Guy with Guns

Guy with gun seeks lasting relationship

By Gary Bégin
There are over 320 million firearms in America, which means millions are located right here in Washington state. On average, one of three homes have a gun. Chelan, Douglas, Grant and Okanogan counties most likely have more than the average given the rural environment and our penchant for hunting and self protection while hiking, camping, fishing, et al. Home, personal and business safety affects all of us every minute of everyday whether we know it or not.
Let that reality sink in a bit and it might seem like a dangerous environment around the homes, businesses and streets of Omak,  Wenatchee, Quincy, East Wenatchee and Brewster, Chelan, Pateros, etc. Readers, do not despair, because there's a "Guy" with a gun who'd like to calm your nerves and begin a mutually beneficial relationship.
Former Marine Corps Major Guy Miner is that "guy" and his mission is to show residents across the state the safe way of handling firearms, whatever caliber and intended purpose the owner may have.
"I started my business (GMM Defense) for a few different reasons and have learned a lot, mostly that running a small business is not easy," he said in a recent and exclusive Wenatchee Business Journal interview.
The 20-year Wenatchee Police Department veteran has been retired from the force for four years now after also serving 10 years in the Corps before that. He served on SWAT and gang violence mitigation units, as a firearms instructor and domestic violence unit as well as running the Citizen's Police Academy, public speaking outreach and many other duties too numerous to mention.
While in the Marines he was an intelligence officer in a variety of duty stations, but realized he wasn't seeing much of his family. He left active duty as a captain and then after a stint in the reserves was promoted to major.
"I majored in Geography at Sacramento State University, but that was a long time ago. It came in real helpful while doing intel work in the Marines," Miner said. "When I was leaving active duty, I knew I wanted to get into law enforcement and I wanted to live in the Northwest. I first saw the Wenatchee Valley in October, 1993, when I drove over the pass from Seattle to test for the job. By the time I'd reached Wenatchee, I knew I wanted to work, live and raise my family here," he said. "It's been a great fit for my family. My sons and I are very active outdoorsmen."
Miner decided to continue serving his country and specifically the Wenatchee-area community by taking action after retirement.
"After a career in law enforcement I was tired of seeing good people become victims and wanted to share knowledge about how they could avoid being victims," he said. "Mama (his wife Kathleen) and I both agreed that I needed something to do after retirement."
He offers a four-hour basic gun safety course at $85 per as well as more advanced "carry and conceal" courses and even pepper spray classes. He is certified to do all of that and more by the National Rifle Association and SABRE (SABRE Security Equipment Corporation), a company providing a pepper spray product line used by law enforcement worldwide.
In his leisure time Miner enjoys being an outdoorsman. "I enjoy the heck out of hunting and fishing and sometimes that gets expensive and I needed more than a cop's retirement pay to cover my expenses."
"Most of my classes are the 'Basic Handgun' course. I do the 'Concealed Carry' course once a month or so. It's much more intense and more expensive," Miner said.
The first basic course for 2018 will be Sunday, Feb. 25 and the first "Concealed Carry" course is a month later, Sunday, March 25.
"As a police officer I worked extensively with SAGE, our local domestic violence and sexual assault victim's center. Even to the point of training many of their staff and volunteers, which is something I continued doing after I retired," Miner said. "I still assist with their security planning and have trained their staff in recent years as well."
Miner has worked with SAGE (Safety Advocacy Growth Empowerment) Director Jessica Johnson for about 15 years and calls her a "remarkable woman."
Residents in this area are not the only ones relying on Miner's expertise with weapons. He is also contracted to the Seattle Children's Security Services to teach gun safety and goes there often. In fact Miner will go wherever the work is and is available to drive or fly to your training site depending on your needs and budget.
Miner also will do an assessment of the security needs of your business for under $100 "from the perspective of a cop" emphasizing he is not about selling "alarms and locks."
His four-hour basic course includes  two hours of safety and weapon knowledge with two hours of target practice. "Safety first, accuracy second," is Miner's mantra.
Between his extensive personal weapons inventory, licenses and certifications and various other business expenses, Miner has invested thousands of dollars into his one-man company, but isn't complaining about that at all.
"I wanted to do something with low overhead where I could stay engaged in the community and experience the freedom of being my own boss," Miner summarized.
His classes take place at the North Central Washington (NCW) Gun Club above Fancher Heights in East Wenatchee where he is also a board member.
The 61-year-old California native wants anyone reading this to understand one thing above all: "Everyone of us is responsible for our own safety."
Whether you are a CEO, housewife or student. Whether you own a .357-Magnum, .22 target pistol or 9mm, you and your weapon are in good hands with this "Guy with gun seeking lasting relationship."
To contact Miner, call 509-885-5905 or email info@gmmdefense.com.