So small background 10 years 11Bravo (Infantry), currently using my GIbill/voc rehab to become a pilot. In the meanwhile, I'm working security on a government contract. When we hire new people for the armed side my boss pay's a local shooting center to qualify them for weapons usually just a standard sidearm. I love all things firearm and teaching people. I was curious if it's a good idea or what the process is to become a certified firearms instructor. Everything I've googled points to the NRA for certifying official stuff. Once I finish my private pilot's license. Voc Rehab will pay for me to go to either Utah Valley University, or University of North Dakota (flight programs) Figured that might not be a bad side job once I get out of my current position either, but if I had the ability currently I could possibly get more pay doing what my boss pays another company. What are your opinions?
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Dear Snipers Hide constituents need advice.
- Thread starter jpop8807
- Start date
Ask your boss first if it’s all about this job. If you like to teach/instruct and think that you would like it, just do it anyway. More knowledge is more betterer.
I'd visit Minot in the middle of February before you decide to spend much time there.
My father was a music major at the University of South Dakota in the early 60s. But he moved to Cali when his parents wanted to move back to east Texas.
Anyway, some more useless trivia. Charley Pride made a big hit with a song someone wrote for him called "Is Anyone going to San Antone."
Originally the chorus was written,
"Is anyone going to San Antone or Fargo, North Dakota?"
Just before recording it, they decided to change it to Phoenix, Arizona.
That has no bearing on this.
Totally fine to get certified as an NRA instructor and work other jobs, too.
Anyway, some more useless trivia. Charley Pride made a big hit with a song someone wrote for him called "Is Anyone going to San Antone."
Originally the chorus was written,
"Is anyone going to San Antone or Fargo, North Dakota?"
Just before recording it, they decided to change it to Phoenix, Arizona.
That has no bearing on this.
Totally fine to get certified as an NRA instructor and work other jobs, too.
Is the NRA the only recognized thing? I couldn't find any other when I hit google. I don't really pay much attention to politics, but noticed everyone from military arms channel to other old SF youtube dudes have been pretty much been slamming the NRA for reasons I need to google I guess.
Dude I love teaching and instructing. I just never thought about it with working full time and going to flight school. I would love the ability to teach people.
Ya I've tried googling the pro's and con's of each. I hear ND cold as all hell, not much to do, but the cost of living is low enough that my housing allowance and disability would cover everything allowing me to focus solely on becoming a pilot/school maybe a side gig. I hear Utah lots off offroading lots to do. Liquor, and heathen things an ex infantryman like not so existent. I've never been but heard that if you aren't Mormon in the Orem/Provo area your kinda treated differently. Plus Utah is like Colorado Springs/Denver expensive. Both I hear are super gun friendly though. It won't be my permanent residence once my commercial status is done I'll go wherever. Possibly back to Texas. So I'm weighing the hell out of the pros, and cons of each I won't be moving till probably summer/fall.
That is a good question. I love firearms, I miss being an NCO/teaching molding people. I just never realized I had the option until looking it up. I always though you maybe had to work for someone, go through some type of school, and so forth. I guess it's always good to have as many tricks in the bag as possible.
I'd suggest finding something like this: https://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/content/what-are-requirements-becoming-firearms-instructor
www.dcjs.virginia.gov
www.dcjs.virginia.gov
Do it thru your local/state agencies. MUCH more punch than some NRA card. Not to mention the professional networking that can happen.
Just $.02....(added some more links)
13E - General Instructor Entry-Level | Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services
General Course InformationApplications and fees must be received by DCJS and all applications and eligibility requirements must be met prior to course enrollment.A confirmation will be issued to individuals with details regarding training session date and location.Application Type: Initial...
14E - Firearms Instructor Entry Level | Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services
Do it thru your local/state agencies. MUCH more punch than some NRA card. Not to mention the professional networking that can happen.
Just $.02....(added some more links)
Getting into UND as soon as possible should be your only goal, if you want an airline job, provided you don't have a record of disqualifying adventures. The industry is presently in need of pilots unlike it has been since the late '60s. I'm not familiar with UVU, but throughout my career, I've come across a bunch of pilots that came out of the UND program.
If you really like teaching other people and are good at it, that'll make the time you spend as a flight instructor beneficial to all.
Every day you delay is one you don't get at the end of your career.
If you really like teaching other people and are good at it, that'll make the time you spend as a flight instructor beneficial to all.
Every day you delay is one you don't get at the end of your career.
Have you ever seen the movie "Fargo"? Grand Forks, or Minot, is just like that, but fewer hot chicks.
If you like people and all the traffic and bullshit associated with being in a million plus metro area, Utah. If you hate people and want less than a tenth of that many people near you, even if it means living on the prairie where a PD mound is a significant terrain feature, ND.
