Free Republic

Young people in Western New York have a unique opportunity to learn safe and effective firearms handling in many venues. The award-winning Teen Shooting Academy (TSA) offers young people of qualifying ages instruction in shotgun, rifle, and hand gun use. Rifle and shotgun classes are held for those ages 12 to 20; handgun instruction is provided for those ages 14 to 20. The 8-session rifle class begins Feb. 20 at Mohawk Rifle and Pistol Club, 857 Sheridan Drive, Town of Tonawanda. Instruction goes from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on the first and third Mondays of each month. The Mohawk club...

Some 1,000 Israel Defense Forces paratroopers participated in the Paratroopers Brigade's first complete exercise in 13 years on Tuesday. The exercise, which took place at a base in southern Israel, came as a result of an IDF decision to reintroduce full-scale drills that mimic military operations, and comes after more than a decade during which paratroopers solely participated in less complicated parachuting practices.

(CNSNews.com) - Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says her agency's plans for the coming year include improving the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities; training health professionals in "cultural competency"; and developing definitions of sexual orientation and gender identity. On the HHS Web site, Sebelius also summarized actions taken thus far on behalf of the LGBT community, such as forming an internal LGBT Coordinating Committee, the inclusion of LGBT people in implementing the Affordable Care Act and ongoing anti-bullying efforts.

It may have looked like they were ready for war or some deranged person looking for his late Social Security benefits. But it was only Federal Protective Service officers with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security who were conducting a random training operation early Tuesday morning when they surprisingly showed up at the Social Security Administration office in downtown Leesburg. With their blue and white SUVs circled around the Main Street office, at least one official was posted on the door with a semiautomatic rifle, randomly checking identifications. And other officers, some with K-9s, sifted through the building. "I thought...

A legislative committee approved a bill that would suspend several of the Department of Justice emergency rules for concealed carry, including the rule requiring a minimum time for training. On Tuesday, the Wisconsin Legislature Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules held a meeting regarding the training requirements to obtain a license to carry a concealed weapon and passed the legislation suspending several of the DOJ’s emergency rules by a 6-3 majority. The next step for the bill will be to head to the Legislature for approval. The committee recommended in the legislation that parts of the DOJ’s emergency rule...

ALEXANDRIA — Holiday travelers may receive enhanced pat-downs at the hands of Transportation Security Administration agents in the next few days, but TSA failed to enforce a key foreign pilot screening process that could have prevented the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. For several months in 2010, TSA and Department of Defense contractor Mantech International Corp. failed to enforce the Alien Flight Student Program, which performs threat assessments and background checks on more than 38,000 non-citizens learning to fly every year. "This hasn't come back to bite us yet, but it only has to be one time," said one source with...

U.S. assistance to Egypt is helping political parties of all ideologies prepare for the upcoming elections -- even Islamic parties that may have anti-Western agendas. "We don't do party support. What we do is party training.... And we do it to whoever comes," William Taylor, the State Department's director of its new office for Middle East Transitions, said in a briefing with reporters today. "Sometimes, Islamist parties show up, sometimes they don't. But it has been provided on a nonpartisan basis, not to individual parties." The programs, contracted through the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) and the International...

The petroleum industry is amid a tremendous wave of hiring that's occurring in response to the gradual retirement of the so-called "baby boom" generation, which was spawned in the wake of World War II. Much of the hiring focuses on the very young—both blue collar labor and newly minted petroleum geoscience and engineering grads. Another important trend is on the re-training of mid-career professionals into more labor-tight technical and management positions. The American Petroleum Institute says that it has no statistics on how much hiring is directed toward the young and middle-aged, but other statistics are compelling on how badly...

MADISON, Wis. -- Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen is defending the state Justice Department's concealed carry regulations. ..... Van Hollen said the NRA's assertion the agency will require hands-on practice is inaccurate. The statute clearly sates the DOJ's rules cannot require live firearm training.

Dear TX Freepers, Son is entering Navy in December. Has been training in Austin with fellow recruits. Needs to find room to rent in Austin to avoid drive (expense of driving 60+ miles too much). Any contacts we could present him to would be most apprciated. The young man doesn't smoke, drink or chase women (and yes, he's normal). He's in superb condition, but wants to max out to be ready. Please freepmail me if you can help us find some contacts.

