TAP-RACK Tactical

It has been awhile since I wrote something, partly because the new year has been busy. The other reason is that I don't make this as big of a priority as I should. I think about writing stuff, I tell myself I'm going to do it and then I fall down.

This coincides with what I'm going to write this month. During the course of providing training, I will invariably hear from guys that they don't get support from Admin, they don't get enough training time and they don't get enough in the way of manpower, equipment or bullets. Well, quit whining and do something about it!

My personal level of proficiency has nothing to do with what the my team or department thinks is appropriate. Everybody has different opinions on what is "enough". My team gets more training time than most teams in the region I work. It still isn't enough. I touch my guns for short duration dry fire, reloads and malfunction clears on my DAYS OFF. Holy crap, did I just say that I spend my own time training? If I believe that gun skill will keep me, a teammate or a citizen alive, then don't I owe it to everyone to do as much as I can to stay proficient? The answer is an obvious yes, but if I ask guys what they do on their own there are vey few who say they do anything.

When are you good enough? The answer is never. So, quit bitching about what you don't have or don't get and do something. Make the commitment to yourself to improve as often as possible. Dry fire is free, surely there is an hour somewhere in your week where you can touch your guns and practice. Physical fitness doesn't require a gym membership. It just requires you to move your out of shape ass. Your age, assignment and family life are simply EXCUSES. Read professional magazines, books and websites that exercise the brain.

Today is Super Bowl Sunday. I'm gonna watch the game, eat some chicken wings and pizza and spend some time with family. I already worked out this morning, I checked out some websites with an eye toward gear and weapon drills, and I finally got off my dead ass and wrote something in the blog. I'm going to spend 30 minutes after the game doing dry, speed and tactical reloads with my rifle. What will you do today?

Happy New Year to everyone. If you're reading this you're still alive and that is a blessing in anyone's book. The Pacific NW has suffered terrible traqedies in the las quarter of this year and we just finished the service for Deputy Kent Mundell who was killed in the line of duty. RIP to all and condolences to the families.

My 2010 calendar is filling quickly, I will be teaching a closed course in Alaska in a few weeks ands I'm looking forward to it. I have several open courses in the first quarter including some late comers.

Fife, Washington will be hosting a SWAT team leader course at the end of February. The course information is on the CJTC and WSTOA websites or you can just e-mail me for information.

Spokane County is hosting a Hostage Rescue and a Mechanical/Shotgun breaching course in March. The breaching course is FULL, there are still a few spots left in the HR course. Same sites and contact info.

Richland PD just signed up to host a Ballistic Shield User course. This course is not specific to any brand, we will cover all the hard shields and blankets that are out there. Strengths and weaknesses of all will outlined. I believe I have completely recovered from the shield beating a Richland Officer gave me the last time I taught this course over there, so I should be ready.

I have openings in April and beyond so if you want the free spots, please contact me to talk about hosting. It really is a great way to get training for your men at no cost.

Last, I want ogive props to some industry professionals that have helped with fundraisers for families of the fallen officers. I am fortunate to be involved with some fundraisers for the families of fallen officers in our region. These are training based and all proceeds are going toward the families. I have asked for and received donations from some really good people and companies. I would like to give thanks to:

Magpul Industries - makers of great rifle furniture. Drake at Magpul stepped up and donated a bunch of PMAGS, I know they have done more than this.

Tacticalleds.com - John Moyer did not hesitate to donate a Jetbeam RRT-2 for the cause.

Danner Boots - Drew Linth and Cameron Grant have agreed top donate certificates for their products.

There are others as well and I will post up their information after the next fundraiser on Feb 27. I sincerely appreciate their help, I know the guys whose names I have posted don't want that individual recognition, but they are good guys and I felt compelled to do so. PLease support these companies, their products speak for themselves. Their giving and caring commitment to Law Enforcement should not go unnoticed.

As always, please reach out by e-mail or phone if I can help you with anything.

I think we can all agree that redundancy in certain systems has been and can be a lifesaver. As good patrol cops most of us carry a second firearm and/or an edged weapon. Hopefully these items are being carried and there placement has been well thought out, rehearsed and practiced to give you a layered or tiered response to a threat.

