Arms training with U.S. Navy team good for local officers

Dear Editor,
Whether people want to enjoy hunting small or big game, plink away at targets or simply experience the thrill of shooting, gun training is necessary. In the case of professionals, this should be mandatory.
That explains why I was so taken up with the fact that some sessions were held in Guyana and three Guyana Defence Force officers, three staff sergeants, and 14 sergeants, together with the force’s chief skill-at-arms instructor, all benefitted from complementary pistol and rifle marksmanship training.
This was conducted by a team of five specialists from the United States Navy, during March 11 to 22. This kind of high-level and intense “training in arms use” is very necessary and there must be more of it.
First I think that whether or not a person is just a private citizen, this individual must not be given a gun without requisite training. He/she is most likely new to self-defence gun training and must learn the proper firearms training skills in the right way.
Many licensed gun owners just fire off at random. I think that they like the idea that others know they have guns and are entitled to use them. I once watched a man shoot five times before hitting and killing a ‘salipenter’. It turned out to be quite a joke. This little incident convinced me that skills and responsibility are lacking in many local gun owners.
Guns anywhere at all times must be fully functional, have all factory-installed safety devices intact, and have no dangerous modifications, such as a removed trigger guard and such.
These topics are covered in training. The sessions held in Guyana were about enhancing safety and accuracy in pistol operation and they covered areas such as drawing and holstering the pistol, trigger operation and breathing and changing of hands during firing. Now this is not children’s stuff.
This gun talk now leads me to the incident, a few days ago, where an armed guard was robbed of her gun at Kara Kara. The female employee is attached to a private security service and was stationed at the Guyana Forestry Commission building at Kara Kara, Linden, when she was attacked by two men, one of whom was armed with a firearm.
The two assailants took away her service .32 revolver with five rounds. I am just wondering if our armed security guards get the necessary gun training. I also submit that the trained officers in Guyana be utilised to aid the security personnel where gun training is concerned. There is no doubt about it that crimes, involving the use of guns, are on the increase.
Yours faithfully,
Shamsundar Loachan