Deborah Reyes
Practical instruction, instructor development, and international range-official experience.
Citizen Defenders is a Guam-based firearms-safety and shooting-sports training program for people who recognize that personal safety begins with awareness, sound judgment, and responsible preparation.
Our purpose is not simply to teach people how to shoot. We help students recognize and avoid trouble, handle firearms safely, understand their responsibilities, and develop disciplined skills for defensive use and competitive shooting.
Deborah Reyes and Philip “Phil” Santos began offering personal-protection and firearms-safety instruction in 2018. Their work grew to include practical-shooting development, range-official education, and Olympic shooting-sports coaching. Citizen Defenders launches in 2026 as the dedicated home for those programs.
Phil’s journey began with recreational target shooting in 1985. The challenge of safely producing consistent results made the sport rewarding, but frequent business travel also made him think seriously about his family’s safety while he was away. Reading about defensive firearm use became the first step toward a broader study of personal protection, responsibility, and preparation.
The name reflects our belief that every capable adult is responsible for developing awareness, making sound decisions, and preparing appropriately for personal safety. Law enforcement performs an essential public service, but an officer cannot be present at every critical moment.
Responsibility does not mean looking for confrontation. It means recognizing warning signs, avoiding unnecessary danger, understanding the consequences of force, and being prepared to act lawfully and responsibly when no safe alternative remains.
We teach the fundamentals of safe and accurate shooting, including grip, sight alignment, trigger control, and follow-through. We also teach students how to field-strip and maintain their firearms, confirm proper function after reassembly, move safely between positions, distinguish cover from concealment, and perform reloads while moving or under pressure.
Most importantly, students learn to recognize the red flags and warning signs that signal it is time to leave. Avoidance is not an afterthought; it is a central part of a responsible personal-protection plan.
Phil primarily leads classroom instruction. He began recreational shooting in 1985, became a National Range Officer in 2017, and qualified as an instructor in 2019. In 2025, he qualified as an International Range Officer and has served at major IPSC matches in the United States, Argentina, Thailand, Indonesia, South Africa, Greece, and the Philippines.
Phil serves as the IPSC Regional Director for Guam and as President of the Guam National Sport Shooting Federation.
Deborah primarily leads the practical portions of training. She began her firearms journey in 2017 and completed her instructor and range-official development alongside Phil. She holds current instructor credentials from the NRA and MISIA and serves as an International Range Officer with IPSC.
Deborah is President of the Marianas Practical Shooting Association and Director of the Guam National Range Officers Institute. She has officiated at the same international major matches as Phil.
Deborah and Phil are life partners who train, travel, teach, and officiate together. They began as shooting enthusiasts, became certified instructors and international range officials, and moved into leadership roles in both practical and Olympic shooting-sports disciplines. Their shared experience shapes a consistent, team-based approach to every Citizen Defenders program.
Deborah and Phil hold current NRA Instructor and Chief Range Safety Officer credentials through October 31, 2027. Their NRA disciplines include Concealed Carry, Pistol, Personal Protection in the Home, and Personal Protection Outside the Home; Phil also holds the Rifle discipline.
Deborah is a current MISIA Handgun Instructor through April 1, 2027. Phil is the MISIA Director for Guam through June 9, 2027. Both are current IROA Handgun Range Officers. IROA status is maintained through continued service at qualifying Level III, IV, or V IPSC matches.
They previously held instructor credentials through the United States Concealed Carry Association and range-official credentials through the United States Practical Shooting Association. Both are continuing their coaching development through programs associated with the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation and the International Shooting Sport Federation.
Their safety preparation also includes first-aid and CPR training completed through an IROA-hosted course in Greece and the American College of Surgeons’ online Stop the Bleed program.
Citizen Defenders believes instructors have an obligation to remain current, improve their teaching methods, and maintain the knowledge expected of subject-matter professionals. Some past certificates document earlier stages of that continuing journey; current credentials are identified separately.
Maintaining that standard from Guam requires real effort. Travel to the U.S. mainland generally takes at least 15 hours and can be expensive, with additional time and cost when classes are held beyond the West Coast. Those challenges do not lessen the responsibility. To provide students with quality instruction, Deborah and Phil continue to pursue relevant training whenever practical.
• Emphasize safe, responsible firearm handling and secure storage.
• Respect students with different backgrounds and levels of experience.
• Develop skills for both practical and Olympic shooting sports.
• Introduce Guam’s youth to shooting sports with meaningful parental involvement.
• Teach defensive-firearm awareness in the context of Guam laws and regulations without offering legal advice.
• Place ethical decision-making, awareness, and avoidance of unnecessary confrontation at the center of personal protection.
• Prepare students to act responsibly while considering their safety and the safety of everyone around them.
Citizen Defenders serves Guam residents who are:
• First-time firearm owners
• Adults seeking firearms-safety or concealed-carry instruction
• Youth and adult practical-shooting enthusiasts
• Trap and skeet enthusiasts
• Olympic shooting-sports candidates
• Junior athletes and their parents
• Range Officers, coaches, and local club personnel
Youth shooting-sports development is built around safety, age-appropriate instruction, and active parental involvement. Parents are encouraged to participate as athletes, volunteers, or range assistants. Youth safeguarding for IPSC Action Air activities follows the applicable competition rules and program requirements.
Classes and practical training sessions are hosted by appointment at:
141 Maria’n Aragon Road
Chalan Pago, Guam 96910
Responsible firearm ownership and shooting-sports development begin with sound instruction, disciplined practice, and good judgment. Citizen Defenders is committed to helping students build that foundation through safety-centered education and practical experience.
Course schedules, eligibility requirements, and appointment information will be provided as each program becomes available. Citizen Defenders provides education and training, not legal advice.
Practical instruction, instructor development, and international range-official experience.
Classroom instruction, instructor development, and international range-official experience.