I recall going to range training while on grave shift years ago. I did the drills or practice that I wanted to do, cleaned my pistol and conducted a function check like I always do. I went back on the street and worked for about another month before I came back to the range to practice. I drew my pistol and pulled a dead trigger. The gun did not work and on closer the inspection, the trigger return spring had broken. The trigger was not flopping around so the spring was intact until I pulled it. That pressure broke it, and it would have been a really crappy way to start to a gunfight. As usual, I was carrying a backup gun and that thought gave me some comfort. My primary pistol was a good quality service weapon with a great reputation for reliability. It simply broke after thousands of rounds, but it drives home the point about having a layered system. Most SWAT guys enter with a rifle and handgun so this is not as important. If you are a shield guy and you are only carrying one pistol, you might think about having a second DUTY pistol assigned to you and then carry it on missions.

Now to the topic of lights. I have an issued flashlight that is rechargeable and it always rides in my patrol car. I have a second small light that I carry on my belt in case the big one fails, or I bail out and don't have time to grab the big light. I am not issued a backup light, so like most guys I have had to buy one. Some of them are very expensive and without sticking to propaganda, they do fail like any other mechanical device. Batteries, bulbs, and switches will go without warning. Regardless of manufacturer, all of them will fail at some point.

I have been field testing a bunch of small lights that were provided by John Moyer at tactical leds. You can get to their website by going to my home page, click the "links" page and then hit their logo. I have been using an Olight M30 as a primary for quite some time. This thing is blazing out 700 LUMENS at it's highest setting. It has a good focused beam that also floods an area and the run time is amazing. The tailcap has a great interface with a "clicky" tailcap and then a secondary switch that activates the light in momentary strobe. There are also brightness settings but I leave it on "retina melt". I have applied the light in a variety of scenarios on street calls and it is impressive. It is ultra impressive when you consider it's running off of 3 CR123 batteries, fits in my cargo pocket and is about one battery longer than another popular brand. The price is considerably less than you would expect to pay for a machined aluminum light of such quality and brightness. There is also a removable strike bezel for those that have strict policies forbidding them, you can simply take it off for duty and put it on for off duty. I leave it on to protect the lens .

The other lights that are truly impressive are the Inova brand. I have an Inforce White on my rifle and a 6V in my active shooter bag. The rifle light is very lightweight and puts out 150 lumens. The pressure switch is unique since you can activate the light in strobe or full on by moving your thumb forward or backward on the tape. The strobing effect on room entries is devastating, people can't help but look away. It also has a tailcap for those that like to run their lights with their thumb on a tailcap. The 6V puts out 115 lumens and is plenty bright enough to be a good patrol backup light, a primary rifle light and certainly an every day carry light. My wife wants one for her purse due to size, weight and brightness.

I carry 3 light sources on SWAT jobs and patrol. Redundancy for a critical piece of equipment, if you can't see you can't engage with the appropriate level of force. At these prices and great quality, you don't have an excuse to not be ready. I am not pimping the stuff at tacticalleds.com, the stuff sells itself. I am pointing out that good quality doesn't have to cost an arm & leg. John is good people and he is a retired copper, so he will work hard to make sure cops are taken care of. Give their site a look, check out the sale items, you can type TAPRACK10 in at checkout for an extra 10% off their lights, but regardless if you buy some of their lights or someone elses, be prepared for the contingency that your light will fail when you need it most. Have a layer ready. Be good, to be safe.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

"If it's predictable, it's prevetable" Gordon Graham 

What an incredibly sad and terrible week. I have run the gamut of emotions sionce last Sunday. Disbelief that my friend, Sgt. Mark Renninger was dead. I initially wanted to strap on gear, load the guns and rush to the scene to do anything to help. My emotions were screaming at me to take action. I soon realized that there was nothing I could do but keep my phone on hand and hope that Maurice Clemmons would end up in my teams jurisdiction. The feeling of helplessness was profound. As I watched and heard about SWAT team doing work on this case, I made several angry calls and sent text messages asking why my team was not being called upon. I wanted blood and the desire to kill the bastard that had murdered my friend and colleagues was profound. We were not needed, and the sense of frustration was huge. When I woke up Tuesday morning, I had an e-mail from a friend who was at the scene when Maurice Clemmons was killed. I was happy to read that he was dead and that noone else was hurt.

