This two-day course introduces the combative fundamentals for the tactical employment of a pistol in high-risk, self-defense situations.  With an emphasis on developing correct technique, this course will develop proper shooting habits and introduce challenging drills that will improve your fundamentals, marksmanship, and confidence.  Our Use of Lethal Force module ensures that students have the knowledge and understanding of the law necessary to make critical decisions rapidly and respond appropriately in after-action scenarios. 

The goal of the course is to develop a high level of proficiency and students will acquire the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to recognize and react to life-threatening situations and employ escalation of force techniques to include lethal force options in response to an attack.  Topics covered include:

• Handgun types and modifications.

• Ballistics and ammunition selection as it pertains to the handgun.

• Holster selection and accessories.

• Legalities concerning the use of deadly force (both criminal and civil), after-action interactions with law enforcement and witnesses.

• Firearms safety as it pertains to self-defense.

• Combat mindset.

• Proper Handgun Fundamentals: stance, grip, sight alignment, trigger press, follow-through.

• Reloads: Speed reloading, tactical reloading, clearing malfunctions.

• Rapid multiple shots on single targets, rapid engagement of multiple targets.

• Engagement of targets from the ready position, the draw, and the concealed draw.

• The proper tactical response to single or multiple opponent situations.

  **100% of the proceeds of this course will go towards funding OPERATION INCA, our charitable project which provides training support services including e -learning and in-person training, as well as operational support to underfunded and under-trained civilian security forces who protect and defend rural communities, agricultural resources, and threatened wildlife against the Farm Attacks and Illegal Wildlife Trade in South Africa.

Prerequisites:

CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT or LAW ENFORCEMENT CRIMINAL HISTORY REPORT MUST BE PRESENTED AT CLASS. If you do not have a concealed weapons permit, you may use a criminal history report from the WSP background check service located at http://www.wsp.wa.gov/crime/criminal-history/. Students must be totally familiar and comfortable with their handgun. If you have never shot before or wonder how your gun works, we recommend our Basic Handgun Safety course. The firearms training will be conducted on an outdoor range and while we get over 300 days of sunshine here at the ranch, be prepared for incliment weather including heat, wind, rain, or snow. Students should be physically fit enough to walk a short uphill trail to the training range.

Required Equipment:

Reliable, functional semi-automatic handgun; belt holster (rigid, no Serpa holsters allowed) with sturdy belt, pants with belt loops, 600 rounds of brass cased, frangible ammunition (minimum), minimum of 2 magazines and a magazine carrier, Hearing and eye protection, concealment garment. For the best price on training ammunition we encourage our students to contact Mill Pond Arms at (509) 663-2884. For your convenience, students from out of area may purchase their ammunition from Mill Pond Arms and Burns Group staff can pick it up and having it waiting at the range for you.

**REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS 5/24/24**

History has taught us that certain kinds of activities can indicate terrorist plans are in the works, especially when they occur at or near high profile or sensitive sites, places where high profile individuals reside or work, or where large numbers of people gather like government buildings, military installations, bus or train stations or major public events.  The ability to detect hostile or suspicious activity early in the target selection and planning phase is the primary means of defeating a terrorist or criminal attack.  Thus, surveillance detection (SD) has become critical to successful intelligence collection, counterterrorism, and security operations.

Terrorist attacks follow a distinct process referred to as the Terrorist Attack Cycle.  The terrorist attack cycle includes:  Target selection, planning, deployment, escape and exploitation.  Regardless of the type of attack, whether it be terrorist such as a bombing or kidnapping or a criminal attack such as a theft there is almost always some amount of preoperational hostile surveillance conducted.  This hostile surveillance is intended to assess a potential target for value, security measures and vulnerabilities and it’s during this phase that terrorists and other attackers are vulnerable to detection.

In general, terrorists have relatively poor surveillance skills or tradecraft.  It is this poor surveillance tradecraft that if recognized can provide individuals and organizations with the time needed to involve the proper authorities, avoid an immediate threat and help prevent an attack.  BGICTC’s Surveillance Detection training is designed to provide the skill sets required to mitigate the risk of abduction or hostile act.

 Our instructor cadre is composed of career Covert Operations personnel with decades of real-world experience. Our Subject Matter Experts have “boots-on-the-ground” operational experience in surveillance, surveillance detection, and counter-surveillance measures both domestically and in hostile environments overseas. Our instructors understand what works … and more importantly what does not.

 The training program consists of both classroom training and practical exercises. Students will conduct multiple Surveillance Detection Exercises over the course of several days. These exercises take place in a downtown area with routes that enter and exit major facilities.

BGICTC utilizes role players to provide a realistic training scenario that is designed to test and enhance student’s skill sets. Key take-aways of these exercises include:

1. Understanding the basics of Surveillance Detection and how to implement the skill set into their daily lives.

2. Being able to use these skills to isolate and confirm suspected surveillance activities.

3. Recognizing various types of surveillance conducted by criminal elements intent on gathering information for potentially illicit purposes.

4. Learning how to protect themselves and make themselves less appealing targets.

By the end of the course, students will be able to carry out sophisticated surveillance detection drills to confirm, evade, deter, or gather their own intelligence on hostile surveillance teams.

