Ty Cooper

I was born and raised in California where I started my shooting and instructing career at the age of fourteen, shooting Service Rifle Competition for the California Jr Service Rifle Team. As a Junior I made the Presidents Hundred and earned my Distinguished Rifleman’s Badge. In 2003 at the age of 18, I represented the United States by shooting on the Junior Palma Team in the World Championships in England.

 In 2004, I was recruited by the Army Marksmanship Unit to shoot for the Service Rifle Team where I spent the next ten years as a professional Shooter/Instructor. In those ten years I would train and compete in rifle competitions half of the year and the last half of the year I would instruct soldiers in Tactical and Precision Marksmanship with the service rifle (25-600 yards) and precision bolt rifles (300 to 1000 yards). During this time I would instruct one on one or a large group up to 680 students at the Small Arms Firing School put on by the Service Rifle Team.

I spent 3 months of 2011 and 2012 deployed with the AMU in 6 man teams as an Instructor working with the Afghanistan National Army to teach and identify future Instructors for their Army in 2011, and mentoring handpicked Instructors in 2012. In the ten years with the AMU Service Rifle Team I won 5 National Championships, an Interservice Championship, several National Records, 2012 Military Marksmanship Soldier of the Year, and numerous other National Individual and Team Trophies. In 2007 I had the privilege to represent the United States Jr Palma Team as the Head Coach for the Under 21 Team (gold) and Under 25 Team (silver) in the International Junior Palma World Championship Team matches, and representing the United States Palma Team as a shooter in Canada. In 2011 while in Australia, I was a shooter for the United States Palma Team winning a bronze medal and in 2015 in the United States winning a silver medal in the International Palma World Championship Team Matches.   

When I left the Army I started Instructing for a Contracting Company that trains Uniformed Division Officers that protect the State Department as well as numerous other locations. I have taught Rifle, Pistol, and Shotgun classes; ranging from beginners to advanced classes in tactical, defensive, and precision courses. I am currently a Firearms Instructor for a Federal Agency.