MEET THE TEAM
Al is our lead operator instructor and comes to the table with 20 years policing experience in Cook County (IL) agencies. Al is also a retired Infantry Marine Gunnery Sergeant with 21 years of service to the Marine Corps and has deployed numerous times overseas in support of OIF and other missions in the Pacific Area of Operations. Al is a Combat Action Ribbon and Purple Heart Recipient.
Al delivers a variety of combat tactics and firearms deployment methods based in combat experience and delivers instruction with survival at the forefront of all training. Whether you’re working as a police officer, a soldier, or are a civilian who carries concealed, a gunfight is a fight for your life. Al trains you to “Win By An Overwhelming Margin” by training what you can do, and when you can do it.
Al is a Nationally-Certified Instructor in firearms training. He is also a certified State of Illinois Master Firearms Instructor-Trainer, a Red Dot Optic Instructor-Trainer, a Tactical Trauma Care/Basic First Aid/Tourniquet Instructor-Trainer, Rapid Deployment and Rescue Task Force Instructor, a Reality-Based Scenario Instructor, De-escalation Instructor and a Use of Force Instructor among other disciplines. Al is also a graduate of the Marine Corps’ Advanced Infantry Unit Leader’s Course and Combat Lifesaver Course.
Al
Jared
Jared currently works as a Corrections Officer for a large jail in Northern Illinois. During the course of his 18 year career, Jared has served as FTO, is a member of the CERT Team, and is currently assigned to the department's full time training division.
He is a Master Firearms Instructor (PTI) and armorer for the Glock and AR15 platform. He is certified through the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) as a Firearms Instructor, Tactical Firearms Instructor, and Patrol Rifle Instructor. Other instructor certifications include De-Escalation, Tac Medic, Active Shooter, RDS Pistol, and CQB. He travels throughout the State of Illinois and regionally offering law enforcement and open enrollment courses.
His push for his students is to be Most Capable. Regardless of their mission set, we want to train students up with a surplus of skills and ability, so they are Most Capable when those skills are called upon. A perpetual student himself, he attends numerous classes each year to better shape himself as an instructor, and to provide the best content and instruction to students who attend his courses.
Marcos
Marcos is a retired U.S. Marine Infantryman who has spent time serving on worldwide deployments, deploying to Far East Asia, Africa, Europe and The Middle East. During his time in the Marines, Marcos was deployed on countless highly sensitive and specialized missions in Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bahrain, and Liberia, Africa.
After separating from the Marine Corps in 2012, the Retired Master Sergeant began working as an independent contractor for the US Department of State instructing LE and Foreign Dignitaries techniques in Direct-Action Operations, Dignitary Protection and Surveillance. Marcos eventually returned home to Chicago where he took a role in Cook County’s Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management where he became the Deputy Director of Training & Special Projects while simultaneously teaching protection, threat vulnerability and executive protection in El Salvador, Mexico and Costa Rica to law enforcement professionals.
Marcos is a graduate of SSERT’s SWAT, FBI SWAT School, Urban Sniper School, Hostage Rescue and University of Texas Engineering Extension’s Tactical Evasive Driving School. He is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and NRA Certified Pistol and Rifle Instructor.
Matt
Matt has over a decade of law enforcement experience in Cook County, IL.
He is a Field Training Officer, Range Officer, De-escalation and Reality-Based Training instructor.
Matt has been a member of the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS) Emergency Services Team (EST) for 6 years. While with the EST, Matt started as a containment team member. He is currently assigned to the Marksmen team since 2019.
Matt has also served on his department’s tactical intervention (SWAT) team for 8 years and is currently a team leader. During his time as a SWAT and NIPAS Operator, Matt has executed over 100 real-world SWAT callouts. He is one of his department’s best firearms instructors and has the ability to teach anyone with precision and clarity. Matt received tactics and shooting techniques training by US Marine instructors. Matt is certified through the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) as a Firearms Instructor.