Mark was an outstanding police officer and SWAT officer. He worked hard, he took his responsibility serious, he trained as hard as anybody, and most importantly he pushed his mates to be better. The Pierce Metro SWAT team is an excellent team, Mark was no small part in that. We talked on the phone frequently to discuss ways to help a guy struggling with weapon qualification, different drills to use and so forth. We also talked about ways to help guys get switched on with team TTP's so they were more than SWAT robots. He wanted guys to know the SOG's, and also know when they needed to react instinctively instead of by the book. We talked about ways to increase situational awareness so that guys could predict what their teammate would do before it happened. We also bitched about lack of work, bean counters and poor leadership. In short, the same types of conversations that SWAT guys around the country have on a daily basis.

Mark was a quick wit and he often gave guys a ration of shit. More than anything, Mark cared about officer safety, team safety and the guys he worked with. If you were ever a victim of his banter (I was plenty of times) it just meant he cared about you. Like alot of SWAT guys, we don't wear our emotions on our sleeve.

I have had a few conversations this week with guys who can't believe a booger eater like Clemmons was able to get the drop on Mark. How is it possible that a highly trained, switched on guy like Mark was able to be killed? The underlying notion is what good was all the training, mindset, and desire to be really good at his job? There are already articles written by police magazines about officer safety, being vigilant, and so forth. I don't want to discount those practices, but the implication that Mark and the other officers weren't on their game is a bit infuriating.

If anything, this should be a catalyst for us to work harder, train harder and do better. I am convinced that nothing Mark could have done would have prepared him for this. It is a terrorist act carried out by an extremist who got to choose the time, place and circumstances. There is no way to guard against this without becoming an introvert who never leaves the house. We simply cannot let it affect our daily lives. I will go have a cup of coffee whenever and whereever I damn well please. A shit stain like Maurice Clemmons does not get to define how I will live or what I will do to prepare myself.

This is only a week old, I went to the memorial and visited with some guys from LPD on Thursday. I was lucky enough to be there when Mark's wife visited the site and I was able to talk to her for a bit. We had a firearms training day on Friday and bullet therapy helped me. I went to a fund raiser on Friday night at the Claim Jumper restaurant in Tukwila, it was a Tip-a-Cop event. I washed the Cop car yesterday so it was ready for the procession this Tuesday. I have had a lot of conversations with my wife. I plan to attend a rifle shoot this coming weekend in Custer, they are dontaing proceeds to the family. I am working with a group of good guys and we are trying to put together a shooting competition/training/raffle/auction event in January. If you're interested in the event shoot me an e-mail and I'll keep you updated. I attended a Leadership class by Kyle Lamb and he pointed out that we need to do a better job of supporting the families of fallen officers. The initial support is always there, it is the continued support that dries up as time goes by. I will endeavor to ensure that Mark's wife and kids are taken care of. It is the least I can do for the many lessons Mark gave me.

I am deeply saddened by the loss of my friend, I wish we had talked more, got together more, trained together more. RIP Mark, you were good people and you will be missed.

I went for a run this morning and decided to stretch it out for a bit. As I was turning onto my street, my wife pulled up and said my cell phone had been blowing up. She also told me that four police officers had been ambushed and murdered in the City of Lakewood. 

I checked my phone and received the terrible news that I knew some of the officers. One of them is a good friend, he started his SWAT career on my team. He was a quick study and was made to be a SWAT man. He ended up being my assistant team leader before moving on to another police department. He quickly got on that team and was one of the team leaders at the time of his murder. The police community in this state is diminished far more than most people know. When the news identifies the officers and their accomplishments in life, everyone will know that the asshole responsible for this took more from us than he probably even realized. 

Be careful, watch each others backs, and be safe. I hope that justice is swift in this case. 

This week I had the opportunity to teach a portion of our "operators Course". To be brief, this is a course that we developed for our guys that are in the 3-5 year range. We recognize them as emerging leaders so we give them this extra week of training to go over SOG's. The idea is for them to start thinking through WHY we do things a certain versus how. They have all proven they can pick 'em up and put 'em down, this is an opportunity for them to use their gray matter a little.

