join nra

As a mother of two with a lifelong interest in martial arts and a background in fine art and industrial design, it was a curious experience discovering which facet of the shooting sports would be the right fit for me. Although competitive shooting looked exciting and cowboy action looked like fun, the desire to protect my family and myself is what has focused my training efforts and led me down a more “tactical” path. What began as a recreational hobby has evolved into a new career in the firearms industry as an instructor, dedicated student and product developer.

My initial Women on Target experience was such a positive one that I volunteered as a coach at clinics after that. With over 400 hours of formal training under my belt and a strong desire to share a positive, safe and motivational first shooting experience with other women, I became an NRA Basic Pistol instructor, range safety officer and a Refuse to be a Victim instructor.

The vast majority of the women I train and train with are interested in learning to shoot for personal protection. The gun itself tends to be what initiates a conversation about how to make lifestyle choices and changes to better prepare and prevent them

from becoming the victim of an attack. The gun is both the first step toward empowering women to take action to protect themselves and the last resort should they have to do so.

A desire to learn more (and let’s face it, to spend as much time at the range as possible) has led me across the

country to train with exceptional instructors and alongside some extraordinary individuals. From basic pistol, to advanced carbine, to home defense shoot-house courses, I leave with a realization of both how much I have learned and how much more there is to learn! The only disappointing part of each class is that, to date, I have been the only woman in attendance.

The designer and artist in me is enamored with the true form and function of the firearm as an object of precision engineering and fine craftsmanship. The physical and mental challenges involved in training appeal to the athlete in me. And as a mother, I take the safety and well-being of my family seriously, and know that in a worst-case scenario the first responder on the scene is—me.

Through extensive training, I’m striving to become a better, safer, more well-rounded markswoman and member of society. One of these days I hope to fly out to a class and discover as many women on the firing line as there are men. It is truly my hope that by sharing my story, continuing to expand my own knowledge base, and teaching as much as possible, I can encourage more women to go beyond the basics.

THE THIRDCENTURY

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My journey into the world of firearms began two years ago at a Women on Target clinic in southern Maine. I was hooked from the first shot, and joined a rod and gun club the very same week.

F I R S T P E R S O N

TaTIaNa whITlOck ThE DESIGNER aND aRTIST IN ME IS ENaMORED wITh ThE

TRUE FORM aND FUNcTION OF ThE FIREaRM aS aN OBJEcT OF

PREcISION ENGINEERING aND FINE cRaFTSMaNShIP.

According to a recent report by USA Today, approximately 900 people have died in mass shootings since 2007. Of those, a majority were killed by someone they knew. Even the rabidly anti-gun Mayor Bloomberg can’t deny the connection. His coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns recently released an analysis of 56 mass shootings and found that almost 60 percent of them involved or started as domestic violence.

We’re often asked to believe we’re morally obligated to respond to mass shootings by limiting gun ownership. We’re told we owe it to the innocent victims and our children, to the youngest victims of this unthinkable violence. Those of us who continue to defend the rights of law-abiding citizens to own

and operate firearms are accused of not caring about innocent lives. Or even worse, not caring about the children.

Well, I’d like to set the record straight. I care a lot about the children. And I care about the 15.5 million U.S. children, who, according to a study in the American Journal of Psychology, live in families where domestic violence occurred at least once in the past year. That’s 15 and a half million children who have witnessed or been the victim of domestic violence.

If we sincerely want to decrease violence against children in our country, it’s time we stop talking about AR-15s, and start talking about real threats that millions of our children face every year.

DEFEND yOUR RIGhT TO DEFEND yOURSElF

Mother and tactical shooting instructor Tatiana Whitlock longs for the day when she goes to a training class and finds as many women as men on the firing line.

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M a r c h 2 0 0 9 :Robert Stewart opens fire in a Carthage, N.C., nursing home, killing eight and injuring two.

O c t O b e r 2 0 1 2 :Scott Evans Dekraai opens fire in a Seal Beach, Calif., salon, killing

eight and injuring one.

a p r i l 2 0 1 3 :Dennis Clark opens fire in a

Federal Way, Wash., apartment building, killing four.

whaT DO all OF ThESE TRaGEDIES havE IN cOMMON? ThEy STaRTED aS DOMESTIc vIOlENcE. Join, renew or

upgrade at special rates for Times readers: www.NRa.cOM/JOIN

BIlly JOhNSONis the newest commentator

for NRANews. See the latest from Colion Noir, Dom Raso and Natalie

Foster at http://www.nranews.

com/commentators

chEck OUT ThE NEw waRRIOR

THE THIRDCENTURY

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The National Rifle Association’s Life of Duty program announces the launch of the latest edition of NRA American Warrior magazine—Warrior 16.

Published especially for military, law enforcement and other first responders, NRA American Warrior is an all-digital publishing experience you won’t want to miss.

This issue’s cover story features former Navy SEAL Dom Raso and his teammates as they face one of the most challenging adventure courses around—the Bone Frog Challenge. Follow these men and women as they run nine grueling miles uphill, leap through fire, plunge themselves into icy water, and face tests of teamwork and personal endurance usually reserved for the nation’s most elite warriors.

Marksmanship skills also get tested in Warrior 16, as police, military and private-sector officers travel to Albuquerque, N.M., for the Tactical Police Competition. Frequent Warrior contributor J.R. Salzman provides compelling coverage of the matches, billed as “competitive-based training to prepare you for the worst,” and talks to competitors about their wins and the potentially life-saving lessons they learned.

