We’re constantly proclaiming the importance of training; having a gun is good, but training is more important. A Texas woman recently showed this to be true, crediting a self-defense handgun course with keeping her calm during a home invasion.

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The woman, who didn’t want to be identified, was sleeping when she heard someone trying to get inside her home around 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning. She actually heard the man dismantling her porch light and removing a garage window. Then, she heard the man use a garbage can to climb through the window. She used this time to get ready for her visitor; she loaded her handgun and patiently waited.

The intruder came in through the garage into the kitchen and then walked down the hall toward her bedroom. He stepped into the doorway; she pulled the trigger, hitting him in the arm.

“He screamed and ran,” she said to KWTX. She followed into the hall to fire again, this time missing. When he couldn’t back out the way he came in, he reentered the kitchen, and came face to face with the homeowner. During the struggle, the gun fired again, but hit a wall. However, the woman, a 9-year Army veteran, overpowered the suspect and held him down while trying to call police.

“He told me, ‘I didn’t get anything. You already shot me, so just let me go,’” she said.

Eventually, he was able to break free and run out of the house; she made him run faster with a final shot. Later, she expressed regret that this man took a wrong direction with his life, but was glad he found the right house. “… hopefully, he learned a lesson.”

Texas Woman Credits Training

One of the most important lines in this story is how this Army veteran said that having taken a handgun course helped keep her calm. While not every soldier fights on the battlefield, they all receive combat training. The hurry up and wait attitude of the Army taught her patience, but she still credits training she obtained after leaving the Army.

Training provides much more information than just gun safety and marksmanship. It teaches a person to think tactically. The mind must run over numerous possibles before arriving at the right decision for a situation. Training helps this. In fact, the only other thing she might should have done was call the police as soon as she realize someone was trying to get inside.