• Terrorist Trends

• Surveillance Detection as a security strategy

• Activities indicative of hostile surveillance

• Terrorist planning cycle

• Techniques/Ruses used by hostile surveillants

• Hostile surveillants requirements

• Best times in the terrorist planning cycle to identify and report surveillance

• Review of a comprehensive process to protect your facility

• Who should be trained in hostile surveillance?

• Surveillance detection techniques

• Tricks of the Trade

• Vulnerabilities

• Surveillance Detection Routes (SDR)

• When and where Surveillance Detection should be conducted

Prerequisites:

CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT or LAW ENFORCEMENT CRIMINAL HISTORY REPORT MUST BE PRESENTED AT CLASS. If you do not have a concealed weapons permit, you may use a criminal history report from the W.S.P background check service located at http://www.wsp.wa.gov/crime/criminal-history/.

Our HEAT course provides participants with the required know-how and skills to deal with real time threats. The five-day course offers a mix of advanced theoretical and practical sessions of simulated exercises.

Hostile Environment Awareness training (HEAT) is a form of high-fidelity stress exposure training that combines theory with high-stress and highly realistic simulation training. This is a well-researched concept in the field of psychology that is commonly used to train people working in high stress environments, like security contractors, airline pilots and first responders.

The training is gradual: starting with theory, it then moves to guided exercises to make participants comfortable with each concept. The intensity levels increase each day so that participants can practice their new skills under more realistic conditions.

By the end, participants have a firm grasp of managing:

• Basic first aid and psychological first aid

• Personal safety and security

• Safety and security mindset

• Communications equipment

• Capture and captivity

• Behavior under fire

• Threats in the field

• Fire safety

• Basic negotiations skills

• Understanding how to build individual situational awareness in high-risk environments

• Unexploded ordnance (UXO) and improvised explosive devices (IED) threats

• Weapons Familiarization

HEAT training is critical for groups such as NRC, UN agencies, NGOs, media outlets and private sector companies.  Our expert instructor cadre ensures the training is safe, highly effective, and based on the latest best practices in the field of hostile environment security risk management. 

Prerequisites:

CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT or LAW ENFORCEMENT CRIMINAL HISTORY REPORT MUST BE PRESENTED AT CLASS. If you do not have a concealed weapons permit, you may use a criminal history report from the W.S.P background check service located at http://www.wsp.wa.gov/crime/criminal-history/.

In this course, students will learn the fundamentals of tracking and how they can apply those principles to their daily tactics.  The course is designed to take an untrained student and turn them into a confident tracker who understands the need for tracking and using the tactical mindset to increase safety and achieve successful results in the field.

Topics to be covered:

• Introduction to Tactical Man-tracking

• Glossary of Tracking Terms

• Visual Tracking Indicators and Interpretation

• Human Step Dynamics

• Rules of Tracking

• Roles of a Tactical Man-tracking Team

• Lost Spoor Procedures

• Tracking Team Formations

• Processing and Preserving the Scene and Evidence

• Basic Land Navigation, Compass, and Map Reading

Prerequisites:

CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT or LAW ENFORCEMENT CRIMINAL HISTORY REPORT MUST BE PRESENTED AT CLASS. If you do not have a concealed weapons permit, you may use a criminal history report from the W.S.P background check service located at http://www.wsp.wa.gov/crime/criminal-history/.

Kidnapping is an often misunderstood crime that is frequently misrepresented by the media creating misperceptions that the risk is not that great.  In fact, if you or your employees and top-level executives or high net-worth individuals travel or live internationally in many global locations, they are at risk of being abducted.  Kidnapping for ransom or extortion is a rapidly growing global epidemic that can have violent and even fatal consequences.  With the number of individuals traveling to locations such as Central and South America, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa increasing dramatically, the threat of kidnapping has become even greater.  In fact, there are an estimated 15,000-20,000 kidnap, detentions, and extortions that take place globally every year.  In reality, this number is probably much higher as it’s estimated that only about 35% of all kidnappings globally are reported to the authorities.  Additionally, about half of these incidents are taking place in Latin America and Mexico, which has one of the highest kidnapping rates in the world.  There are many motivations and types of kidnappings that we will discuss at length later.  As previously mentioned, kidnapping is a very geographically focused crime and differs greatly depending on the location and type of kidnappers.  For this reason, we will not only discuss some of the differences from region to region and country-specific differences but we will also discuss some of the more prominent groups so that you have an understanding of the nature of the crime in the areas where you are traveling, working or living, giving you the ability to effectively assess the threat of that area and mitigate kidnap risks.

This class is designed to give you the knowledge, skills, and confidence to successfully minimize kidnap risk and operate in hostile environments.  It is divided into segments that address specific areas: Prevention, Avoidance, and Hostage Incident Survival.  While there are numerous types of kidnappings including parental / relative kidnappings and kidnapping for sexual assault, murder, etc.  This class will focus on kidnappings such as kidnap for ransom (K&R), political or jihadist kidnappings, and various predatory kidnappings.  To address these risks we will examine:

• Who is at risk

• The various types of kidnappings

• Specific case studies

• Understanding the process

• Conducting a threat / personal vulnerability assessment

• Threat types

• Prevention methods

• Personal security,

• Surveillance

• Options for targeted individuals,

• Hostage survival

Our Advanced Undercover Operations Course is intended for trained and experienced intelligence professionals and senior undercover law enforcement investigators who already have training in Human Intelligence Operations (HUMINT), analysis, and targeting. The course is designed to give students the knowledge and skills to establish and utilize a covert infrastructure, plan and prepare a covert infiltration, participate in and deploy undercover operations against covert targets, and sustain operations over extended duration’s. It examines national, regional, and international laws, ethical standards and considerations, health, safety, and security.  THIS COURSE IS RESTRICTED TO ACTIVE DUTY O.G.A., MILITARY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND INTELLIGENCE CONTRACTORS.  SUCCESSFUL PRE-QUALIFICATION AND SELECTION IS REQUIRED.

TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE:

·         Understanding the Intelligence Cycle and U.S. Intelligence Model

·         Laws related to undercover operations and ethics

·         Interpersonal and communications skills

·         Use of informants, informant development, and informant management

·         Advanced Physical Surveillance, Counter-Surveillance, and Surveillance Detection

·         Electronic Surveillance, Signals Intelligence & other covert techniques

·         Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM)

·         Operational Planning: Operational security, planning short and long-term undercover operations, backstopping, infiltration techniques, and implication of undercover work.

·         Tactical Operations: How to deter, disrupt, and neutralize targets and operations where traditional methods have proven inefficient or unsuccessful. Provide intelligence and evidential support for tactical operations. Provide current, actionable, and sustainable intelligence and evidence on targets and their activities. Penetrate target groups and identify unknown subjects of interest and their activities.

·         Covert Support: Develop advanced cover and backstopping with covert infrastructure support. Conduct technical and physical surveillance countermeasures. Assessing personal strengths, weaknesses, and characteristics with regards to undercover deployment and prepare basic cover accordingly.

·         Welfare Management of the Undercover: Brief and de-brief undercover agents. Manage the health, safety, welfare, financial and managerial implications of undercover deployments.

What would you do if you were kidnapped by armed assailants, tied up and taken to an unknown location?  What options do you have and how would you get away?  No idea?  No problem, this is where we come in.  It’s time to turn the tables on the bad guys.  Our two day Urban Escape & Evasion course is designed for individuals who live, work or travel in challenging environments or may find themselves in destabilized areas during times of crisis and teaches you a unique set of "unconventional skills" that can be used to save your life and the lives of your loved ones should your worst nightmares become reality.  Topics include: 

• Situational awareness

• Personal security

• Managing stress

• Covert movement

• Use of caches

• Understanding urban baseline movement

• The use of disguises and false papers / identification

• Lock picking / bypass

• Escaping illegal restraints / custody

• Escape from the trunk of a car

• Counter-tracking

• Secure communications

• Anti-kidnapping techniques

• Surveillance Detection (SD) / Counter-Surveillance (CS)

• Social engineering

• Obtaining local transportation

• Use of specialized urban gear/equipment

• Use of improvised weapons

• How to construct an Urban Escape & Evasion kit.  

The goal of this course is to give you the knowledge, understanding and confidence that if the worst happens, you have the skills to respond effectively.  The material in this course is designed to expose you to the reality of the world we live in and give you the solutions to some unique situations that can save your life. 

**PARTICIPANTS WILL BE SUBJECTED TO CONTROLLED STRESS, MOSTLY MENTAL THAT YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO MANAGE AND LEARN FROM. PHYSICALLY, YOU SHOULD EXPECT TO WALK UP TO 10 MILES DURING THE FIELD TRAINING EXERCISES, BEING IN AND FREEING YOURSELF FROM RESTRAINTS, MANAGE THE STRESS AND DISCOMFORT OF BEING BLINDFOLDED OR MASKED WHILE IN RESTRAINTS AND / OR OPERATING FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME IN CONFINED SPACES SUCH AS AUTOMOBILE TRUNKS.**

Prerequisites:

CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT or LAW ENFORCEMENT CRIMINAL HISTORY REPORT MUST BE PRESENTED AT CLASS. If you do not have a concealed weapons permit, you may use a criminal history report from the W.S.P background check service located at http://www.wsp.wa.gov/crime/criminal-history/.

We are pleased to partner with Wenatchee Valley Brewing Company on this unique and fun fundraiser for OPERATION INCA, our fight against the Illegal Wildlife Trade and terrorism in South Africa. Join us every Tuesday evening for 8 weeks and enjoy some of WVB’s excellent beverages and food, and have fun learning to train yourself and your dog to operate safely as a team in public environments. Transform your dogs training and behavior. This relationship based training course will give civilian participants the knowledge and skills to develop themselves and their dog into a civilian canine team that is a joy to be around in public environments and turns heads. You may sign up for all 8-weeks for just one week at a time. This course goes well beyond sit and stay, students will learn training theory, canine behavior, and much more. Topics covered include:

· Genetics, Selection, and Training

·  Equipment and Use

·  Relationship Building

·  Establishing Boundaries

·  Basic & Intermediate Obedience

·  Socialization & Neutralization

·  Introduction to Work in Public

·  Fundamentals of Canine Training

·  Principles of Canine Training

·  Applying the Principles of Canine Training

·  Being a Well-Rounded Trainer / Overcoming Challenges

·  Canine Health & Welfare

·  Canine First Aid

Each week the session will be split training theory and hands on training with our dogs. Each week students will be provided with course notes for the week as well as training homework to conduct with their dog. For best results, students should conduct 3, 5 to 15 minute training sessions per day with their dog between weekly classes.