I ran a team building exercise that required some physical effort with stations. Basically they run a lap, hit a station, run a lap hit a station. The stations varied from a disassembled weapon box test, to portions of a written test. This was meant as a self assessment of basic knowledge and skills. I think the point was driven home. 

I was supposed to teach a block of instruction on Immediate Action Drills. The info was pushed out but then I ended up becoming the student. The guys began to bring up points about why we DID NOT do certain things in training and on missions. The point they brought up were industry standard types of things. In fact, they were things that every team leader course that I have attended recommend we do. I won't go into detail due to OPSEC, but I would bet that if you interviewed numerous SWAT guys worth their salt they would agree that the topics mentioned were important for team safety and success.

So, what the hell is the point? The point is that over time and with success, I have become lazy. I have allowed the team to short step in some areas because we haven't had our behinds bit yet. My only recourse was to apologize for my lack of leadership. I am not alone in this, the other team leaders and even team members have some share of this load. I often preach that every team member is responsible for the teams actions overall performance. I think we have done a good job of fostering an environment where the saying "All positions are equally important" is true. Somewhere we let our performance slip, because most of the things mentioned we used to do or are part of our written SOG's.

These types of slip ups are common. We make excuses about why we don't stick to tried and true TTP's. We cut corners because of time constraints. We fail to do what is right because the budget, the Chief or command may not appreciate it. Team Leader and  team members have to be vigilant to guard against this as time goes by. The team should be willing, able and ready to slap a team leader who is not consistently sticking to SOG's. Consistency being the key, there are times when we will and should deviate, that why they're called "guidelines" and not policies. For the most part, this should not be done out of convenience or laziness. 

Likewise, we should have a mechanism in place to make sure we are re-evaluating what we are currently doing to ensure we haven't slipped into a comfortable place in lieu of the right place. Is what we're doing the right thing or the easy thing. In addition is what we're doing up to date, relevant to our missions, and right for the time and place? Those questions have to be asked on a frequent basis so that we do not become complacent. I have added an e-mail reminder that is re-occurring every six months. It is a gentle reminder to me to make sure I am doing the right things for the right reasons. Mission, Men and Me is a great book by Pete Blaber that clearly illustrates the responsibility of leaders. 

Most of us have heard of the monkeys and the ladder. Five monkeys are put in a room with a ladder. If a monkey climbs the ladder he can get to a Banana that is hanging above the ladder. One of the monkeys sees the banana and heads for it. As soon as he touches the ladder, ALL of the monkeys are sprayed with ice cold water. They soon figure out that any attempt at the ladder will result in the cold shower. Any monkey that tries it is soon beaten by the other monkeys. One of the monkeys is removed from the pen, and a fresh one added. He knows nothing about the water but sees the banana and goes for it. The other monkeys beat the stuffing out of him. Soon all of the original monkeys have been replaced with monkeys that have never been sprayed. Nonetheless, they all beat the hell out of any new monkey who tries to go for the banana and none of them have any idea why.

Don't be a monkey. Questions everything and figure out how to beat the hell out of the guy with the hose, so we can all have a piece of that damn banana. As always, sorry for typos.

This week I wanted to talk about physical fitness and establishing a standard for your team. In my state the Basic SWAT school is a requirement for most SWAT teams. On the first day of school the guys are put through the test and if they fail they are sent home. Successful completion means you get to stay for the rest of the week.

During the time I taught at that school I would often ask those who failed what they were doing for PT. Invariably I would hear that they had been sick or injured recently, they didn't sleep well, etc. I would press them and ask again, "What have you been doing for PT?". Most would say that they were running, doing pushups and so forth. The test consists of a run, pushups, situps and pullups. In other words, training for the test. No surprise, their teams did not have a PT standard.

I would ask the same thing of the studs that would crush the test. Without hesitation they would be able to tell you exactly what they had been doing. Their teams did have a physical standard but they would usually say that it was too easy or that it did not measure what they felt was important.

What's the point? The point is that PT is important. We all say it, we all know it but do we all do it? I do believe that SWAT teams should have a physical fitness standard that all members must meet. This is the baseline that allows everyone on the team to know each others minimum level. Like firearms, the standard is a minimum that all must pass on a continuing basis. The presence of a standard may make some less motivated guys get off their ass on a cold morning and go for a run. The test should be hard enough that  guys must do something throughout the year. In other words they shouldn't be able to lay off the beer a week prior and breeze through.

