Jamboree as staff is a different experience than participating as an adult Troop leader. Both have their own merits, however, attending as a staff member and seeing Jamboree emerge from bare land to a city for thousands is exhilarating.

As an NRA Certified Instructor and NRA Range Safety Officer, you see and hear many things while helping on a range. There are those that ask why we would want to give up two weeks of vacation to spend it with scouters and scouts we have never met before. I had the good fortune of being selected as staff for the Venturing Exhibit’s OK Corral and there are Jamboree scouts that have helped change the way I look at our youth today.

The OK Corral consisted of 12 stations where scouts competed against each other by shooting air rifles at five targets. The first scout to knock down all five of their targets won that round and progressed to the darkened indoor range where they experienced shooting the Night Stalker air rifles with lighted scopes. Needless to say, this was a highlight and the scouts that did not win their round scurried back in line to try their shooting skills again and again.

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Here's a note from John Howard, NRA's National Instructor Trainer, on revisions to the FIRST Steps Pistol Lesson Plan.

To keep you up-to-date and to let you know that we are committed to continuously improving the quality levels in all of our programs, we have revised the FIRST Steps Pistol (FSP) lesson plan. In previous FSP lesson plans, the shooting portion required students to repeat the multi-shot exercise until instructors were comfortable with their performance. The vast majority take great pride in their role as NRA Instructors and place very reasonable expectations on their students to ensure they are able to shoot well prior to receiving an NRA Certificate.

Therefore, the objective has worked fine as indicated, until recently. We have been notified on several occasions by students that received a certificate, but did not feel confident in their shooting skills. They indicated that they took the course for their "carry permit" and only fired 15 rounds (or fewer) in their class. The specific revision is on page FSP-40, E-8 and incorporates an actual "skill standard" that must be met by students before moving onto the next step, and most importantly, before receiving an NRA FIRST Steps Pistol course completion certificate.

Watch for this change to be implemented in every NRA Basic Firearm Training course as they become due for reprint. In a nutshell, the optional shooting skill requirement that is currently in the basic practical rocker worksheet will become a standard skill requirement in each basic shooting discipline. People expect a high level of quality from training programs bearing the NRA name, and we cannot lose focus on the goal of any NRA Basic Firearm Training course. "To Teach the Basic Knowledge, Skills, and Attitude to own and use (the specific firearm) safely."

As NRA Instructors, it is imperative that your students feel confident in handling their firearms and that they develop the skill to be able to group their shots in the center of their targets with consistency before they receive your endorsement. We have placed this page at your sign-in screen at NRAInstructors.org under "Useful links for instructors" as FIRST Steps Pistol Revision FSP-40. Please print it and replace it in your FIRST Steps Pistol Lesson plan.

Thanks for the update, John. Have questions? Call NRA's Training Department at 703-267-1428 or send an email to training@nrahq.org.

Philip Schreier, Senior Curator from the NRA National Firearms Museum, continues reporting from the Boy Scouts of America's National Jamboree in Ft. A.P. Hill, Virginia:

NRA Rocks Boy Scouts of America National Jamboree: Part 6
By: Philip Schreier

This year, on February 8th, the Boy Scouts of America celebrated their 100th Anniversary. Originally founded in England by Lord Robert Baden-Powell in 1907, the American version began in 1910 and less than a year later Marksmanship Merit Badge was added to the ranks of proficiency badges that Scouts could earn. Ever since then, shooting has been an integral part of scouting. At this, the 17th BSA National Jamboree, shooting continues to play an exciting role at 5 different venues of 4 Action Centers.

Air Rifle shooting is as popular with the Scouts as BMX racing, SCUBA and Rappelling. Up to 800 Scouts a day visit each of the 4 Air Rifle pavilions at the 4 Action Centers. They are all given a brief safety class on firearms handling by volunteer NRA Training Counselors, Certified Instructors and Range Safety Officers. After they each receive safety glasses they proceed to one of the 40 shooting points and shoot 10 rounds from Crossman 761 air rifles at paper targets set 20' from the firing line.

For many Scouts, including this author, their first time shooting was while wearing a Scout uniform. An event warmly remembered for the rest of their lives and one that is hoped will lead to a lifetime of enjoyment in the shooting sports.

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Be sure the check out part One, Two, Three, Four and Five of Senior Curator Philip Schreier's reports on the Boy Scouts of America's 100th Anniversary at the National Jamboree in Ft. A.P. Hill, Virginia.

One of the best things about recreational shooting is that people of almost any background can enjoy it—young or old, there’s something for everyone. Jim Templeman, who was born without arms and uses his feet to operate firearms, is no different, and he finds shooting both fun and challenging: “I find it interesting to figure out the best pistols to shoot with my feet and the best way for me to hold and fire them.”