Both will drive you to drink.
Both will drive you to drink.
Go become a pilot. Make money, don't turn yer hobby into a job, it may kill the fun for you.
I opened this thread thinking it was going to be about deersniper
I totally agree. I'm currently at about 25 hours on my PPL flying out of Peterson Airforce Base. Part of the prerequirement for VOC rehab paying for everything PPL has to be out of pocket, and I have to get a first class medical. As soon as that is done I'm getting out of Colorado and getting to I'm thinking UND right now is my top choice.
I have not. I will look it up lol. LMFAO I told my girlfriend about your comment, she's heavy latina puerto rican. Imagine thick accent "Baaeebyyy he say no hot chicks, I hate cold but North Dakota sound safer for you, ju know in case you not want to die"
Ya minus the great outdoor stuff, I have heard the people in Utah are hella hit or miss. I like being alone, and unfucked with Denver made me realize how much I hate people. Lol Well on the bright side alcohol seems to be easier to get in North Dakota. I'm sure both have better gun laws then here. I work for a private subcontractor at a government site. Because of Colorado I was told hey I see you have the fancy M&P long slide, make sure you only have 15rnd magazines in case you ever have to shoot someone. Unless you're GS or actual law enforcement even armed security is required to carry 15rnds max pistol.
Licensed Pilot is a great skill/resume builder to have. The people in charge always need someone to fly them in their private jets.
I totally get that. This was more to supplement me while I go to school.
Totally agree, from where I'm at though I still have about 2 or a bit over 2 years before I am completely multi-engine certified
Jeez from what I've seen on here in the general study/motivational thread it looks like you must really have to fuck up to get banned lol.Uhhhh, he's banned.......
Do it. Two years will be gone before you know it. Use your GI bill while you can - this admin. is focused on giving money to people beside those who where willing to sacrifice their life for this country. Patriotism is a naughty word.
No but it's one of the extremely few ways you'll be able to get insurance. Last thing you want is any kind of financial exposure to idiots that send a happy fun ball through their hand/leg/arm/foot/someone else.
As an aside, just enjoying a thing doesn't necessarily make you an instructor candidate. There's art and science in gun training but the big thing you need to deliver value is neither of those, it's an understanding of how to actually convey knowledge in a systematic way. If there's one thing I've found it is that there's a fantastically greater number of shit instructors (and this isn't limited to gun trainers in the least) than there are good ones. Most instructors, and this is again certainly not limited to firearms instruction but it is mind bendingly obvious in the field, end up operating as glorified record players of silliness they were taught by a glorified record player of silliness who was taught by a glorified... etc.
I have no idea when you pulled cost of living data.
I work in the oilfield. Over the last 15 years, the cost of living there has taken some ups and downs...primarily related to oilfield activity. Add some natural disasters. The cost of food is + pretty much anywhere else, fuel is generally higher. The cost of housing is what fluctuates with extremes. Lots of oilfield activity....well, in 2013 I rented a bedroom with shared bathroom and kitchen, basically a room mate for $1500/month and I was only there for 2 weeks and out for 2 weeks. My "landlord" wanted me to allow someone else to havemy room for the 2 weeks I was gone, no discount. If it had been her furniture (bed, dresser, nightstand, recliner, TV), I might have agreed. But you get the point. Shooting at distances is hard to find even though the terrain is conducive.
Winters are fucking brutal. Not that it can't be handled but costs also go up accordingly. Winter fuel is more expensive. Fresh produce is more expensive. Appropriate winter clothing is not cheap. Your vehicle will suffer.
Your expectations of not having infantryman type shit to do in Utah is far off base. Very far. Yes, SLC and that metroplex is expensive but may not be so when compared to the extraordinary inflated prices of everything near an oilfield operation. From my personal experiences, the not being Mormon thing has been completely non-existent. It does get cold there but it is NOTHING compared to the brutal winters in ND and eastern Montana. There is LOTS of BLM and National Forest land to find places to shoot on top of the "sanctioned" ranges. There is one particular gully on the breaks of the Salmon River in Idaho that has several pounds of lead I use to own scarring rocks. I prefer to go to BLM land and such to find rocks to murder at distances beyond my capabilities.
Just my $0.02
I have my own land to shoot on now in Okrahoma but I already miss the rivers and canyons near Lewiston, Idaho. That's a place to look at landing.....pun intended.
Being non-mormon in Utah isn't the end of the world. There are plenty to around to hang with, especially if you like shooting.
Go to school and be a pilot. If you honestly suck at flying be a firearms instructor for $15 bucks an hour. If you want to do it as a side gig, cool. But its a bad career choice.
If you honestly suck at flying save all of us the horrors of you poor flying and find a nice job as a bartender, then you can tell flying stories to people who don't know you are lying.