On the opposite end, I don't believe that the standard should be so difficult that senior guys or guys that have a different outlook than me on training have to change their regimen. I know a dude who falls into that rare category of "Large Human". This guy can deadlift a school bus, he works out with very heavy things and is obviously dedicated and disciplined to what he does. He has never faltered on a mission. How effective do you think he is at running long distances? Conversely, a guy that can run five minute miles all day is probably not gonna be as effective at operating heavy tools or moving things as the first guy. Both guys need to have a level of fitness that allows them to be effective during the teams missions. Neither should be penalized by a test that prohibits them from being on the team.

I don't have a hard and fast recommendation on what a test should be. I will say that you should have something that guys have to pass in order to remain in good standing. Just like with firearms, this is the MINIMUM required. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking time out of your training day to administer a gut check or team building exercise that pushes guys past what the minimum standard is. They are fun to do and the guys will usually have a good time with them. Be creative, challenge the whole group, set it up so that big & strong are as valuable as light and fast. Just like on a mission, each member brings strengths and weakness, these team builders should showcase each guys assets, and their weaknesses.

This has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not you are on a full time team or a part time one. If your team only trains 8 hours a month or 80. Ultimately the responsibility lies with each guy to maintain their own fitness. If you are making excuses, then you are a wannabe. Plain and simple, cut & dry, end of the story. I know guys who have been leaders in PT into their 50's, they recognized it's importance and simply got it done without excuses. Just do it. If you have let your PT fall behind, logoff right now and go do something. Make it be a part of your daily routine, schedule it by WRITING it down, tell someone what you are going to do the next day for PT and have them ask you if you completed it. Go do it.

"If you cannot do what I can do, you cannot go where I can go" Unknown

Last week I touched on leadership as it pertains to standards and the importance of maintaining them. When it comes to firearms, I would say that SWAT guys generally run their weapons better than the rank & file officers of the department. However, I sometimes see teams that are wrapped around the axle when it comes to a score and/or scoring rings.

As I write through this, bear in mind that this is meant to be a conversation, not a lecture from on high, so please don't beat me up for poor grammar or the order in which it comes out.

Qualification courses. Invariably when guys start talking about weapon proficiency they will attempt to quatify skill based on a score. If I told you I always shoot 100% with handgun and rifle, how impressive is that? Well it depends on what that 100% is. If the course of fire is a single round @ 3 feet in 10 minutes, shooting a 4'X8' piece of plywood, that ain't so impressive.

I am a proponent of a scored qualification with set time frames for different drills. I believe that this allows me to evaluate potential training needs. However the qualification course should be changed frequently (You decide) so that training isn't geared to the course. If guys are only training to pass or max the course, are they really pushing themselves to get better?

As an example, take your current qualification course and without telling anyone, mix up the stages of fire. Same course, but make the last thing they normally shoot be the first, the stuff in the middle goes to the end, etc. Tell your shooters that you have developed a new course that you want make the qualification course. Tell them it's alot harder. Have them shoot it and then solicit feedback. My guess, and indeed my experience doing this, is that the shooters will tell you it's more difficult and in fact their scores will be lower than normal.

My opinion is that officers who have shot the same course of fire over & over have been trained to pass a course. When the circumstances are different or unexpected, their true proficiency will come out. I watch officers perform Tap-Rack and reload drills like champs when they know it's coming, how do they perform when they get the unexpected malfunction. How fast are they on a speed reload when they know it's coming versus when they don't? The qual. course is a measure, but it should not be the standard.

This requires more work and effort on the part of the instructor, but hell, peoples lives are the only thing at stake. Maybe a little extra work on your part is the least you can do. When I teach my rifle instructor course, I have the guys shoot a qualification course. I generally do not tell them what their score was. The course is a measure for me to determine if they are performing at a minimal level. I run them through a bunch of timed drills and stress drills that are designed to take them out of their comfort zone. These drills will make you shoot faster and operate the gun faster than most guys have done in the past. The point is to make them push themselves to the extreme. Once that is known, they can slow down and make better hits. Once the hits are better it is time to push again. This is a never ending cycle because EVERYONE should be pushing themselves to get better, not meet a predetermined MINIMUM standard.