In urging Congress to extend jobless benefits, President Obama went beyond short-term aid and called on the country to rethink how it looks at unemployment, recognizing the long-term devastating costs of having so many unproductive people on its hands for long periods. Specifically, Obama endorsed a work-sharing plan embraced in Europe that averts layoffs by spreading the pain among co-workers, as well as a more controversial bridge-to-work idea that puts people who are on unemployment benefits into training or temporary work that would set them on a path toward regular jobs. The president also proposed, as part of his $447-billion...

At American Majority, we believe that real political change begins at the local level. It is going to take engaged citizens working together in their communities to effectively implement freedom on a national level. We believe that individual liberty will only be achieved through limited government and free markets and that by training candidates and activists to be effective towards those goals today, we will enhance tomorrow. American Majority is a national non-profit, non-partisan political training institute whose mission is to train and equip a national network of leaders committed to individual freedom through limited government and the free market....

The IDF has begun training Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria in advance of an expected Arab onslaught in September, ultra-leftist paper Haaretz reported Tuesday. Arabs are expected to try and march en masse on Jewish communities, hoping to overwhelm the Jews and provoke them into shooting at the Arabs. Video of Jewish settlers shooting into an Arab crowd can then be used for propaganda purposes to portray Israel in a demonic light, in the classic cat-and-mouse-and-videocam manipulative tactic used by Arabs against Israel to great effect for many years. The mass marches are to be part of a Palestinian...

The IDF has conducted detailed work to determine a “red line” for each settlement in the West Bank, which will determine when soldiers will be ordered to shoot at the feet of Palestinian protesters if the line is crossed. It is also arming settlers with tear gas and stun grenades as part of the defense operation. The IDF is currently in the process of finalizing its preparations for Operation Summer Seeds, whose purpose is to ready the army for September and the possibility of confrontations with Palestinians following the expected vote in favor of Palestinian statehood at the UN General...

Project Appleseed is a rifle training course combining marksmanship with a civics lesson. “Good shooting requires learning positive traits such as patience, determination, focus, attention to detail, and persistence,” their website declares. “Since these skills are likewise key elements of mature participation in civic activities, we urge our students to take what they have learned about themselves as marksmen and apply it to their participation in their communities and in the wider American society in accordance with their own choices about how Americans should govern themselves.” When I heard that Appleseed was dropping in the Big Apple, I had to...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Transportation Security Administration managers at Los Angeles International Airport are undergoing mandatory sensitivity training after a transgender employee alleged she was ordered to dress like a man, pat down male passengers and use the men's restroom. Ashley Yang, 29, who spent two years as a security checkpoint screener at LAX, was fired last summer after co-workers observed her using the women's room, according to a copy of her termination letter obtained by The Associated Press. She contested the firing, resulting in a settlement that mandated the training.

I live within the New Madrid fault zone, so when a "big one" hits we here in Southern Illinois pay close attention to the news. We all know that what we're watching could someday be us. The city of Christchurch, New Zealand, was hit on Feb. 22 by a 6.3-magnitude earthquake that was a deadly aftershock of an even larger quake that shook the country last September. Forces combined with the location of the epicenter of the quake, the terrain and the time of day to lay devastation and death upon the city...

TORONTO - Until a few weeks ago, the only things I knew about guns were from police reports and violent movies. I had never picked one up, been near one or heard the echoes of shotgun blasts. And quite frankly, I was pretty afraid of them. I know the Chinese invented gunpowder, but firearms have never been standard in my family. In fact, guns have been the source of several heated arguments between my boyfriend Dave, who often heads home to Kincardine to shoot guns with his friend. They don’t go hunting, but rather shoot targets — puddles, broken TVs,...

Let’s get this out of the way: the idea that you, a man, should choose a firearm for a woman who’s never had one is sexist and disrespectful. Women are fully capable of making their own decisions. They don’t need you, a man, telling them what gun is best for their home defense. To even think such a thing reveals you as a Neanderthal. Contact your local community college and sign up for some sensitivity training at your earliest opportunity. Now, let’s have a look at the three questions you need to consider before you choose the right gun for...