Students are limited to 1 dog per handler. This course is open to all civilians and their dogs regardless of breed. For safety, dogs with histories of dog aggression or attacks are not permitted. However, we excourage those owners to contact us to discuss our behavioral rehabilitation solutions. We can help you save your pup.

Required Equipment: Leash, collar, and plenty of training treats.

COST: $240 (8-weeks) $30 (Weekly)

* REGISTRATION DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 12th, 2023

This two-day course introduces the combative fundamentals for the tactical employment of a pistol in high-risk, self-defense situations.  With an emphasis on developing correct technique, this course will develop proper shooting habits and introduce challenging drills that will improve your fundamentals, marksmanship, and confidence.  Our Use of Lethal Force module ensures that students have the knowledge and understanding of the law necessary to make critical decisions rapidly and respond appropriately in after-action scenarios. 

The goal of the course is to develop a high level of proficiency and students will acquire the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to recognize and react to life-threatening situations and employ escalation of force techniques to include lethal force options in response to an attack.  Topics covered include:

• Handgun types and modifications.

• Ballistics and ammunition selection as it pertains to the handgun.

• Holster selection and accessories.

• Legalities concerning the use of deadly force (both criminal and civil), after-action interactions with law enforcement and witnesses.

• Firearms safety as it pertains to self-defense.

• Combat mindset.

• Proper Handgun Fundamentals: stance, grip, sight alignment, trigger press, follow-through.

• Reloads: Speed reloading, tactical reloading, clearing malfunctions.

• Rapid multiple shots on single targets, rapid engagement of multiple targets.

• Engagement of targets from the ready position, the draw, and the concealed draw.

• The proper tactical response to single or multiple opponent situations.

  **100% of the proceeds of this course will go towards funding OPERATION INCA, our charitable project which provides training support services including e -learning and in-person training, as well as operational support to underfunded and under-trained civilian security forces who protect and defend rural communities, agricultural resources, and threatened wildlife against the Farm Attacks and Illegal Wildlife Trade in South Africa.

Prerequisites:

CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT or LAW ENFORCEMENT CRIMINAL HISTORY REPORT MUST BE PRESENTED AT CLASS. If you do not have a concealed weapons permit, you may use a criminal history report from the WSP background check service located at http://www.wsp.wa.gov/crime/criminal-history/. Students must be totally familiar and comfortable with their handgun. If you have never shot before or wonder how your gun works, we recommend our Basic Handgun Safety course. The firearms training will be conducted on an outdoor range and while we get over 300 days of sunshine here at the ranch, be prepared for incliment weather including heat, wind, rain, or snow. Students should be physically fit enough to walk a short uphill trail to the training range.

Required Equipment:

Reliable, functional semi-automatic handgun; belt holster (rigid, no Serpa holsters allowed) with sturdy belt, pants with belt loops, 600 rounds of brass cased, FMJ ammunition (minimum), minimum of 2 magazines and a magazine carrier, Hearing and eye protection, concealment garment. For the best price on training ammunition we encourage our students to contact Mill Pond Arms at (509) 663-2884. For your convenience, students from out of area may purchase their ammunition from Mill Pond Arms and Burns Group staff can pick it up and having it waiting at the range for you.

**REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS 9/7/23**

History has taught us that certain kinds of activities can indicate terrorist plans are in the works, especially when they occur at or near high profile or sensitive sites, places where high profile individuals reside or work, or where large numbers of people gather like government buildings, military installations, bus or train stations or major public events.  The ability to detect hostile or suspicious activity early in the target selection and planning phase is the primary means of defeating a terrorist or criminal attack.  Thus, surveillance detection (SD) has become critical to successful intelligence collection, counterterrorism, and security operations.

Terrorist attacks follow a distinct process referred to as the Terrorist Attack Cycle.  The terrorist attack cycle includes:  Target selection, planning, deployment, escape and exploitation.  Regardless of the type of attack, whether it be terrorist such as a bombing or kidnapping or a criminal attack such as a theft there is almost always some amount of preoperational hostile surveillance conducted.  This hostile surveillance is intended to assess a potential target for value, security measures and vulnerabilities and it’s during this phase that terrorists and other attackers are vulnerable to detection.

In general, terrorists have relatively poor surveillance skills or tradecraft.  It is this poor surveillance tradecraft that if recognized can provide individuals and organizations with the time needed to involve the proper authorities, avoid an immediate threat and help prevent an attack.  BGICTC’s Surveillance Detection training is designed to provide the skill sets required to mitigate the risk of abduction or hostile act.

 Our instructor cadre is composed of career Covert Operations personnel with decades of real-world experience. Our Subject Matter Experts have “boots-on-the-ground” operational experience in surveillance, surveillance detection, and counter-surveillance measures both domestically and in some of the most overseas. Because they have conducted actual missions, our instructors understand what works … and more importantly what does not.

The training program consists of both classroom training and practical exercises. Students will conduct multiple Surveillance Detection Exercises over the course of several days. These exercises take place in a downtown area with routes that enter and exit major facilities.