Instructors have the responsibility to prepare students for combat, I have yet to see or hear about an officer involved shooting that mimicked a range qualification. The ultimate qualification will come from a trained sociopath, are you and/or your students ready?

As always, feel free to e-mail me with your comments and questions. Be good, to be safe.

I recently went through a period of nostalgia while running through one of the local parks. My mind wanders while I am running, in this case I started thinking about how fortunate I have been in my life to be exposed to some outstanding leaders.

As luck would have it, one of those individuals got in touch with me via e-mail. He was a platoon leader in my troop when I was stationed in Germany. Fox Troop, 2/2 ACR. He, among others in that unit, gave me my first glimpse of outstanding leadership.

There is no doubt that the individuals played a big part in the culture of excellence that was ingrained in that unit. I think another factor was that at that time we had a real world mission, protecting the West German border from invasion. The Cold War was very real and that ever present threat kept us to task. Last but not least, was the implementation and adherence to standards within the unit.

SWAT units usually have higher standards for weapons and possibly PT. However there are some teams that do not require PT at all, and the weapons qualification is the same as patrol officers. In some cases a higher percentage of score is required on the weapon qualifications.

On the topic of PT, there is so much information out there about the benefits of a good physical conditioning I won't go into it here. However I think it's important to say that a PT standard MUST be in place for SWAT team members. It should be a standard that provides some challenge so that officers have to PT in order to meet the standard. Stress management, lack of sleep, heavy gear and so forth are all directly related to the SWAT officers job. Physical fitness is key to your longevity and survival, both in life and on the team.

Weapons qualification is another area where I often see issues. The course of fire is too simple, it is not mission related or it does not incorporate specific skill sets that may critical to winning the gunfight. There is a tendency in LE to have the qualification course drive training. With that in mind, develop your courses of fire so that the training required to pass it is areas that directly relate to the fight.

At the end of all this, remember that it is personal discipline that allows us to succeed. If you are a team leader, then lead by example. You should be far exceeding the standards established by the team. If you are a senior tema member or the newest guy, establish your own personal training regimen so that you are ready and able to finish the fight.

Bear in mind that whatever the established standard is, simply passing means that you have me the MINIMUM standard. Nobody wants to be a minimum man, so push yourself and your teammates to excel.

As a profession we are generally in agreement when we discuss this in the team van, to that end, no excuses will be tolerated in these areas. Do what needs to be done.

I'll leave this with a quote and a comment that I will be trying to leave some thoughts on the Blog at least once a week. If you have questions or comments, shoot me an e-mail and I may discuss the issue here.

The year is coming to an end and it has been busy. I currently have openings in December for a course. In 2010 I might have time available in Feb. and then April. I am wroking with a couple of agencies now that want to host courses during those months, but we haven't settled on dates.

I am teaching a closed course in Kodiak, AK in January and a Hostage Rescue and Breaching course in Spokane in March , 2010. If you're interested in either of the Spokane courses, click the contact button on the homepage and send me an e-mail or call.

I am looking for host agencies for other open courses, if you want free tuition for your men, get in touch with me. As always closed courses can be modified to suit your team needs. I can provide a full resume' and contacts by request.

Be good to be safe.

It has been a while since I updated the blog, I really suck at doing this despite trying to make it a priority.

I am scheduled to teach a Basic SWAT course in Wallowa County, OR September 21-25. There is still space in this course if anyone is interested in attending. You can shoot me an e-mail and I'll get more info. to you.

I am also doing a few closed courses but I have room on my calendar before the end of this year. If you want to host training, reach out and we can work out the details.

I have a couple classes in the works for 2010, but the only solid classes are a 3-day Hostage Rescue and a 2-day breaching course hosted by the Spokane County Sheriffs Office. They have great training facilities and both courses should be great.

I am taking the month of January off to re-write some classes and in general get myself squared away for the coming year. I have several classes already scheduled for the year and the following are open courses. If you are interested in attending, get in touch with me and I can ensure you are registered. I am now requiring payment no later than the first day of class. I have had trouble getting paid by some agencies and this creates extra work that I simply don't have time for. Most of the classes are announced well in adavance so please do your best to get registered early. I understand how the government works so if this jams you up in any way, please reach out and we can work out the details. Thanks.