We left Tuesday afternoon for Fort Benning, Georgia, a 6 hour drive N.W. from here, for my grandson's completion of basic training.Wednesday's activities began with the new soldiers standing bareheaded in ranks, then as one the black berets came out and they were American warriors. It was an emotional moment for everyone. Thursday was set aside for the formal ceremony, held on the parade ground near the Fort Benning museum. The weather in Georgia and Alabama was threatening but the ceremony went off with no problems. Leave was granted until that evening and the area was full of new soldiers...

Chefs from five-star hotels across China soon will descend upon the U.S. to learn more about western-style menus, management and products — and U.S. taxpayers will be footing most of the bill.

I participated in a Bloggers Roundtable with the Director of Strategic Effects and United States Forces – Iraq Spokesman Major General Jeffrey Buchanan. I was tail-end Charlie and was surprised that no one asked about the US Excess Defense Articles [EDA] equipment delivery or the external defense training programs for the Iraqi Army [IA] before I did. I was hoping someone else would ask so I could move down my list of questions. It was obvious the General was primed for these 2 topics. One interesting item was that a joint "Intelligence and Operations Center" is being established to coordinate...

The Pentagon is launching an extensive force-wide program… Army Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin Hill, said Thursday... "American combat troops will get (extensive) sensitivity training directly on the battlefield about the military’s new policy on gays…" The sessions on "respecting" gays will go right down to the forward operating bases, where troops fight Taliban militants.

Combat troops to get gay sensitivity training—The Washington Times, Feb. 25 From: Commander U.S. Forces, Afghanistan To: All Officers Re: Homosexual Sensitivity training As everyone by now knows, the president has signed the order rescinding Defense Directive 1304.26 – “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” As the DOD implements this policy change, all U.S. forces in every theater must receive integration training, otherwise known as “sensitivity training.” This training will be immediately and will include every unit in this theater, including combat units, wherever they are operating.

American combat troops will get sensitivity training directly on the battlefield about the military’s new policy on gays instead of waiting until they return to home base in the United States, the senior enlisted man in Afghanistan said Thursday. The Pentagon is launching an extensive force-wide program to ease the process of integrating open homosexuals into the ranks, including into close-knit fighting units. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin Hill, the top enlisted man in Afghanistan where 100,000 U.S. troops are deployed, said that the sessions on respecting gays’ rights will go right down to the forward operating bases, where troops...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla -- A construction worker who shot and killed a pit bull that was threatening children on Fort George Island spoke to Channel 4 Monday night about the frightening moments that lead him to pull the trigger. Kelly Multon said a pack of five dogs cornered children near by and when one of those dogs bit him, he took action. "The kids momma is a hero," said Multon. "She went out with a broomstick and fought off the dogs to get her babies in the house." Moulton said after hearing kids screaming, he jumped a fence and ran to...

If you own a gun or are around guns, knowing how to properly use and handle a firearm can help you and those around you stay safe. Since 2010, there have been numerous reported accidental shootings in the Big Bend Area. One of the most recently reported victims being Ashley Cowie, a 20 year old FSU student. She was killed when a young man accidentally shot her at a fraternity house. It's stories like Cowie's that make it apparent that you need to be familiar with your firearm. One way to learn the ins and outs of a gun is...

This morning, I read Paul Markel’s column for officer.com: Firearms Training Sanity Check; Why do we train the way we do? The answer: “Rather than examine or address any deficiencies in the curriculum or training program, it’s much easier to simply state, that’s we way we’ve always done it. Well that’s great. We used to bore holes in people’s head to let the demons out. I’m sorry folks but we’ve always done it like that is a crutch. It’s an easy way out that requires no thought or effort.” Yes, well, what’s wrong with “it”? How should police be training?...

...Terms SNIP Understanding the scriptures, being obedient, keeping yourself clean, pure, and worthy to be endowed in the temple What does Elder Richard G. Scott include in the responsibility to prepare to be a full-time missionary? SNIP Worthy When asked what potential missionaries should focus on becoming, what was Elder Richard G. Scott's answer? SNIP Every missionary should prepare to enter the temple worthily? What did President Howard W. Hunter teach about temples and potential missionaries? SNIP Stay worthy and get yourself worthy before entering the MTC What are the two strongest pieces of counsel Elder Glenn L. Pace gives...

I suspect that many dog lovers are struggling with last week’s news that a border collie named Chaser learned the names of more than 1,000 objects and can retrieve them on command. They are looking at their dogs and wondering, how many words do you know, Bowser? Probably not that many, and I worry that this is particularly painful for Amy Chua, the author of the controversial “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother,” a book that promotes fierce, relentless and demanding parenting, and also talks about her love for her dogs.