When asked how he first became interested in shooting, Jim explained, “Since I was born without arms, I naturally developed dexterity with my feet. I've loved shooting as long as I can remember, be it with a dart gun, BB gun, or pellet pistol.”

Jim is no stranger to the D.C. area, having earned a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and Ph.D from George Washington University. A highly accomplished professional in the information technology field, he develops user interface at the Naval Research Lab, which involves using virtual simulation and modeling to help U.S. Marines train safely and cost-effectively.

Jim explained that for the Marines involved, the experience is a bit like the movie Avatar, except, “In Avatar they were controlling real bodies in the real world, but the Marines are controlling their avatar bodies in the virtual world.” Naturally, there is a strong link between developing military training techniques and shooting for recreational purposes, and Jim enjoys exploring the connection. More...

Remember reading about Refuse To Be A Victim instructor training introducing an online format?

Here's your chance to register for the next online course! National Coordinator Ruthann Sprague and the NRA's Education and Training staff are excited for the change. Almost 75,000 people have attended RTBAV seminars in the last ten years, mostly in community venues like libraries, churches, and community centers. 

With the new online program, these numbers are sure to increase, Sprague tells us. Bring this program to your community in 2010:

Registration is now open for the September 13-27, 2010 session of the Refuse To Be A Victim® Online Instructor Training course. Registration is open until August 30th or until the course reaches its maximum student enrollment. The cost is $250, and you must be at least 18 and without a criminal record to become an instructor. 

 Look here for information and details.

Mark Belli, NRA Youth Co-op Group Program Coordinator, brings the following report: 

The Boy Scouts of America offer National Camping School on an annual basis to prepare and train leaders for their summer camp program. One area of training offered at the school is the shooting sports section. This program includes NRA Rifle, Shotgun, Pistol, Range Safety Officer and Muzzle loading Rifle instruction as well as archery. With the minimal number of Muzzle loading Rifles available at the camps, the National Rifle Association agreed to help provide Muzzle loading rifles to the Boy Scouts for their National Camping Schools.

Larry Quandahl, Manager of the NRA Youth Programs Department, contacted Craig Cushman,  Thompson Center’s Director of Marketing, to inquire if they would be interested in donating Muzzle loading rifles to the Boy Scouts of America. With Thompson Center’s generous donation of 16 Muzzle loading rifles, National Camping schools across all four regions now have the opportunity to run a more efficient training program.

A section director from a recent Northeast Region’s Camping School commented: “I'dlike to express my deep and most sincere appreciation to Thompson Center for the donation of the four 50 caliber Muzzle loading rifles. We had the opportunity to use them at the Adirondack National Camping School to train our shooting sports directors. Undeniably, quality equipment makes a major difference in allowing us to provide the best possibly training…”

Jeff Stout, Outdoor Program Coordinator for the Boy Scouts of America said, "The donation of the sixteen 50 caliber Muzzle loading rifles from Thompson Center has truly enhanced the Shooting Sports instruction at the 20 plus National Camp Schools held across the country. A sincere thank you to Thompson Center and the NRA for making this happen. Quality equipment and quality training equal a quality safe and exciting program for youth."

	After a tour of the NRA National Firearms Museum, the 45 students participating in the 2010 Youth Education Summit, or YES, headed to the NRA Headquarters Range. At left, students enjoyed photographing the Museum's varied exhibits.

Today was a busy day, and we're told it's going to be one heck of a week. "We head to the Pentagon for a tour on Wednesday, and the U.S. Capitol on Thursday," event organizer Nicole McMahon told NRAblog.

But today was all about NRA Headquarters. The Range, with its exciting new renovations, marked the first time a few of these students had handled firearms. "I can't believe how fun that was," a student told us after shooting a .22 caliber pistol for the first time in her life. 

Stick around for more Youth Education Summit photos!

Yesterday more than 400 people took part in the United States Army Marksmanship Unit's Small Arms Firing School here at Camp Perry. One was NRA's Action Pistol Coordinator Damien Orsinger who is responsible for the NRA Bianchi Cup. Although he's very familiar with pistol shooting, he decided to learn more about the competition here at Camp Perry and receive some world-class training. 

After a morning of classroom training, Orsinger and his fellow trainees headed over to the range to put their new bullseye shooting skills to the test. Using a Beretta M9 9mm pistol, they fired a small sampling of the National Matches course of fire.

"We shot slow fire, timed fire, and rapid fire during the relay, just like the actual competitors," said Orsinger, pictured at right in blue. 

Orsinger believes that the training was very beneficial and helped him gain a better knowledge of bullseye competiton. He recommends the training to beginning and intermediate shooters looking to improve upon the fundamentals of marksmanship.

