By Keith Wood
NRA Carry Guard Intermediate Course – After Action Report
USA – -(AmmoLand.com)- I have been a lifelong firearm enthusiast. I joined NRA as a teenager and have been an unapologetic supporter of the organization for my entire adult life. The time that I spent at NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action as a state liaison, working in the state capitols on behalf of gun owners, remains the highlight of my professional career. More than a decade as a contributor to NRA Publications has built my technical and practical knowledge base and allowed me to pass along some of what I’ve learned to readers. That said, I had not taken an NRA training course in many years. Once I progressed beyond the NRA Basic Pistol Instructor and Range Safety Officer courses, I sought out training opportunities outside of the universe. NRA’s course curriculum was focused on a student population that, correctly or not, I felt that I had moved beyond. That was before NRA Carry Guard.
This spring, I attended the three-day NRA Carry Guard Intermediate training course. I had high hopes for the course, given my respect for the individuals who built the program, but I reserved judgment until I saw it from a student’s perspective. I went into it with an open mind but was prepared to provide critical feedback if it was warranted. After experiencing the course firsthand, I can say without hesitation that NRA has developed a training program that takes a backseat to no other organization or company. In my mind, this course is the standard by which other defensive handgun courses should and will be judged.
I have attended some excellent training courses at various shooting schools in the past
