NRA Annual Meeting in Atlanta, 2025 Seminars and Workshops

Major John L. Plaster discusses use of suppressed firearms during SOG operations

 

The seminars and workshops offered at the NRA Annual Meetings are an often overlooked and valuable resource.  The seminars and workshops are held in smaller spaces in the same venue as the annual meeting. The seminars and workshops are usually held in meeting rooms. The rooms typically hold a couple of hundred people. They fill up at popular times and have plenty of extra space when people are leaving the event.

This correspondent attended a seminar conducted by Major John L. Plaster, the well known author and expert on the SOG secret wars during Vietnam, in Laos and Cambodia.  Behind Enemy Lines: The Men and Guns of SOG, by Major Plaster, was offered only once.

 

The level of expertise was world class. The seminar lasted two hours and was free to NRA Meeting attendees.  This correspondent learned a great deal about the scope of the conflict, the techniques and tactics used, in the two hours than from years of occasional contact with veterans. Considerable misinformation which was widely spread by the old media, was dispelled. More than two dozen seminars and workshops were available during the NRA Annual Meeting over a three day period. Many of the seminars were offered several times during the three days of the event. Here are a few of the offerings which were available:

The 26TH NATIONAL  FIREARMS LAW SEMINAR

ARMED CITIZEN: HOW TO INTERACT WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT

GUNS OF IWO JIMA

RELOAD LIKE A CHAMPION

There were over twenty others. Noted researcher and author John Lott gave several seminars over the three days. These seminars offer rare opportunities to interact with top of their field authorities such as John Lott and Major Plaster. The seminars offer information and insights nearly impossible to obtain elsewhere. Most of the 70 thousand plus attendees ignore the free seminars and workshops. In this correspondent's experience, this is a mistake.  The seminars and workshops were all listed at the NRA Annual Meeting website.  They were all listed in the printed program available to attendees when they register.

 

It is impossible for one person to attend all the incredible content available. There is top of the line content available for a wide variety of interests. This correspondent suggests attendees look over what is available and prioritize what is most important to them. During the three days of the Annual Meeting, this correspondent was able to attend most of three seminars.

This correspondent would like to see all of these seminars video taped and posted online by the NRA. It is a shame to see the exposure limited to the few hundred people who may see it during the event. There are serious issues about copyright and content which would have to be worked out.  The technology is there. Perhaps, it could be done on a voluntary basis by the people giving the seminars.  These seminars offer world class information which deserves a wider audience.

Most the struggle to restore the rights protected by the Second Amendment, indeed most of the struggle to retain and keep our constitutional republic, is a struggle over information. As more people are exposed to more and better information, more winning will happen.

 

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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