Andrea Barkley

I am a native Virginian, and a U.S. Air Force veteran. Between time in the military, and my subsequent career in the U.S. Foreign Service, I spent most of my adult life living overseas or in D.C. Upon my retirement in 2016, I moved to the Shenandoah Valley to be close to my parents. Though I have been shooting pistols since the early 80s, I became serious about it once I retired. I joined The Well Armed Woman in Lynchburg where I met another female firearms instructor who became my mentor. After attending various shooting courses, I decided to get my USCCA Concealed Carry and Home Defense instructor certification in 2020 along with a friend, Christy Knopp. We established the Augusta County Chapter of The Well Armed Woman and that chapter quickly grew to more than 75 women (and is still growing!). Then as partners, we began C-BAR Firearms Training, LLC where we teach defensive shooting and gun safety. I am a Training Counselor, certified Range Safety Officer, and Defensive Shooting Fundamentals (DSF) Level 1 and Level 2 instructor. I am also an NRA certified pistol instructor, as required by the state of Virginia, as well an NRA Rifle instructor. In 2025, I became a RangeMaster certified Instructor. When I am not on the range, I love to ride motorcycles and go wine tasting. Most important, however, is spending time with the Lord, and with my family and crazy pup.