If you honestly suck at flying save all of us the horrors of you poor flying and find a nice job as a bartender, then you can tell flying stories to people who don't know you are lying.
Small nagging question in my brain. A thought dying of loneliness. How does he know he sucks at either of those? Is there a reason to assume he will suck at those?
And since advice is freely given, what happens if he sucks at bartending?
A friend of mine was not very successful being a bartender. A guy came in and ordered a vodka, neat. He asked if he wanted a slice of lemon with that. The guy snapped back, "If I wanted lemonade, I would have ordered lemonade."
So, my friend quit very soon after that. His previous experience was killing people along the border of Laos and Camobodia with the use of remotely detonated C4, circa 1964 to 1969 for three active combat tours, stationed out of Da Nang.
You answered your own question. The feedback from customers and instructors indicates that while your friend did okay at blowing people up, he wasn't the greatest bartender. They give you hints.
Very valid I have definitely run into some of those. I'm a pretty good instructor, but I've never done it on the civilian side. I agree with the other statement as well. I've definitely had leadership that when they trained I wanted to suck start my M4 like death by power point broken record shit. It's true some people have it some don't. If you can't captivate your audience, and convey things in a correct manner that is not only educational but in a systematic way you won't go anywhere.
Ya I think the school in Utah is right south of SLC in Orem. When I looked up apartments a 1 bedroom with a garage (my harley will always have a home lol), Utah seemed to be around 1750-2100. For that price in Grand Forks according to apartments.com it appeared to be nice apts that are like 2-3 bedrooms plus a garage. I'm still super on the fence. I did hear from everyone how brutal the winters are.
I hear all kinda cool shit about Utah. The biggest downside was when I called the school asking about where to live the guy from admissions was like best places are around BYU. I asked is that the main mormon university, his response was UM EXCUSSE ME ITS LATTER DAY SAINTS we don't like being called Mormon anymore. That was my only experience of Utah so far. When I googled what life was like in Utah great outdoors areas, great overlanding, lots of shooting stuff, but then I heard most jobs not sure how true this is from the people that wrote the articles, but claimed for example unless it's a federal gig or something like that if you work somewhere you and another guy are equal level for promotion Brother or Sister so and so will get it over the non mormon, because blah reasons. I guess best thing is just to visit and see for myself. As for ND it seems like there really isn't much to do there.
Ya I finally got ahold of the veterans department of UVU mormon or not they seemed cool. I told him my bad experience when I called admissions about being told I can't say mormon because they are latter day saints. He said yes you'll get some people like that out here. Best thing to do is stick to your own kind (veterans and such).
This is the best shit I've ever heard lmfao. I'm actually rather good at flying. At least according to my instructor UND grad who fly's for skywest as his main job. No I definitely don't want it to be a full-time job, just maybe a side gig to bring in extra money while I'm focusing on school. The thing that gave me the idea was an article I read about a guy who does it but not for a company and chargers about 100-180 for concealed carry he usually has 5-10 people in class. Figured that would be more fun and a better side gig then uber and shit. I work a full-time gov contract right now balancing that with online classes is kind of a pain in the ass. I recently sold my house and came into pretty good money, so my goal for at least the first 6 months to a year at whatever school I go to is be a full time student, with maybe a part time job or side gig.
Well at least we know if I start sucking at flying then you guys know why one day I'm not on here anymore. LMFAO.
I have the gift of gap and manage to be able to talk to anyone mainly why I got picked up for this contract. The guy saw me at my last security gig and said I have great human relations everything from ghetto people, outlaws, to the rather wealthy. I'm outgoing and know what and when to say. All in all I can't mix drinks to save my life. Worst case scenario I become a male stripper or escort. I don't have a big dick or abs, so I'll be starting small, mainly nursing homes and hospice care lmfao.
Technically, he made drinks just fine. That is measurements and mechanical skill. He sucked at putting up with bad attitude from others.
Possibly being a bartender includes putting up with people being cranky just because it's Wednesday. I don't know, not having been a bartender. If that is part of the job, I might suck at it, too.
That is a people skill that is rare. As opposed to the opposite, such as Emilio Estevez in "Young Guns." Someone asked him to say something nice to someone for a change.
"You got a face like a hatful of assholes."
But I enjoy a good roast, too. I roasted my brother via Facebook yesterday. It was his birthday and I told him I wanted to get one of those books that lists the things that happened the year he was born. But writing was not yet invented. That got a rolling laughing emoji.
He has roasted me good, before. He said, "I laugh at pain. Your pain."
Can you feel the love in the room?