Warrior 16 also includes coverage of the Steel Safari, a fierce rifle match in the New Mexico desert; the story of a former Navy SEAL who is keeping his shooting skills honed on the 3-gun range; a tribute to fallen warriors “known but to God;” and numerous in-depth gun and gear tests you won’t find anywhere else.

Note that NRA American Warrior isn’t just your average magazine. It’s an all-digital publication that features not only outstanding photography and lively writing, but also embedded videos you can watch on your computer or tablet screen without leaving the page.

The NRA Life of Duty program is a one-of-a-kind venture dedicated to the men and women who keep us safe and defend our freedoms, both at home and abroad. The program consists of three main parts: a special class of free NRA membership for active-duty military, law enforcement and first responders; an online network tailored specifically for NRA Life of Duty members; and the cutting-edge digital magazine, NRA American Warrior.

Find the central hub of NRA Life of Duty activity at www.NRALifeofDuty.tv, presented by Brownells. It’s all part of the NRA’s continuing effort to give back to the brave men and women who give their all to defend life and liberty. From there you can also click straight through to this new issue of the NRA American Warrior.

Whether you’re a law enforcement officer, active duty military or other first responder, NRA American Warrior 16 has something for you. Find the brand new digital issue, plus tons of other Life of Duty content, at N R a l I F E O F D U T y . T v

You can view Warrior 16, along with all the previous great issues, by clicking the “NRA American Warrior”

tab at NRalIFEOFDUTy.Tv

@ n r a _ L i f e o f D u t y | w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m / n r a L i f e o f D u t y

THE THIRDCENTURY

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Get a taste of Billy’s unique take on culture on the back of section A, and

watch his NRANews commentaries athTTP://NRaNEwS.cOM/cOMMENTaTORS

B I l l y J O h N S O NThe purveyor of logical thinking from the YouTube channel Amidst The Noise joins

Colion, Natalie and Dom as the latest commentator on NRANews.com.

It would be pretty difficult for any American to share a birthday with the United States and not grow up to be a little patriotic. But Billy Johnson has taken his love of country straight to the digital front lines. Though his

YouTube channel, Amidst The Noise, has been online less than a year, his compelling video commentaries have already been viewed more than 1.6 million times.

While Johnson has struck a chord with concerned Americans, he explains that it isn’t his goal to get people to agree with him. Instead, he sees it as his duty to share the facts, and to inspire people to examine the issues and form their own opinions. “As overreaching legislation erodes our rights, it is the responsibility of all citizens to stand up and speak out,” Johnson said.

As the newest NRANews commentator, Johnson will continue to make his voice heard, lending his pragmatism and ability to see through the prevailing rhetoric to the battle for preserving our Second Amendment freedoms.

Catch the latest from Billy Johnson, along with NRANews’ other commentators, at www.NRaNEwS.cOM/cOMMENTaTORS

@am iDsttheno ise | facebook.com/amiDstthenoise

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New voIces,

New vIews

Tac T i c al S h o oT i n g i n ST ru c To r

TaTIaNa whITlOck

while Tatiana Whitlock is fairly new to the shooting sports, you wouldn’t know it by watching her at the range.

The mother of two and product designer/developer from Freeport, Maine, took her first firearms class only two years ago. The rest, as they say, is history.

Now an experienced shooting instructor, Tatiana travels the country both learning and teaching tactical shooting techniques. At the same time, she works tirelessly to get more women interested and involved in the shooting sports. | Read the full text on the back page

So many See the nRa only as the gun lobby. For decades, the legislative and judicial initiatives of the organization have been crucial in the fight to protect the Second amendment for america’s law-abiding citizens. But the nRa is much more dynamic and diverse, with a membership that is advancing all aspects of safe, responsible, empowered gun ownership

into the mainstream of popular culture. as we continue into a third century of service, nRa is proud to celebrate a future defined by an ever-growing group of energetic, accomplished individuals who believe in this freedom and this country.

THE THIRDCENTURY

on Guns, tactical shooting and protecting herself

and her family

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www.nramuseum.com | @nramuseum | www.facebook .com/nramuseum

With the click of a mouse, firearm enthusiasts of all kinds can have access to one of the NRa National firearms museum’s most treasured pieces—the springfield armory 1911 NRa Pistol—as well as a collection

of 80 of the most notable firearms on display anywhere. these guns can all be found by simply visiting the NRa National firearms museum’s treasure collection.

No matter where it was used, the 1911 pistol was always popular. in fact, it’s been estimated that of the hundreds of thousands produced during the WWi era, one-third didn’t make their way back to uncle sam.

though the rugged and reliable pistol made a fitting souvenir for returning Doughboys, the 1911’s suitability for competition was not lost on the civilian market. Pistols like this one, with “NRa” engraved on the right-hand side of the frame, were available to NRa life members who were competing in the shooting matches at camp Perry. Now part of the NRa museum collection, this pistol serves as a reminder of the legacy of the 1911—and of the NRa.

the springfield armory 1911 NRa Pistol can be seen at the NRa National firearms museum in fairfax, Va., or online at hOME.NRa.ORG/hISTORy. simply click on the “treasure collection” window to find photos and videos of the 1911 NRa Pistol, as well as 80 other historical and notable firearms, each presented by a museum curator who offers the fascinating story behind the gun.

T R E A S U R E S in S T E E L :

Springfield Armory 1911 nrA piStol

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