Load Sturgis, SD --(Ammoland.com)- The same American family that brings you COR®BON Ammunition, is proud to announce their new endeavor; the COR®BON Law Enforcement Training Center. CLETC is a new, modern firearms training center, located in Sturgis, South Dakota. It offers first class training for Law Enforcement agencies, individual officers, and civilians. Although, geared primarily for the advanced standards of law enforcement training, the site will also be open to civilians seeking quality training. The facility offers handgun, rifle and shotgun, at various tactical ranges. The classroom is state of the art, with all the current technical equipment. Students will...

Anyone know if there are on-line SCIF construction training courses ???

January is National Mentoring Month, and we can’t think of a better way to learn how you can make an impact through mentoring than attending one of our orientations. We’ve lined up dates and locations for our Orientation to Mentoring sessions in the Des Moines area throughout January. This one hour training is the first step for those who are interested in mentoring.During this orientation those who attend will receive: An overview of Serve Our Youth Network and our different opportunities for mentoring (Amachi, Informal Mentoring at Polk County Youth Services and Second Chance Juvenile Mentoring Initiative).An overview of mentoring...

Amidst all of the criticism of the Transportation Security Administration over its implementation of President Obama's plans for invasive image scanners or pat-down procedures that involve touching airline passengers' private parts an inspector general's report has been released blasting the training procedures for the agents. "At one airport. TSA officials allow TSOs to bypass the use of the Online Learning Center and provided little time for training because of staffing challenges," said the newly released report. "One lead TSO indicated that he had not accssed the Online Learning Center since 2005." The report, dated October 2010 and released just a...

The Phoenix city administration has refused to back off of their decision to censor the advertisement for firearms safety and training put forward by TrainMeAZ.com. Alan Kowin has detailed the mechanism of this censorship. It is likely that this simultaneous attack on both the first and second amendments will be fought in court. I have been a little involved in the TrainMeAZ effort, but Alan has been the organizational motor to move everything forward. I had not looked at the web site until today, and I am impressed. Someone did a slick job in putting it all together. Send people...

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan Iranian military advisers have been training Taliban fighters in Afghanistan on the use of surface-to-air missiles, a potential game changer in the war if insurgents can use such weapons effectively, several current and retired military officials told The Washington Examiner. "We know the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] has been training Taliban fighters in the use of surface-to-air missiles," said a military official in Afghanistan with knowledge of the situation. "As of the moment it is uncertain whether the Taliban has access to the weapons systems necessary to utilize this training against the coalition." That is the key question...

From the NY Times, White House Plans Job Training Partnership (bold by me): As part of efforts to address record-high levels of long-term unemployment, President Obama plans to announce a new national public-private partnership on Monday to help retrain workers for jobs that are in demand. The national program is a response to frustrations from both workers and employers who complain that public retraining programs frequently do not provide students with employable skills. This new initiative is intended to help better align community college curriculums with the demands of local companies. “The goal is to encourage community colleges and other...

Pakistan: Dozens Of Europeans In Terror Training By KATHY GANNON, Associated Press Writer Sun Oct 3, 4:49 pm ET ISLAMABAD – Dozens of Muslim militants with European citizenship are believed to be hiding out in the lawless tribal area of northwestern Pakistan, Pakistani and Western intelligence officials say, training for missions that could include terror attacks in European capitals. Officials have used phone intercepts and voice tracking software to track militants with ties to Britain and other European countries to areas along the Afghan border. Al-Qaida would likely turn to such extremists for a European plot because they can move...

Needing help! Month old kittens will not eat mushy kitty food or go potty in a little box made into a litter box! Suggestions appreciated and much needed!

Green jobs training programs provide a great opportunity for the nation's underserved communities to gain valuable work training to help lift them up out of poverty. This includes individuals that have served prison sentences. A Recovery Act-funded green jobs training program in Chicago will help provide jobs for 650 ex-convicts. And the green jobs for cons trend isn't limited to the Midwest; inmates at San Quentin State Prison in California recently were treated to a green jobs fair.