I've learned that when it comes to people whether good or bad treat them with respect and as an equal. We had this big ass biker come into one of my old places. Can't remember which club but he was wearing a diamond on the front. Looking angry as shit. Build like a fucking rhino. I saw him come through the door and told him to stop he gave me this look, then I was like sir I need you to turn sideways, in fear you might break the door frame with your build and we aren't insured for people who are built like brick shit houses. I've never seen someone smile so big. Laughter, I've learned laughter, and respect can get you damn near anywhere with people. Honestly thugs, outlaws, snazzy oil tycoons, athletes, non where an issue the only people I never got along with or had issues with tended to be old mostly white Karen types, and 18-25 pretty boys with a man buns that have never been punched in the mouth. Like they acted like they control the world and all must bow before them, one of my after-army jobs was working at a private jet center, I got to meet Jay Leno, Harrison Ford, Queen Latifa, and the guys that owns Scotts Turf builder. All rich as shit, all humble, and respectful. I've noticed the middle upper-class white ladies, or the kids born with silver spoons in their mouths tended to be the biggest problems.
That's awesome. I used to suck at appeasing people. Even though I am taller and bigger than most people, some guys still have to try and intimidate me for no other reason than some kind of social points. And so my response was to drop what I was doing, walk over and put my face directly in theirs when they said they would kick my ass (their words, not mine) and I would say, "What are waiting on? Christmas?"
And another who took a swing at me with his screwdriver and quicker than he could blink, I took his screwdriver and put it to his throat and we came to an understanding and things were okay after that. I read it now and it sounds unbelievable. But it happened. But over the years, I have learned to listen to people first and get inside their swing, as it were. So, I have developed some of that being helpful with people. But I still have to stubbornness inside me. At work I am the Jonathon Banks.
If you have seen the series "Breaking Bad," Jonathon Banks plays the chief assistant to GianCarlo Esposito's character and does his duty with efficient means and methods. It is just business. And I have had people curse at me and I did not curse back. I simply refused to yield to their bullying. So, I get it a little bit. But I still cannot suffer a bully.
I worked the door at a bar for a few years as a part time gig. I fucking hate drunks. Drunks under 5'8" always think they can beat you up, they can't and it was pointless to try. People who can beat you up can mostly control themselves and are rarely a problem.
The best night to work in Christmas eve. The after work holiday crowd is gone by 8pm and what is left is misery. The last Christmas eve I ever worked at a bar, A drunk downer was whining to anyone who would listen and making the crowd mad. He stood up and loudly yelled. "If there was a bridge nearby I'd fucking jump off it!!!" The crowd screamed back, "Two blocks down, take a fucking right and walk to the middle, die already!!!"
I was touched by the holiday spirit of our patrons. Even a bad job has bright moments.
In 1984 and 85 I was working security at night clubs. From dance clubs to topless bars. My boss, who was also a local sheriff loaned me one of his nice pieces since I had a Texas state commission to carry a firearm on duty (I had to requalify every so often, last test was 145 pounts out of 150.) It was a Smith and Wesson Model 19 K-frame .357 Magnum with nickel plating and ivory oversized grips. Just shy of 3 pounds but shot like a dream. (Sure it was easy to pose with it and say, "I know what you are thinking. Did he shoot six or was it only five? Well, in all the excitement, I kind of lost count myself. Being that this is (in that movie) a forty-four magnum, the most powerful handgun in the whole world and could blow your head clean off, you have to be asking yourself one question.
Do I feel lucky? Well, do you, punk?")
At the topless bars, a few bikers would go outside and beat a guy into the hospital just because it was Thursday night. At one of the dance clubs, I had a few fights. One with a guy who was on some other substance besides booze. During the struggle, he got my gun off my sam browne because it was a snap-on holster. So, I picked him up off the ground and bounced his head on the carpeted ramp like it was a basketball.
That stunned him enough to get handcuffs on him and wait for the cops. I could imagine he woke up the next morning with some stitches and a headache and asking what happened. And a cop could say, well, you took on a guy twice your size, that's what happened. (I was 6' 6" 235 lbs of several different types of hand to hand combat. Now, many decades later, life has worn me down to a puny 6' 4".)
Another "encounter" was with a drunken bum looking for a night in a warm jail (it was 20 F in February.) So, he lunged for my left hip, which is where I carry a handgun.) I deftly waltzed out of the way and he bounced headlong into the decorative brick facade of the club and knocked himself silly and a club employee called the police and they took him to the drunk tank. Easy money.
But that club was one of the times in my life I was shot at. And another time, I was keeping a trouble maker out and he was backing his car toward the club and about to run me over. So, I pulled that flashy S&W and he decided it was better to call it an evening and leave, which was fine with me.
I know this all sounds incredible and we see so many people talking a big game. But it really did happen.
Heck, I even applied as a police officer for Richardson, Texas and got past the physical agility test just fine. Then, I realized, being clean as a whistle, I could actually become a cop. You have to want it bad enough and I did not want that job that bad, as good as it was.