BGICTC utilizes role players to provide a realistic training scenario that is designed to test and enhance student’s skill sets. Key take-aways of these exercises include:

1. Understanding the basics of Surveillance Detection and how to implement the skill set into their daily lives.

2. Being able to use these skills to isolate and confirm suspected surveillance activities.

3. Recognizing various types of surveillance conducted by criminal elements intent on gathering information for potentially illicit purposes.

4. Learning how to protect themselves and make themselves less appealing targets.

By the end of the course, students will be able to carry out sophisticated surveillance detection drills to confirm, evade, deter, or gather their own intelligence on hostile surveillance teams.

• Terrorist Trends

• Surveillance Detection as a security strategy

• Activities indicative of hostile surveillance

• Terrorist planning cycle

• Techniques/Ruses used by hostile surveillants

• Hostile surveillants requirements

• Best times in the terrorist planning cycle to identify and report surveillance

• Review of a comprehensive process to protect your facility

• Who should be trained in hostile surveillance?

• Surveillance detection techniques

• Tricks of the Trade

• Vulnerabilities

• Surveillance Detection Routes (SDR)

• When and where Surveillance Detection should be conducted

Prerequisites:

CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT or LAW ENFORCEMENT CRIMINAL HISTORY REPORT MUST BE PRESENTED AT CLASS. If you do not have a concealed weapons permit, you may use a criminal history report from the W.S.P background check service located at http://www.wsp.wa.gov/crime/criminal-history/.

What would you do if you were kidnapped by armed assailants, tied up and taken to an unknown location?  What options do you have and how would you get away?  No idea?  No problem, this is where we come in.  It’s time to turn the tables on the bad guys.  Our two day Urban Escape & Evasion course is designed for individuals who live, work or travel in challenging environments or may find themselves in destabilized areas during times of crisis and teaches you a unique set of "unconventional skills" that can be used to save your life and the lives of your loved ones should your worst nightmares become reality.  Topics include: 

• Situational awareness

• Personal security

• Managing stress

• Covert movement

• Use of caches

• Understanding urban baseline movement

• The use of disguises and false papers / identification

• Lock picking / bypass

• Escaping illegal restraints / custody

• Escape from the trunk of a car

• Counter-tracking

• Secure communications

• Anti-kidnapping techniques

• Surveillance Detection (SD) / Counter-Surveillance (CS)

• Social engineering

• Obtaining local transportation

• Use of specialized urban gear/equipment

• Use of improvised weapons

• How to construct an Urban Escape & Evasion kit.  

The goal of this course is to give you the knowledge, understanding and confidence that if the worst happens, you have the skills to respond effectively.  The material in this course is designed to expose you to the reality of the world we live in and give you the solutions to some unique situations that can save your life. 

**PARTICIPANTS WILL BE SUBJECTED TO CONTROLLED STRESS, MOSTLY MENTAL THAT YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO MANAGE AND LEARN FROM. PHYSICALLY, YOU SHOULD EXPECT TO WALK UP TO 10 MILES DURING THE FIELD TRAINING EXERCISES, BEING IN AND FREEING YOURSELF FROM RESTRAINTS, MANAGE THE STRESS AND DISCOMFORT OF BEING BLINDFOLDED OR MASKED WHILE IN RESTRAINTS AND / OR OPERATING FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME IN CONFINED SPACES SUCH AS AUTOMOBILE TRUNKS.**

Prerequisites:

CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT or LAW ENFORCEMENT CRIMINAL HISTORY REPORT MUST BE PRESENTED AT CLASS. If you do not have a concealed weapons permit, you may use a criminal history report from the W.S.P background check service located at http://www.wsp.wa.gov/crime/criminal-history/.

This two-day course introduces the combative fundamentals for the tactical employment of a pistol in high-risk, self-defense situations.  With an emphasis on developing correct technique, this course will develop proper shooting habits and introduce challenging drills that will improve your fundamentals, marksmanship, and confidence.  Our Use of Lethal Force module ensures that students have the knowledge and understanding of the law necessary to make critical decisions rapidly and respond appropriately in after-action scenarios. 

The goal of the course is to develop a high level of proficiency and students will acquire the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to recognize and react to life-threatening situations and employ escalation of force techniques to include lethal force options in response to an attack.  Topics covered include:

• Handgun types and modifications.

• Ballistics and ammunition selection as it pertains to the handgun.

• Holster selection and accessories.

• Legalities concerning the use of deadly force (both criminal and civil), after-action interactions with law enforcement and witnesses.

• Firearms safety as it pertains to self-defense.

• Combat mindset.

• Proper Handgun Fundamentals: stance, grip, sight alignment, trigger press, follow-through.

• Reloads: Speed reloading, tactical reloading, clearing malfunctions.

• Rapid multiple shots on single targets, rapid engagement of multiple targets.

• Engagement of targets from the ready position, the draw, and the concealed draw.

• The proper tactical response to single or multiple opponent situations.

  **100% of the proceeds of this course will go towards funding OPERATION INCA, our charitable project which provides training support services including e -learning and in-person training, as well as operational support to underfunded and under-trained civilian security forces who protect and defend rural communities, agricultural resources, and threatened wildlife against the Farm Attacks and Illegal Wildlife Trade in South Africa.