Feb -  Close Course

October ? (This is a change, dates are TBA), 2009 Mechanical and Shotgun Breaching, Hosted by Spokane County WA. Sheriffs Office.

October ? (This is a change, dates are TBA), 2009 Hostage Rescue, Hosted by Spokane County WA. Sheriffs Office.

April 20-24, 2009 Rifle / Subgun Instructor, Hosted by the Oak Harbor, WA Police Department.

May ?, 2009 Mechanical/Shotgun Breaching, Hosted by Walla-Walla PD, WA.

June 22-26, 2009 Basic SWAT School, Hosted by the Orofino, ID. Police Department.

July 13-17, 2009 Team Leader and Breaching class, Deschutes County, OR. (Dates for each are TBA)

August, 2009 Basic SWAT school, Hosted by Woodburn, OR police department.

I have several short closed courses as well but still have room in the first half of the year. If you would like to host a course get in touch with me ASAP since there are several other courses that are in the works. If you want to ensure dates for a class, get in touch with me early before the calendar is full.

I am looking forward to seeing some of you again and meeting new guys throughout the year. Thanks for your interest in our training.

I have not been very diligent about posting to the blog. I apologize for this but the holiday season and other things have prevented me from doing more.

I wanted to take a moment to thank all of the individuals that helped this be a successful year for Tap-Rack. It was great to see guys that I had met before in training and to meet some new professionals as well.

As we go into 2009 the world is still a very violent place. More than ever it is important to keep our bodies and minds prepared for the fight. Alot of police agencies will be struggling with budgets due to the economy which equals less money for Police training. We simply cannot let this take place. If you haven't been selling training as a priority, START NOW! Training is a critical component to successful outcomes. Do what you must to make sure you and your fellow officers are prepared.

Good training can be accomplished for very little money if the person providing the training is willing to put in the work and effort to make it meaningful. We all owe that to our teams and co-workers. You might not be able to afford the super course, take this opportunity to improve the current skill sets you have from previous training. Read professional journals to learn new drills and techniques. It may not be the same as having a good instructor standing there to give advice and guidance, but it's better than nothing.

One thing is for certain, the threat doesn't care what the economy is doing or what your training budget looks like.

My schedule is booking up quickly for 2009, very shortly I will be adding a post with course information, host locations and dates. If you are interested in hosting a course, please reach out. Comp'd spots are a great way to get some training in tough budget years. This isn't meant to be a sales pitch for my training, the point is continue to train.

I want to wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season. Take some time to reflect on family and friends. Make the New Year one with a continued or renewed resolve to be the very best. Master the basics and you will be advanced.

The Team Leader and Shield Courses in Spokane, WA. still have a few seats available. If you're interested in either class shoot me an e-mail and I can get you in touch with the host agency contact to save you a seat. If it's easier, you can also click the link on the WSTOA or Wa. CJTC websites.

I have a closed course in Decemeber and I am starting to fill my 2009 calendar. If you are interested in hosting a class let me know and we can get the dates squared away. I will post open courses here at the Blog so check back to see if anything new is coming up. I can also add you to my e-mailing list for courses that are coming to your area or for a specific course that you may be interested in. If you want to be added, shoot me an e-mail with the parameters you want. I WILL NOT bombard you with advertisements or anything else for that matter.

As always, train hard and be good, to be safe.

The team leader class in Woodburn, Oregon is filling up quickly so if you're interested send me an e-mail ASAP. Information about the course can be found on the Oregon DPSST website.

The shield course in Spokane, WA. still has room and they are handling the registration. Information for that course is available at the Washington State CJTC website and also at WSTOA.org.

I have several closed courses coming up before the end of the year but have some time available. If you're interested in hosting a class or a closed course for your team, reach out and I'm sure we can find some dates available.

I haven't been paying close attention to the blog due to other commitments but I will try to keep up on it. Several guys have commented that they use the blog to check on upcoming training so I will try to post in it more often.

As always, thanks for your interest in our training. Be good, to be safe.