Our militias could definitely stand to be regulated better

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

16. If I may intrude on your exchange

Our militia, being divided into two classes, consists in greater part of the unorganized militia per 10 U.S. Code § 311 (b) (2):

"the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia."

The organized militia would require training in tactics for units of various sizes, means of military communications, understanding of a chain of command and familiarization with related information such as the UCMJ. These topics are points of information which can be learned by reading or lectured instruction. becoming a useful marksman is more expensive, time consuming and requires one-on-one work time with another skilled, practiced marksman. This is experience best taught to a young person by a parent or older sibling at least in the 18th through early 19th centuries. While training in these skills are available today for hire at local ranges, they still require the type of extended practice, safety habit development and muscle memory training that is usually not mastered in a time as short as basic training.

I began training learning to shoot a rifle during the Summer before my 16th birthday. I practiced at a range maintained by and located inside a nearby National Guard armory. I was able to practice once a week, and infrequently, twice. Two or three times from then until I started college, I went once or twice a year for a practice course that lasted a couple days.

My college admission counselor asked about my experience in sports during high school and directed me to speak to an Army ROTC Captain who was in charge of the rifle team. As an incoming freshman my skills needed further practice and development. By the end of freshman year after practicing an average of 3 times a week, I was able to qualify for all three teams and improved my scores over the remaining years.

IMHO spending 30-40 minutes twice a day every other day for 8-12 months makes one a safe and effective "well-regulated" shooter. The skill you can develop in hitting a target at a distance in a fixed position with limited distractions takes a bit; honing that skill with nearby distractions takes longer. Developing the muscle habit of not ever covering the trigger inadvertently takes a long time. Stress like having folks shooting back at you is what contributes to friendly fire casualties. Experience is the only thing that will make you safer in battle. If I were in the infantry in a rifle company, I would feel safer if the folks around me had been shooting since they were about as tall as the rifle I was holding. Just my two cents.