Prerequisites:

CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT or LAW ENFORCEMENT CRIMINAL HISTORY REPORT MUST BE PRESENTED AT CLASS. If you do not have a concealed weapons permit, you may use a criminal history report from the WSP background check service located at http://www.wsp.wa.gov/crime/criminal-history/. Students must be totally familiar and comfortable with their handgun. If you have never shot before or wonder how your gun works, we recommend our Basic Handgun Safety course. The firearms training will be conducted on an outdoor range and while we get over 300 days of sunshine here at the ranch, be prepared for incliment weather including heat, wind, rain, or snow. Students should be physically fit enough to walk a short uphill trail to the training range.

Required Equipment:

Reliable, functional semi-automatic handgun; belt holster (rigid, no Serpa holsters allowed) with sturdy belt, pants with belt loops, 600 rounds of brass cased, FMJ ammunition (minimum), minimum of 2 magazines and a magazine carrier, Hearing and eye protection, concealment garment. For the best price on training ammunition we encourage our students to contact Mill Pond Arms at (509) 663-2884. For your convenience, students from out of area may purchase their ammunition from Mill Pond Arms and Burns Group staff can pick it up and having it waiting at the range for you.

**REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS 6/17/23**

This two-day course introduces the combative fundamentals for the tactical employment of a pistol in high-risk, self-defense situations.  With an emphasis on developing correct technique, this course will develop proper shooting habits and introduce challenging drills that will improve your fundamentals, marksmanship, and confidence.  Our Use of Lethal Force module ensures that students have the knowledge and understanding of the law necessary to make critical decisions rapidly and respond appropriately in after-action scenarios. 

The goal of the course is to develop a high level of proficiency and students will acquire the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to recognize and react to life-threatening situations and employ escalation of force techniques to include lethal force options in response to an attack.  Topics covered include:

• Handgun types and modifications.

• Ballistics and ammunition selection as it pertains to the handgun.

• Holster selection and accessories.

• Legalities concerning the use of deadly force (both criminal and civil), after-action interactions with law enforcement and witnesses.

• Firearms safety as it pertains to self-defense.

• Combat mindset.

• Proper Handgun Fundamentals: stance, grip, sight alignment, trigger press, follow-through.

• Reloads: Speed reloading, tactical reloading, clearing malfunctions.

• Rapid multiple shots on single targets, rapid engagement of multiple targets.

• Engagement of targets from the ready position, the draw, and the concealed draw.

• The proper tactical response to single or multiple opponent situations.

  **100% of the proceeds of this course will go towards funding OPERATION INCA, our charitable project which provides training support services including e -learning and in-person training, as well as operational support to underfunded and under-trained civilian security forces who protect and defend rural communities, agricultural resources, and threatened wildlife against the Farm Attacks and Illegal Wildlife Trade in South Africa.

Prerequisites:

CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT or LAW ENFORCEMENT CRIMINAL HISTORY REPORT MUST BE PRESENTED AT CLASS. If you do not have a concealed weapons permit, you may use a criminal history report from the WSP background check service located at http://www.wsp.wa.gov/crime/criminal-history/. Students must be totally familiar and comfortable with their handgun. If you have never shot before or wonder how your gun works, we recommend our Basic Handgun Safety course. The firearms training will be conducted on an outdoor range and while we get over 300 days of sunshine here at the ranch, be prepared for incliment weather including heat, wind, rain, or snow. Students should be physically fit enough to walk a short uphill trail to the training range.

Required Equipment:

Reliable, functional semi-automatic handgun; belt holster (rigid, no Serpa holsters allowed) with sturdy belt, pants with belt loops, 600 rounds of brass cased, FMJ ammunition (minimum), minimum of 2 magazines and a magazine carrier, Hearing and eye protection, concealment garment. For the best price on training ammunition we encourage our students to contact Mill Pond Arms at (509) 663-2884. For your convenience, students from out of area may purchase their ammunition from Mill Pond Arms and Burns Group staff can pick it up and having it waiting at the range for you.

**REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS 6/3/23 **

This 14-day DDM course is designed to prepare students to operate as a designated marksman for a high-risk protective detail, Law Enforcement SWAT team or Other Government Contract position. The Designated Defensive Marksman must excel at mission plan preparation, provide close, mid, and long-range threat observation, tracking, and precision mitigation. This DDM course provides students all the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively support high threat protection details overseas for Government and Military protective operations. The course is also beneficial to local, state, and federal law enforcement tactical team members tasked with marksman duties in support of law enforcement operations. This DDM course covers built up areas, high angle marksmanship, limited exposure targeting, decision-making, and long-range precision.  Topics covered include:

·         PSS/DDM Equipment Familiarization

·         Ballistics & external effects

·         Current DOS issue Long-guns & Optics

·         DDM Advance Survey Preparation

·         Ascending and descending structures

·         Urban and Rural hide Construction

·         Urban & Rural Land Navigation

·         Alternative Shooting Positions

·         Use maps & aerial photos to plan routes and positions

·         Tactical Reconnaissance

·         Close Target Observation

·         Live Fire Long Rifle Range

·         Final Practical Exercise

·         DDM Defensive Strategies

·         Escape & Evade Techniques

·         International Humanitarian Law

Performance Objectives

• One shot engagement of a stationary target out to 800 yards.

• One shot engagement of a moving target out to 600 yards.

• One shot engagement of a moving “stop-and-go” target out to 700 yards.

