By Michelle Camp, President, Armed Women of America

A Weekend of Training, Learning, and Connection

This past weekend, Armed Women of America members and leaders from Utah, Arizona, Idaho, Oregon, and Wisconsin gathered at Lee Kay Shooting Range in West Valley City, Utah for a two-day Pistol Mounted Optics course taught by Erick Gelhaus of Cougar Mountain Solutions.

The event was part of our ongoing effort to bring high-quality regional training opportunities to our members, allowing women from across the country to come together, grow their skills, and strengthen our community of empowered self-protectors.

Day One: Foundations and Fundamentals

The first day served as an introduction to pistol-mounted optics, focusing on dot acquisition, sight picture, and efficiency of movement. Erick guided students through the technical aspects of optics, explaining not just how to use them but why they behave the way they do.

A particularly memorable teaching moment came when one of the participant’s experienced a squib load. Erick turned it into a valuable safety and learning opportunity, walking everyone through how to safely clear the firearm, inspect the barrel, and determine if additional work was needed. For many participants, it was their first time seeing one in real life.

Throughout the day, he introduced a carefully structured progression of drills designed to help each shooter quickly and consistently find their dot when drawing and presenting the firearm. The exercises were challenging yet approachable, and every student left day one already seeing improvement.

Day Two: Building Skill and Confidence

The second day built upon that foundation with more advanced applications — tracking the dot under recoil, shooting from movement, and troubleshooting optics malfunctions. Erick even demonstrated how to use your dot as a sighting system when the dot doesn’t work, reinforcing the importance of adaptability and problem-solving under pressure. One participant was having difficulty seeing the dot on her optic and, with help from the book “Red Dot Mastery” that Erick co-authored, the issue was identified and a solution applied with immediate success. It was fascinating and provided further insight into the complexity of issues one sometimes encounters. Later in the day, a student encountered a stoppage and upon inspection, it was a Type 2, Failure to Eject manifesting as what the group termed an “exhaust pipe” rather than the typical “stove pipe” due to the orientation of the round.

An Instructor’s Instructor

Many of the women in attendance were firearms instructors themselves, and Erick never missed an opportunity to share how to teach what he was demonstrating. He modeled effective coaching techniques throughout the weekend — offering clear communication, intuitive feedback, and individualized correction. Erick excelled at showing us many ways to do things and gave us time to explore and figure out what works best for us, while still emphasizing the need to be flexible as an instructor and have multiple methods in our toolbox to help our students since what works for us may not always work best for each student.

His calm, encouraging style created an environment where students could push their limits without fear of judgment. Whether addressing technical shooting issues, vision challenges, or mental blocks, Erick met each shooter exactly where they were and helped them move forward.

Camaraderie Beyond the Range

As valuable as the range time was, the connections formed off the line were equally meaningful. We gathered for dinner at my home on both Friday and Saturday evenings, where the conversation flowed as easily as the laughter. Those moments of fellowship reminded us that AWA is not just about training — it’s about community, support, and shared growth.

Takeaways That Last

By the end of the weekend, every participant left with a stronger understanding of pistol-mounted optics, improved confidence, and a renewed motivation to continue training. My personal benchmark for a great class is waking up on Monday with sore hands, sore fingers, and a brain that’s still full — and this weekend delivered all three.

This training reminded all of us that learning never stops, and that surrounding yourself with skilled, supportive people elevates everyone involved.

A heartfelt thank-you to Erick Gelhaus and Cougar Mountain Solutions for an outstanding training experience, and to all the incredible Armed Women of America members and leaders who traveled to be part of this event.

About Cougar Mountain Solutions

Cougar Mountain Solutions provides firearms and tactical training grounded in real-world experience and proven instruction. Erick Gelhaus is a nationally recognized instructor with decades of law enforcement and training experience. His focus on safety, skill progression, and intuitive teaching makes him one of the best in the industry. Learn more about Cougar Mountain Solutions on their Facebook page, Instagram page or website.