1.) You frequently hike in remote and wooded areas.
2.) You have taken and continue to take training classes at <insert firearms school here> in an effort to be a conscious, well informed, and responsible firearms owner.
3.) I am an active member of <insert gun club here> and frequent the range facilities as well as inform and train others.
4.) For all lawful purposes.
Give concrete reasons, just putting "FOR ALL LAWFUL PURPOSES" is not a good enough reason for any LEO that's on the fence of 1st time issuance. It's like telling them "just because", which won't fly with said LEO.
Take classes, get certificates, attach them to your package.
Know any LEO's yourself? Get one or two to write your reference letters, preferably from any that have known you a long time (high school buddies, neighborhood friends, etc.).
Any reference letter from a LEO or even better, another chief, goes a long way in standing out as a worthy LTC-A candidate.
It's sucks, but you have to play the game...