Author: Browning Firearms Instruction

I grew up in rural Kansas in a town the size of a postage stamp, really just a dot on the map where two highways cross. Growing up, we hunted mainly birds and upland game, but it was not uncommon to leave first period and see that someone had taken a deer that morning and it was still in their truck. Having a shotgun or rifle in the truck in the parking lot of school was normal. Sometimes it seems like a world ago. I joined the Army right out of high school and deployed with the 101st Airborne to Kosovo. I then joined Special Forces, and it was with these guys where I learned that I love to Instruct. I had the opportunity to train alongside the best warfighter. During three deployments to Iraq, plus a JCET, and multiple training areas throughout the United States, I trained and instructed Soldiers with varying experience levels to a high level in a relatively short amount of time. After SF, I landed in El Paso with an infantry unit. As a Platoon Sergeant, I deployed again to Iraq, and took the lead on instructing the Cav Troop in CQB. This led to my selection as a member of an SFAAT team, the precursor to the SFAB. My SFAAT team deployed to COP Sabari in Khost province, Afghanistan to advise and train the Afghan National Army. We achieved our goals quickly, training our counterparts to such a high degree that they were able to limit the footprint of the U.S. considerably. A short time after we left, they took control of the area without US support. I got out of the Army in 2015, with two bronze stars to my name and a love of firearms. It was time to start a new chapter in my life. My wife had been offered a job in Chicago, so we moved. Being that we are both military brats, picking up and starting over isn’t much of an obstacle for us. I enrolled at the College of DuPage and began working as a Range Safety Officer for some extra money. Soon, I began teaching basic pistol to beginners, then an AR-15 class, and eventually I became a USCCA certified Concealed Carry Instructor. I quickly realized that there wasn’t much practical training after the CCL course and what was available was sorely lacking. It became apparent to me that we needed to develop a program that would allow people to hone their skills, from beginner to intermediate and advanced. There didn’t seem to be any place where a person could go in front of the firing line to shoot, move, use barriers, engage multiple targets and decipher between shoot and no-shoot targets. That’s what we offer at Caliber Tactical Gun Range in Waukegan, IL, where I instruct tactical shooting every Friday and Saturday night. Since I am currently pursuing a Homeland Security degree, I apply the lessons from school and in the news to the practical shooting drills I lead. People frequently ask me what they can do next or where they can get more training. But how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. One week at time, we focus on one part for 2 ½ hours, building the skills necessary to keep you and your family safe, and to have a little fun.