Jim Erwin has been fascinated with the military for as long as he could remember and knew he was going to enlist at age 12. He admired the courageousness and selflessness of soldiers, especially those in infantry. Jim enlisted in the army at 16-years-old. He continued to progress and dedicate his efforts to being a good soldier, this resulted in his recognition as the distinguished honor graduate for the U.S. Army sniper course.
His perseverance paid off, earning him a coveted spot with the Delta Force, a position for which he had to compete with 100 other candidates for. “Every day serving for the Special Operations Unit was a challenge, you are at the pointy end of the sword. There are not a lot of you and a lot of is expected of you. You’re doing the work of 1 ½ guys. You are relied on to do your job and then some, failure is not accepted. You are working at the highest level of expectation every day, which requires physical and mental capabilities that few can handle.”
His military experience gave him the training and drive to continue working in the line of duty, serving on protection detail for high-level diplomats, generals, ambassadors overseas and high-value clients. Since then, Jim has opened the Shooting Performance Institute to stay aligned with his passion for teaching people to shoot and gun safety. “The first thing I teach them on the range is that eyewear in not optional. There is no amount of training that is worth losing your eyes over.”
