Oliver North grew up in Philmont, New York and attended college at the State University of New York at Brockport for two years before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps. After seeing combat in Vietnam, North fulfilled a number of military assignments before joining the National Security Council (NSC) in 1981. North remained with the NSC until he was fired in 1986 when his role in the Iran-Contra Affair was revealed. In 1994 North served as the Republican candidate for a U.S. Senate seat in Virginia, losing to Democrat Charles Robb. Shortly before the election, former First Lady Nancy Reagan said North “lied to my husband and lied about my husband.” Since leaving politics, North has authored books and made television appearances to discuss military and political matters. In the 2010 NRA Board of Directors elections, North received more votes than any other candidate.

Sandy Froman became a pro-gun activist following an incident in which a burglar unsuccessfully attempted to break into her home. In 2005, Froman was elected NRA President after serving as a Board Member and Vice President for a number of years. She stated that her two goals as NRA president were to promote concealed carry of firearms in public and “to work to get good judges appointed.” Froman was also appointed a member of the Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. board of directors in December 2015.

Bob Barr was born in Iowa City, Iowa in 1948, but spent his childhood living in a number of countries around the world. He initially joined the College Democrats while a student at the University of Southern California, but was persuaded by his parents to join the Republican Party. Barr attended graduate and law school in Washington D.C. and worked as a CIA analyst before becoming active in Republican politics. In 1986, Barr was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia by President Ronald Reagan. Barr was first elected to office in 1994 as a Congressman for Georgia’s 7th district. Barr left the House after succumbing to a primary challenger, John Linder, in 2002. While known as a Social Conservative in Congress, Barr joined the Libertarian Party in 2006 and ran for president on the party’s ticket in 2008.

Chuck Norris rose to fame in the 1970s and 1980s for his role in martial arts films and the TV drama “Walker, Texas Ranger.” Since that time, he has become a fixture in the Conservative movement. A prominent supporter of Republican Mike Huckabee’s presidential run in 2008, Norris has authored books and made numerous television appearances in support of various right wing causes. In 2010, the National Rifle Association Institute for Legal Action initiated a “Trigger the Vote” campaign featuring Norris as the honorary chairman. The goal of the campaign was to encourage voters to support candidates endorsed by the NRA. Norris is also the author of a column on the ultraconservative WorldNetDaily website.

Longtime gun rights lobbyist Manuel “Manny” Fernandez is a graduate of California State University, and once lived in Cuba. He is also the founder of the state organization, Californians Against Corruption (CAC), which came under fire for violations of campaign law during the 1990s. In 2008, Fernandez received $25,500 in compensation from the National Rifle Association.

Carol Bambery is the founder of Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Ownership (MCRGO) and the creator of MCRGO’s foundation and political action committee. She served as MCGRO’s attorney during the organizations’ successful challenge to a ban on the carrying of concealed handguns in public buildings in Michigan. Bambery also advocates for gun rights through her seminar at Thomas M. Cooley Law School and involvement with Michigan United Conservation Clubs.

Lawrence O’Donnell, host of “The Last Word” on MSNBC, has described Grover Norquist as, “the most powerful man in America who does not sleep in the White House” because of his ability to control Republican Party politics. Norquist, who was born in 1956 and grew up in Weston, Massachusetts, has been politically active from a young age. While a teenager, he volunteered for Richard Nixon’s 1968 presidential campaign before attending Harvard University. Since graduating from Harvard, Norquist has served in various roles as a small government advocate, although he has spent time on other issues, including working alongside fellow NRA board member Oliver North in aiding the Contra rebels.

His political beliefs were fundamentally defined by his declaration that his “goal is to cut government in half in twenty-five years, to get it down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub.” Norquist also co-authored the Republican Party’s 1994 “Contract with America” with then-Minority Whip Newt Gingrich. Horace Cooper, counsel to then-GOP Majority Leader Dick Armey, called Norquist “our field marshal.” Norquist is widely credited with securing the Republican nomination for George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential elections.

Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), the organization Norquist founded in 1985, has been used as a clearinghouse for conservative ideas. It publishes the “Taxpayer Protection Pledge,” which calls on lawmakers to swear to never vote for any legislation that would raises taxes, no matter how modestly. The pledge—which counted over 95% of Republican House and Senate members as signatories in the 112^th Congress—is considered “a sacred covenant for virtually anyone wishing to run as a Republican” by the New York Times. U.S. Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) said that Norquist “threaten[s] all these guys here for the first time by saying he’ll send mailers, press releases and make it known to their constituents that they aren’t conservative” if they refuse to sign the pledge. ATR has a number of “special projects,” including the Alliance for Worker Freedom (AWF), an anti-labor group. While Norquist now refuses to disclose who funds ATR, in the past the organization has received money from the Koch Brothers, Phillip Morris, Pfizer and other corporate interests.

Norquist and his pledge played a prominent role in the 2011 debt ceiling crisis, with many commentators accusing him of preventing a bipartisan deal to resolve the crisis. Chis Cillizza of the Washington Post called Norquist “the most important person in the debt ceiling fight.” In July 2011, Republican signatories to the pledge met with Norquist and “begged” him to release them from their obligation in order to resolve the ongoing debt ceiling crisis. After the debt ceiling crisis was resolved, former Senator Alan Simpson (R-WY), co-chair of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, called Norquist “a good guy with a very bad idea.” “Grover Norquist should be examined into,” suggested Simpson. “Where does he get his money? … Who is he slave to? … How does he terrify people?”

Finally, Norquist is well known for chairing the Wednesday meetings, a weekly off-the-record, invitation-only meeting of GOP and conservative operatives (including NRA operatives), lobbyists, and reporters. During the Bush presidency, attendance at the meeting numbered in the hundreds.

R. Lee Ermey parlayed a career as a drill instructor in the United States Marine Corps into a number of acting roles. He often plays authority figures and is most famous for his portrayal of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Stanley Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket.” Ermey currently hosts the weaponry and military history show “Mail Call” and appears in television commercials. He is a paid spokesperson for a number of products, including Glock firearms.