Chad Barber

Chad Barber grew up in central Michigan immersed in shooting, hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation throughout the Great Lakes region. That early exposure shaped a lifelong commitment to firearms proficiency and maritime service, culminating in nearly 30 years in the U.S. Coast Guard. Chad served the majority of his enlisted career as a Gunner’s Mate before accepting a commission as a Chief Warrant Officer in 2008. His operational experience includes four afloat tours aboard Coast Guard cutters in the North Atlantic and Caribbean, where he supported search and rescue, fisheries enforcement, counter-drug, and alien interdiction missions. Ashore, Chad served at the Small Arms Repair Facility as an armorer conducting depot-level maintenance and three tours as a full-time use of force and firearms instructor. While serving as the Weapons Branch Chief at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, he spent seven years leading six collegiate shooting teams across multiple shooting disciplines. Chad holds firearms, instructor, and coaching certifications from the U.S. Coast Guard, National Rifle Association, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), SIG SAUER Academy, USA Shooting, Rangemaster, and the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA). As a competitive shooter, he earned the President’s Hundred Tab (Rifle) and is a rare Double Distinguished competitor. While he remains an active competitor, his primary passion lies in designing challenging, skill-building courses of fire that enhance shooter performance and confidence. His dedication to the shooting sports has extended well beyond military service. Chad has staffed and led numerous major sanctioned events, including serving as Match Director for the Smith & Wesson IDPA Indoor National Championships, IDPA National Championships, and SIG Relentless Warrior Championships, as well as Assistant Match Director for the NRA World Shooting Championships. He previously served as IDPA Area Coordinator for Georgia and Alabama, focusing on club development and match growth. Chad also created the competition formats for the Adaptive Defensive Shooting Summit and the P365 EDC Championships, and has developed custom shooting events for elite units, non-profit organizations, corporate partners, marketing launches, and commercial range leagues. Outside of the range, Chad applies the same discipline and patience to outdoor pursuits. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoys low-and-slow cooking over hickory, exploring lakes and rivers on a kayak, and hiking mountain trails when not working in or supporting the shooting sports community.