Meet Ryan Cleckner
Early Life
Ryan was born and raised in Phoenix, AZ. He attended public schools and grew up camping, hunting, hiking, and all things outdoors. There aren’t many places in Arizona that Ryan hasn’t explored – from the desert valley to the red rocks of Sedona, the Grand Canyon, and pine-trees and mountains of Flagstaff.
Shortly after graduating high school, Ryan left for the military. He enlisted in the Army because, like many young men, he was looking for a change and guidance in his life. He completed basic training, airborne school, and the Ranger Indoctrination Program (RIP) to make his way into the U.S. Army’s elite 1st Ranger Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment.
In the Rangers, Ryan found his niche as a special operations sniper and sniper team leader. He was fortunate to attend many military schools to include the world’s premier sniper school, the Special Operations Target Indterdication Course, the Primary Leadership Development Course where he was voted “Best Leader” by his peers and was an honor graduate, the French Alpine Mountaineering Course of which he was in the first group of Americans to ever graduate, and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-I) school after which he became a Nationally Registered EMT.
After two combat deployments to Afghanistan, Ryan was ready to return home and continue his college education. While attending school, Ryan worked for years as a sniper instructor for military and police snipers. He also taught outdoor-related classes at a local community college.
Education
Ryan received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science from Arizona State University. He had originally pursued medical school, and had completed all of his pre-medical requirements, however, as an older student he decided that he had already had enough sleepless nights in the military and didn’t go to medical school.
However, Ryan needed another challenge in his life. Considering law school, Ryan took the entrance exams and applied to various law schools. Although he had been accepted to many law schools, he was made an offer that he couldn’t refuse from a private school in New England, Quinnipiac University.
Quinnipiac started a program called the “Dean’s Fellows Program” wherein the school offered full-ride scholarships and a stipend to students that would be leaders from within the student body. Quinnipiac flew Ryan out for the weekend, offered Ryan the scholarship, and soon after, he was off to Connecticut.
Ryan graduated law school with honors and with a specialty in tax/corporate law.
Career
While in law school, Ryan worked as the manager of Federal government relations for the firearms industry’s trade association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation in Newtown, CT.
Ryan then served as an attorney and as a Vice President over compliance and security for the largest firearms manufacturer in the country, Remington Outdoor Company (formerly Freedom Group) which is made up of many industry brands such as Remington, Bushmaster, DPMS, AAC, Dakota, Barnes, and many more.
Ryan traveled nearly non-stop which was taxing his time with his family which now included two small children. Knowing his priorities, Ryan moved with his family to Huntsville, AL to help set up a new facility as part of his exit.
Ryan then started teaching Constitutional Law courses at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH).
While teaching at UAH, Ryan wrote a book on long-range shooting from which he donates 25% of the proceeds to military charities. That book far exceeded Ryan’s expectations – it has been the #1 Bestseller on Amazon in its category for over two years and has sold more than 40,000 copies to date.
Because of his success writing and producing other media, Ryan practices law on a limited basis. This has allowed him to focus on and homeschool his children as a single father and also start and run a few different companies including one that focuses on school safety.
Professional Experience
Owner/Founder
RocketFFL – How to Get an FFL – 2016-present
RocketCCW – Online CCW Course – 2017-present
Mayday Safety – Emergency Management Software – 2017-present
Gun University – Firearm Reviews and Rankings – 2018-present
Attorney
Law Office of Ryan M. Cleckner, FFLGuard – 2015-present
Professor/Lecturer
University of Alabama in Huntsville, Constitutional Law – 2015-present
Quinnipiac University School of Law, Compliance/Firearm Law – Guest Lectures
Glendale Community College, Outdoor Education – 2005-2009
Vice President
Remington Outdoor Company – 2012-2015
Manager of Government Relations
National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) – 2010-2012
Sniper Instructor
2005-present
Special Operations Sniper
US Army, 1/75 Ranger Bn – 1998-2003
Education
Juris Doctorate (J.D.)
Qunnipiac University School of Law, Hamden, CT, 2012
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 2008
Publications
Print Articles
Protecting Yourself After You Protect Yourself, Concealment Magazine, Issue 9
What’s Your Position?, Carnivore Magazine, Issue 1
It’s That Simple, Gun Digest Magazine, Volume 34, Issue 9
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Target, RECOIL Magazine, Issue 22
MOA v. MIL, RECOIL Magazine, Issue 23
What’s Your Angle?, RECOIL Magazine, Issue 26
Online Articles
10 Common Arguments for Gun Control, Debunked, TheFederalist.com
Would a Shotgun by Any Other Name Still be a Shotgun?, Mossberg.com
Pro Tip: How to Prevent Galling in Your Guns, TheTruthAboutGuns.com
Three Bad Habits of HIghly Unsucsessful Shooters, TheTruthAboutGuns.com
How to Adjust for Target Distance, TheTruthAboutGuns.com
Important Measures in Long Range Shooting, TheTruthAboutGuns.com
13 Items Every Rifle Shooter Should Keep in His Bag, TheTruthAboutGuns.com
Teaching
University of Alabama in Huntsville
Civil Liberties
American Constitutional Law
Law, Courts, and Public Policy
Quinnipiac University School of Law
Ethics and Compliance (guest lecture)
Firearms Law (guest lecture)
Glendale Community College
Rock Climbing
Land Navigation
Backpacking