Meet your instructor
John Galletta
John Galletta is a California DOJ Certified Instructor, NRA Firearms Instructor, and veteran defensive shooting trainer who brings more than 40 years of experience to the classroom.
John began teaching firearms safety in the early 1980s while serving in the United States Air Force, instructing fellow service members, friends, and family. Following his discharge in 1988, he continued his passion for training, became a full-time NRA Instructor, and eventually founded Riverside CCW Training.
John has personally trained thousands of students, and his work continues to empower women, new shooters, and first-time gun owners.
In 2023, John survived a violent armed robbery that required him to act decisively to defend his life and the lives of others. That deeply personal experience is shared throughout the course and brings real-world context to situational awareness, decision-making under duress, and the emotional and legal aftermath of using deadly force.
Background highlights
- Veteran, United States Air Force
- Graduated the Riverside County Sheriff’s Academy in 2008 as the highest-scoring marksman in the history of the Palm Desert campus
- Former instructor with the Federal Air Marshal Service Los Angeles Field Office, including Preventive Radiological Nuclear Detection and the Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response Team
- Instructor for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Counter Terrorism Operations Support Program
- Approved Concealed Carry of Weapons Instructor for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department since 2018
