Yes, we’ll celebrate 2A Day this year with Iowa native, Jeff Struecker, known from Black Hawk Down. Jeff is our keynote speaker at the Capitol building and also our speaker at the IFC-PAC Supper that same night.
Jeff Struecker was a decorated soldier. At age 18, he enlisted in the United States Army as an Infantryman and retired as a chaplain with over 22 years of active federal service. In 2017, he was inducted into the US Army Ranger Hall of Fame.
He served for ten years in the 75th Ranger Regiment in positions from Private to Platoon Sergeant. While serving in this unit, Jeff competed in and won the David L. Grange Best Ranger Competition in 1996. He taught ROTC at the University of Louisville and was recognized in 1998 as the US Army ROTC, Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. Jeff spent his final ten years in the US Army serving as a chaplain in Airborne and Ranger units.
Throughout his career, Jeff has attended numerous professional military schools and has received many awards and commendations. Some of his awards include the Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Master Parachutists Wings, Military Freefall Master Parachutist Wings, several foreign jump wings, and the Combat Action Badge. He has been awarded other commendations and decorations throughout his military career.
His combat experience includes participation in the invasion of Panama, Operation Desert Storm, Black Hawk Down in Somalia, and more than a dozen combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Jeff has been awarded medals for valor in combat and has received many medals as recognition for his service in the US Army.
Jeff holds a Ph.D. from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. He also has several other earned and honorary degrees. He is the lead pastor of 2 Cities Church in Columbus, Georgia.
He is an award-winning author with five books in print. He and his wife, Dawn, have five children and four grandchildren.
IFC to hold “Second Amendment Day” at the Iowa State Capitol
WHO: The Iowa Firearms Coalition WHAT: Second Amendment Day WHEN: January 18, 2024 – from 9AM to 12PM WHERE: Iowa State Capitol Building WHY: To increase school safety and lobby Iowa’s elected officials to pass common-sense pro-Second Amendment legislation
“In the wake of the tragedy at Perry High School, we believe this Second Amendment Day will be the most important and impactful one we have held in Iowa history,” said IFC President Dave Funk. “The time has come for common sense, fact-based legislation that will once and for all keep our children safe at school – our kids cannot afford to wait any longer.”
Among IFC’s goals during this legislative session is to ban phony and dangerous “gun-free zone” signs.
“A sign is not a security plan,” said Funk. “As we have, sadly, seen too many times, ‘gun-free zones’ have proven to be an invitation to those intent on committing evil. The only way to stop a threat is to harden soft targets. It’s past time our kids are as protected at school as our politicians and bureaucrats are in government-run facilities.”
At the event, IFC will be calling on lawmakers to work with school districts in the state to increase their security and allow for trained staff to exercise their constitutional rights on school grounds.
IFC will also push for an end to Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) policies, that are currently legal in Iowa, which are preventing schools from taking the necessary and scientifically proven steps needed to protect students and staff during a crisis. ESG rules have been abused by insurance providers to bully Iowa school boards into not implementing their policies to increase school security, most recently in Cherokee and Spirit Lake.
The event will feature prominent pro-Second Amendment speakers, including lawmakers, IFC leadership, and Gabby Franco, a civil rights advocate, Olympian, and former contestant on the hit History Channel TV series, “Top Shot.”
The Iowa Firearms Coalition, Iowa’s official NRA State Association, is a 501(c4) nonprofit and is Iowa’s only effective pro-Second Amendment rights organization.
2A Day with Gabby Franco? Who is Gabby Franco and why is she addressing us all during IFC’s 2A Day on January 18th – from 9am to Noon! She’s also giving an intimate talk at the IFC-PAC Prime Rib supper that evening. Learn about how this Venezuelan competed in the Olympics as a young shooter, immigrated to the USA, and has become a competitor, instructor, and 2A advocate!
WHAT: IFC’s Annual 2A Day FEATURED SPEAKER: Gabby Franco WHERE: The Iowa Capitol WHY: To learn engagement on 2A Issues, learn to meet and influence your Representatives and Senators, share ideas and camaraderie with like-minded civil rights enthusiasts, and support the organizations, businesses, and elected officials that make this all possible.
Gabby Franco is an avid fighter for freedom and our constitutional rights. She experienced firsthand the dangers of socialism and gun control, which turned her homeland, Venezuela, into one of the most dangerous countries in the world. She shares her story worldwide to help others avoid the pitfalls of socialism and gun control. Gabby is the first female shooter to represent Venezuela in the Olympics. She has over 30 years of experience in Olympic, tactical, and practical shooting, knowledge she uses as a firearms instructor nationwide. Gabby published her first shooting manual TroubleShootnig: Mastering your pistol marksmanship, in 2013. She participated in two seasons of the History Channel’s TV competition TOP SHOT and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s in Psychology in May 2023.
IFC will be running a shuttle van from parking lot 16 shown on the map —> throughout the day. 9am to Noon. The van will pick up and drop off in parking lot 16 and the front (west) entrance of the Capitol building. We’ll be using a passenger van with IFC logos on the doors. Flag us down and we’ll give you a lift!
Here is a 2A Day visual reflection for you, in case you missed it:
IFC was joined by many contributors and certainly our key sponsors, RMA Armament, Volquartsen, and CrossRoads, (All “trusted partners” of IFC) for a fantastic day of 2A advocacy and sharing. Representative Eddie Andrews offered us an invocation prayer, a pair of youth advocates led the Pledge of Allegiance, and Representative Brook Boden tuned up the Capitol building rotunda with a soul-warming National Anthem!
What a day! Representative Phil Thompson, Senator Brad Zaun, and Senator Jason Schultz all gave us hope and direction on IFC-sponsored and monitored bills.
NRA and NRA-ILA came out in force, as always, to work side by side with us, and again this year the NSSF was in the Capitol to stop government overreach and stem the advance of ESG madness.
We enjoyed families bringing their homeschooled kids in to experience the day, Iowans of all ages submitting cards to visit with their elected officials, and we even had a quick address from our new Attorney General, Brenna Bird.
IFC Chair, John McLaughlin, and President, Dave Funk were busy all day with interviews and glad handing. Lobbyist and board member Richard Rogers was lifting heavy bills into position with legislators. Vice President, Nathan Gibson, was emceeing the entire event and got the crowd rolling! Gun Show Director, Billy Wilson, and our entire volunteer crew came out in force to make the day a huge success. This takes hours of planning and a lot of work the day of… The Iowa Firearms Coalition is fortunate to have key people organizing and executing these events, and while they’re not all mentioned by name, some near and some far, you know who you are! 😉
Our featured guest speaker this year was Kris “Tanto” Paronto, whom you may remember from the book “13 Hours” and the movie, “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” – Tanto is an example we can all reflect upon. Life gives you lemons and it is up to us to make lemonade. Tanto’s life story is proof lemonade can not only be made but offer the sweetest flavor imaginable.
As Tanto spoke with our crowd in the Capitol Rotunda, people learned of his journey, and even more so when he shared much more deeply at our IFC-PAC fundraiser last evening. Thank you to all the volunteers, members, partners, and colleagues that came together to make a great day. And thank you to the legislators and governing body that consider rightly the freedom-loving nature of Iowans and work so hard to protect our liberties.
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