"I definitely learned some things about the mechanics of shooting that will really help me in the future," said Orsinger.

Our Youth Programs Department provides training to several Youth Cooperative Organizations each year, and the Boys Scout of America is no exception. Thanks to NRA Senior Training Counselor Bill Tidwell for the following report on his recent training:

In the beginning of April, Barry Bauer of Herb Bauer Sporting Goods contacted me to see if I would be willing to train a group of Boy Scout leaders an NRA Certified Shotgun Instructor Course. As an NRA Training Counselor, I hold Instructor Courses on a regular basis, so I agreed that if we could come up with a date, I would be glad to teach a class.

Mr. Bauer put me in touch with John Richers of the Sequoia Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Mr. Richers told me that they wanted to hold a course as soon as possible and that they may have as many as thirty people interested in becoming instructors. As the most people I had ever had in an Instructor Course was fifteen, I told him that I was a bit apprehensive about thirty, but if I could arrange for a couple of more Training Counselors to help with the course, that I thought it was possible.

After enlisting the aid of experienced Training Counselors Sam Grow and Jeff Banke, we set a date for the course of June 5 & 6. It was a good thing that Sam and Jeff were available as there were so many people who wanted to sign up for the course that Mr. Richers asked if we had room for ten more Instructor Candidates. Heck, I wasn't sure I could pull off training thirty, so forty shouldn't be a problem.

More...

Since the inaugural Women's Forum in March, the NRA's Education and Training Division has been brainstorming ways to involve women in its programs. NRAblog has featured stories from several forum participants in their own words -- Penny Gilliam and Patricia Mcclelland Merydith -- and we're pleased to continue the series with NRA Certified Instructor Janet Katz.

Janet's story: 

It never occurred to me as I was growing up that some day I would enjoy shooting or actually like being around people who appreciated firearms. I would have laughed off any suggestion of that kind. It was not me, never would be me, never could be me. Today, at Paladin Services LLC in Columbia, SC, I've been instructing shooters for 20 years -- and I enjoy every minute of it.

Mine was at least a mildly anti-gun family in Peoria, Illinois, where I was born just after World War II. I was created a Baby Boomer and shared many of my generation’s characteristics. My father Bob fought at Saipan during World War II. He had had his fill of guns in the war. Mother, Dorothy, shared his distaste for them. Cultured people with well-developed tastes in art, music, and literature simply did not belong anywhere near guns. Their women most certainly did not. Universities of the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s reinforced the aversion and made it unthinkable that I or my friends would have anything to do with guns. When I became an academic and came to work for a major university I shared the widespread assumptions of my generation and undoubtedly helped to spread the typical Baby Boomer hoplophobia.

No one then could have even imagined me now in any of the typical photographs from the past decade or so: Janet demonstrating a combat stance with her Glock 22 .40 S&W semi-automatic pistol; Janet using her 12 gauge Benelli M1 Super 90 or Remington 870 to show proper shotgun technique for a home defense situation; and Janet using her Rock River Arms M4 or her Arsenal AK-47 or her M1 Carbine to demonstrate close quarters combat situations. More...

NRA’s Training Department is always busy running a bevy of firearms training programs, and three staff members recently traveled to North Carolina and New Mexico to add to our cadre of trainers. Thanks to our own Steve Hoback for the following report:

On June 22-24, Mark Richardson and Steve Hoback with NRA’s Training Department conducted Chief Range Safety Officer Training for a group of 28 Wildlife Enforcement Officers and Hunter Education Specialists from the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission (NCWRC). The three day training covered the NRA Range Safety Officer (RSO) Course, Basic Instructor Training, and the Chief Range Safety Officer Course.

The training was initially coordinated through Moe Aguilar with NRA’s Hunter Services Department, and Travis Casper, NCWRC Coordinator/ Assistant Hunter Education Coordinator and YHEC volunteer. NCWRC identified the need for all of their personnel involved in firearms instruction to be certified as Range Safety Officers, and the training was coordinated to make the program as self-sustaining as possible. By having a core cadre of Chief Range Safety Officers, the NCWRC can conduct training and certify their own RSOs as needed.

The training was held at the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources Mountain Training Facility’s B.H. Corpening Forestry Training Center in Crossnore, NC. The facility offered a modern classroom, lodging and dining all at one location, allowing training time to be maximized.

Across the country in Albuquerque, New Mexico, NRA Instructor Program Coordinator Andy Lander provided RSO training to 12 volunteers with the NRA National Junior Air Gun Championships to help work the firing line during the competition and serve as RSOs at their local gun clubs.

Thanks for the report, Steve! Interested in training for your organization? Call (703) 267-1428 or send an email to training@nrahq.org.