John Rich spent his weekend with veterans, learning the nuances of shooting a pistol. It was quite a lesson, so Rich posted a video of one of his sessions to his Twitter feed.
“I had the great honor of being trained on pistol skills today by several highly decorated Veteran Green Beret and Rangers,” Rich said. “This drill: Fire 1 round. Drop the clip. Reload new clip. Chamber the round. Hit the target. God bless the American Military! They are total badasses.”
Rich learned well. It took him all of 7.5 seconds to calmly complete the drill.
John Rich Fans Had Questions, Comments About His Pistol Lesson from Veterans
Several of his followers questioned Rich about his shooting lesson. One woman observed: “Umm… you’re standing” kinda close to the target aren’t you?” Rich responded: That’s how close any situation would be (most of the time) if you’re down to using a pistol.”
The woman quipped: “Guess I’ve been watching too much 1883.”
Another fan posted: “We are responsible for our own health and safety. Anyone out there working on becoming a better more capable version of themselves should be encouraged, keep it up!”
And still another fan wrote: “Good for you, but I don’t think I’d ever be able to pull this one off! Maybe that’s why I can’t throw up a ball and hit it with a bat. Gotta love our military. Kudos boys!!”
Country Star Donates From His Red Riviera Brand
John Rich does a ton of work with veterans. He even donates a portion of his sales from his Redneck Riviera branded products. And these days, he’s equal parts businessman and country singer. He started his brand in 2014.
“I have the bar,” he said in an interview with Forbes this past December. “Then, Redneck Riviera Whiskey. I have a barbecue sauce which is now in 3,000 stores. We have an apparel line, and we have a boot line in all fifty states.”
And he also talked about why he loves to give back to veterans.
“The only reason a guy like me, who has a high school diploma and grew up in a double-wide trailer in Amarillo, Texas can achieve all of this, is because I have the right to pursue happiness, to exhaust my potential,” Rich said. “And the only reason we have those rights is because men and women, for the past two hundred plus years, have been willing to die to keep the right alive.”
He donates 10 percent of the profits from sales of his products to Folds of Honor. That non-profit is close to his heart. It helps the children who lost parents in combat go to college.
“The reason I tied up with them is because I could not think of a stronger way to say thank you than to look after somebody’s kids,” Rich said. “If you said, ‘John, if something happened to you, what would you want me to do,’ I’d say make sure my boys are all right. And that’s what Folds of Honor is doing. Education is one of the most valuable things you can give somebody.”