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thejtrain wrote:Copied directly from my "Introduce yourself" post:

Now if I can just find a way to take baby steps towards making my wife comfortable with firearms... maybe someday she can start carrying, too! Will post shortly in the Ladies General section eliciting suggestions, feel free to stop by if you've got some!

I started my wife on a small, .22caliber pump-action rifle. No recoil, and the noise was mitigated by the distance to the muzzle. Earplugs are a must! If a woman perceives pain in the process- she is likely to always associate pain with the process. (Same for a young adult under your tutelage.) After your wife gains familiarity with the small rifle, introduce a suitable small-frame revolver- again with .22 caliber, although a .25 might also work. (Depends on your budget)

I hope your wife takes to firearms as easily as mine did. She really enjoys our time together. Just remember to take it slow, make it interesting, and be sure she has proper eye and ear protection. That last, will seal the deal in most instances. Good luck and good shooting! -Troy

frreed wrote:Shootsir,

Yes that is the U.S. Military policy. I agree with you on this, but that decision is way above my payrgrade. The Marines always took good care of me.

Man, but you are in a combat zone- with actual combatants! Has it always been policy for chaplains? Shame....and yes, I'm quite certain
the Marines will cover your six- of that there is NO doubt. LOL!

frreed wrote:My final decision came after returning from a tour of duty in Iraq. Over many years I had been in situations where I should have been carrying...
After returning from Iraq, it struck me as odd that I was less secure here than I was in a combat zone. I am a chaplain which means I cannot carry a weapon. I always had a body guard with me outside the wire.

Seriously...a chaplain in a combat zone is not allowed to carry a weapon when in the field? I've never heard of this and, in fact, believe this is criminal!
For God's sake (sorry, Chaplain), you are risking life and limb here/there. That good book won't stop a bullet or a BG from trying to take you out...

Wowser...

For me it was the morning I left early for work, before sun up, and decided to head to my local ATM machine.
I was driving the wife's car, a Honda Civic, which sits very low to the ground. I was pulling my cash from the
machine when a deep voice behind my left ear asked if I had any spare change. This HUGE guy appeared out
of nowhere, at my car window, and was within easy punching distance of my face- I never saw or heard him
until he was standing next to me! While it worked OK, I nearly had to return to the house and change my
shorts before heading into work. I was shaking for hours- I knew it could have been much worse. It also taught
me a lesson about situational awareness. NEVER TURN IT OFF!

After that, I signed up for the very next class that one of my clients offered. He asked everyone in the class
why they decided to take the class. Every one of us had had an "incident" that was similar to the one I relay
here. All of us refused to be victims...I've never looked back. What a wonderful feeling of comfort when things
look "weird" or feel "weird" or that internal radar starts ticking...

-TMS