• One shot engagement of a “bobbing” target out to 800 yards.

• Judging distance to 1,000 yards with +/- 10% error (range estimation)

•  DSS physical fitness test per 3 FAM 1975.1

Prerequisites:

You must already qualify and in the process for an approved government position or be currently employed by a US Government or Law Enforcement entity or be employed as a contractor on a USG contract (IE. WPS, OGA, etc.)

This two-day course introduces the combative fundamentals for the tactical employment of a pistol in high-risk, self-defense situations.  With an emphasis on developing correct technique, this course will develop proper shooting habits and introduce challenging drills that will improve your fundamentals, marksmanship, and confidence.  Our Use of Lethal Force module ensures that students have the knowledge and understanding of the law necessary to make critical decisions rapidly and respond appropriately in after-action scenarios. 

The goal of the course is to develop a high level of proficiency and students will acquire the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to recognize and react to life-threatening situations and employ escalation of force techniques to include lethal force options in response to an attack.  Topics covered include:

• Handgun types and modifications.

• Ballistics and ammunition selection as it pertains to the handgun.

• Holster selection and accessories.

• Legalities concerning the use of deadly force (both criminal and civil), after-action interactions with law enforcement and witnesses.

• Firearms safety as it pertains to self-defense.

• Combat mindset.

• Proper Handgun Fundamentals: stance, grip, sight alignment, trigger press, follow-through.

• Reloads: Speed reloading, tactical reloading, clearing malfunctions.

• Rapid multiple shots on single targets, rapid engagement of multiple targets.

• Engagement of targets from the ready position, the draw, and the concealed draw.

• The proper tactical response to single or multiple opponent situations.

  **100% of the proceeds of this course will go towards funding OPERATION INCA, our charitable project which provides training support services including e -learning and in-person training, as well as operational support to underfunded and under-trained civilian security forces who protect and defend rural communities, agricultural resources, and threatened wildlife against the Farm Attacks and Illegal Wildlife Trade in South Africa.

Prerequisites:

CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT or LAW ENFORCEMENT CRIMINAL HISTORY REPORT MUST BE PRESENTED AT CLASS. If you do not have a concealed weapons permit, you may use a criminal history report from the WSP background check service located at http://www.wsp.wa.gov/crime/criminal-history/. Students must be totally familiar and comfortable with their handgun. If you have never shot before or wonder how your gun works, we recommend our Basic Handgun Safety course. The firearms training will be conducted on an outdoor range and while we get over 300 days of sunshine here at the ranch, be prepared for incliment weather including heat, wind, rain, or snow. Students should be physically fit enough to walk a short uphill trail to the training range.

Required Equipment:

Reliable, functional semi-automatic handgun; belt holster (rigid, no Serpa holsters allowed) with sturdy belt, pants with belt loops, 600 rounds of brass cased, FMJ ammunition (minimum), minimum of 2 magazines and a magazine carrier, Hearing and eye protection, concealment garment. For the best price on training ammunition we encourage our students to contact Mill Pond Arms at (509) 663-2884. For your convenience, students from out of area may purchase their ammunition from Mill Pond Arms and Burns Group staff can pick it up and having it waiting at the range for you.

**REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS 5/23/23**

Kidnapping is an often misunderstood crime that is frequently misrepresented by the media creating misperceptions that the risk is not that great.  In fact, if you or your employees and top-level executives or high net-worth individuals travel or live internationally in many global locations, they are at risk of being abducted.  Kidnapping for ransom or extortion is a rapidly growing global epidemic that can have violent and even fatal consequences.  With the number of individuals traveling to locations such as Central and South America, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa increasing dramatically, the threat of kidnapping has become even greater.  In fact, there are an estimated 15,000-20,000 kidnap, detentions, and extortions that take place globally every year.  In reality, this number is probably much higher as it’s estimated that only about 35% of all kidnappings globally are reported to the authorities.  Additionally, about half of these incidents are taking place in Latin America and Mexico, which has one of the highest kidnapping rates in the world.  There are many motivations and types of kidnappings that we will discuss at length later.  As previously mentioned, kidnapping is a very geographically focused crime and differs greatly depending on the location and type of kidnappers.  For this reason, we will not only discuss some of the differences from region to region and country-specific differences but we will also discuss some of the more prominent groups so that you have an understanding of the nature of the crime in the areas where you are traveling, working or living, giving you the ability to effectively assess the threat of that area and mitigate kidnap risks.

This class is designed to give you the knowledge, skills, and confidence to successfully minimize kidnap risk and operate in hostile environments.  It is divided into segments that address specific areas: Prevention, Avoidance, and Hostage Incident Survival.  While there are numerous types of kidnappings including parental / relative kidnappings and kidnapping for sexual assault, murder, etc.  This class will focus on kidnappings such as kidnap for ransom (K&R), political or jihadist kidnappings, and various predatory kidnappings.  To address these risks we will examine:

• Who is at risk

• The various types of kidnappings

• Specific case studies

• Understanding the process

• Conducting a threat / personal vulnerability assessment

• Threat types

• Prevention methods

• Personal security,

• Surveillance

• Options for targeted individuals,

• Hostage survival

What would you do if you were kidnapped by armed assailants, tied up and taken to an unknown location?  What options do you have and how would you get away?  No idea?  No problem, this is where we come in.  It’s time to turn the tables on the bad guys.  Our two day Urban Escape & Evasion course is designed for individuals who live, work or travel in challenging environments or may find themselves in destabilized areas during times of crisis and teaches you a unique set of "unconventional skills" that can be used to save your life and the lives of your loved ones should your worst nightmares become reality.  Topics include: 