Has anyone heard of this approach to conquering anxiety, depression, perhaps even substance abuse? I'm thinking of buying the book "Wired for Joy" or getting the DVD. History of EBT Beginning 30 years ago, we began to develop a method based on this underlying premise as a faculty member at the University of California, San Francisco. The first method was part of an interdisciplinary adolescent health-training program of national leaders in adolescent health directed by Charles E. Irwin, Jr. Later, in the Department of Family and Community medicine â then directed by Jonathan Rodnick, with the research collaboration of Mary...

'Civil Disobedience' Training Offered to SB 1070 ProtestersUpdated: Friday, 23 Jul 2010, 6:44 PM MDT PHOENIX - Assuming a judge doesn't step in, we're less than a week away from Arizona's immigration law going into effect. As the tough immigration law takes effect, organizers are calling for a day of "non-compliance" - meaning there will likely be a number of arrests during next week's protests - and now training is being offered to protesters. Isaac Martin is a local activist who's putting on a training class for people who want to protest the immigration law. He won't talk about specific...

WASHINGTON, July 8, 2010 – A training program is equipping Defense Department civilian employees with the knowledge and skills needed to successfully deploy in support of humanitarian, reconstruction and combat-support military missions across the globe. A class of about 150 Defense Department civilians and contractors, part of the civilian expeditionary work force, learn the basics in emergency medical aid at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center in central Indiana, June 29, 2010, before deploying to Afghanistan and Iraq. U.S. Army photo by John Crosby  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The joint civilian expeditionary work force training -- a 10-day...

WASHINGTON, July 8, 2010 – NATO Training Mission Afghanistan is developing a system that will help integrate training provided to Afghanistan’s security forces and civil servants. During a “DoD Live” bloggers roundtable yesterday, Army Lt. Col. James Baker, executive officer for the deputy to the commander of the training mission, said an educational system currently being developed in conjunction with the Afghans will help to bridge training gaps that came to light during operations in and around Marja in Afghanistan’s Helmand province. “[The NATO Training Mission] is currently working in collaboration with Afghan leadership and our coalition partners to establish...

World Cup 2010: North Korea's secret society exposed to the world's gaze By Rory Smith Last updated: June 15th, 2010 There are three things you need to know about North Korea. One: they are not called North Korea. “Among the 32 teams of the World Cup, we are the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” said the country’s football coach, Kim Jong-Hun, a man who clearly despises convenience in all its forms. “And I do not think we should be called by any other name.” Right. The second thing you need to know about the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is...

WASHINGTON, June 4, 2010 – Six months isn’t a lot of time to get an operation up and running, but NATO forces in Afghanistan have made amazing strides in training the Afghan National Police in that time, a senior officer involved in that effort said today. Canadian Army Maj. Gen. Mike Ward, deputy commander-Police, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan, discussed the progress of the Afghan National Police since the stand-up of NTM-A with bloggers on a DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable. There are many challenges, Ward said, including leadership development, literacy issues, corruption and attrition, but there also are “balls rolling in the right...

At Strategic Operations' movie studio facility in San Diego, US, highly trained tactical operators, design experts and public safety officials join movie industry professionals to create Hyper-Realistic™ tactical training scenarios.

At Strategic Operations' movie studio facility in San Diego, US, highly trained tactical operators, design experts and public safety officials join movie industry professionals to create Hyper-Realistic™ tactical training scenarios.

JOINT SECURITY STATION CHILAT – In a war zone, the ability to quickly transport injured personnel for treatment is critical for all, but especially for those serving at remote forts along the Iran-Iraq border in northern Maysan province. To that end, members of U.S. Border Transition Team Phoenix and the flight crew and medics of Company C, 3rd Battalion, 238th Aviation Regiment, recently assisted their Iraqi medical partners by providing basic MEDEVAC training to members of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 11th Brigade, Iraqi Department of Border Enforcement. The U.S. team, attached to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored...

  Courtesy Government of Canada OTTAWA (April 8) – The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, today announced in Kabul that the Government of Canada is committing up to 90 additional personnel, primarily to support the training of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). Of this increased contribution, the majority will augment the NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan (NTM-A), while the remainder will provide increased support within Joint Task Force – Afghanistan and ISAF headquarters, until the end of Canada’s mission in 2011.“The Government of Canada is proud to contribute additional Canadian Forces personnel to prepare Afghans, in order...