• Situational awareness

• Personal security

• Managing stress

• Covert movement

• Use of caches

• Understanding urban baseline movement

• The use of disguises and false papers / identification

• Lock picking / bypass

• Escaping illegal restraints / custody

• Escape from the trunk of a car

• Counter-tracking

• Secure communications

• Anti-kidnapping techniques

• Surveillance Detection (SD) / Counter-Surveillance (CS)

• Social engineering

• Obtaining local transportation

• Use of specialized urban gear/equipment

• Use of improvised weapons

• How to construct an Urban Escape & Evasion kit.  

The goal of this course is to give you the knowledge, understanding and confidence that if the worst happens, you have the skills to respond effectively.  The material in this course is designed to expose you to the reality of the world we live in and give you the solutions to some unique situations that can save your life. 

**PARTICIPANTS WILL BE SUBJECTED TO CONTROLLED STRESS, MOSTLY MENTAL THAT YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO MANAGE AND LEARN FROM. PHYSICALLY, YOU SHOULD EXPECT TO WALK UP TO 10 MILES DURING THE FIELD TRAINING EXERCISES, BEING IN AND FREEING YOURSELF FROM RESTRAINTS, MANAGE THE STRESS AND DISCOMFORT OF BEING BLINDFOLDED OR MASKED WHILE IN RESTRAINTS AND / OR OPERATING FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME IN CONFINED SPACES SUCH AS AUTOMOBILE TRUNKS.**

Prerequisites:

CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT or LAW ENFORCEMENT CRIMINAL HISTORY REPORT MUST BE PRESENTED AT CLASS. If you do not have a concealed weapons permit, you may use a criminal history report from the W.S.P background check service located at http://www.wsp.wa.gov/crime/criminal-history/.

Our Advanced Undercover Operations Course is intended for trained and experienced intelligence professionals and senior undercover law enforcement investigators who already have training in Human Intelligence Operations (HUMINT), analysis, and targeting. The course is designed to give students the knowledge and skills to establish and utilize a covert infrastructure, plan and prepare a covert infiltration, participate in and deploy undercover operations against covert targets, and sustain operations over extended duration’s. It examines national, regional, and international laws, ethical standards and considerations, health, safety, and security.  THIS COURSE IS RESTRICTED TO ACTIVE DUTY O.G.A., MILITARY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND INTELLIGENCE CONTRACTORS.  SUCCESSFUL PRE-QUALIFICATION AND SELECTION IS REQUIRED.

TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE:

·         Understanding the Intelligence Cycle and U.S. Intelligence Model

·         Laws related to undercover operations and ethics

·         Interpersonal and communications skills

·         Use of informants, informant development, and informant management

·         Advanced Physical Surveillance, Counter-Surveillance, and Surveillance Detection

·         Electronic Surveillance, Signals Intelligence & other covert techniques

·         Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM)

·         Operational Planning: Operational security, planning short and long-term undercover operations, backstopping, infiltration techniques, and implication of undercover work.

·         Tactical Operations: How to deter, disrupt, and neutralize targets and operations where traditional methods have proven inefficient or unsuccessful. Provide intelligence and evidential support for tactical operations. Provide current, actionable, and sustainable intelligence and evidence on targets and their activities. Penetrate target groups and identify unknown subjects of interest and their activities.

·         Covert Support: Develop advanced cover and backstopping with covert infrastructure support. Conduct technical and physical surveillance countermeasures. Assessing personal strengths, weaknesses, and characteristics with regards to undercover deployment and prepare basic cover accordingly.

·         Welfare Management of the Undercover: Brief and de-brief undercover agents. Manage the health, safety, welfare, financial and managerial implications of undercover deployments.

In this course, students will learn the fundamentals of tracking and how they can apply those principles to their daily tactics.  The course is designed to take an untrained student and turn them into a confident tracker who understands the need for tracking and using the tactical mindset to increase safety and achieve successful results in the field.

Topics to be covered:

• Introduction to Tactical Man-tracking

• Glossary of Tracking Terms

• Visual Tracking Indicators and Interpretation

• Human Step Dynamics

• Rules of Tracking

• Roles of a Tactical Man-tracking Team

• Lost Spoor Procedures

• Tracking Team Formations

• Processing and Preserving the Scene and Evidence

• Basic Land Navigation, Compass, and Map Reading

Prerequisites:

CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT or LAW ENFORCEMENT CRIMINAL HISTORY REPORT MUST BE PRESENTED AT CLASS. If you do not have a concealed weapons permit, you may use a criminal history report from the W.S.P background check service located at http://www.wsp.wa.gov/crime/criminal-history/.

Without a doubt our most popular civilian group class offering, this course is the place for every dog and owner to start their training. This six-week class teaches dogs and owners on-leash skills such as sit, down, stay, come, heel, place, and basic socialization with other dogs and people. In addition, this class will help owners deal with problems such as pulling on the leash, jumping on people, etc. Class meets on Friday’s from 6:00pm-7:00pm.