Jim Wagner Reality-Based Personal Protection

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Training the world's elite.

HSS International (Hike Stalk Shoot, Incorporated) was a tactical training corporation founded by me and my three partners (Dan Erber of the Costa Mesa Police Department, Ken Alexander of the Placentia Police Department, and Scott Wiese of the Monterey Police Department) dedicated to training law enforcement, correctional institutions, and United States military personnel. The words “Hike Stalk Shoot” represent the three sniper phases of a sniper mission: one hikes to the area of operations (AOA), then stalks to the Final Firing Position (FFP), and finally takes the shot undetected.

The concept of the organization came about in 1991 when I was invited to an event called By Dawn’s Early Light in the desert outside of Victorville, California by my patrol shift partner, Dan Erber, who was a sniper on the Costa Mesa Police Department S.W.A.T. team. This was four months after I had graduated the police academy. Dan, along with two of his high school buddies, Ken and Scott, who were also police officers with different local agencies, were unhappy with sniper training in the Southern California area at the time, and they decided to conduct their own sniper training. Sniper training for law enforcement in the early 1990s was very static and lacked realism. These three innovative individuals also invited approximately 20 law enforcement officers from the surrounding area, along with some U.S. Marines they knew from Camp Pendleton. The goal of the training was to drop off snipers at a fixed location in the desert, assign them a target a few kilometers away, and have “aggressors” hunt them down throughout the night before they could engage their targets in the morning.  

At this Victorville event I was placed on the nine-man U.S. Marine unit that attended, all of whom had been in the Persian Gulf War in 1991. I was the only civilian, a police officer, on this aggressor team. Fortunately for me, a few of the Marines wanted to become police officers after they were to get out of the Marine Corps, and wanted my advice on how to apply for such a position, and what to expect going through the rigorous hiring process. In return the Marines were more than happy to show me combat patrolling techniques from sundown to sunup. This was my first contact with Marines, and I was struck out just how professional they were. They treated the training mission we were on as if they were in a real war. Of course, they had just been in a real war. They shared with me a wealth of information about patrolling. This event was was literally another turning point in my life.

During the live-fire exercise in the morning, which indeed took place at "Dawn’s Early Light," my fellow Costa Mesa Police partner, Dan Erber, let me get behind his Remington 700 sniper rifle, and I put a few rounds down range after the competition. With a few instructional tips from Dan I took to the new discipline of sniping.

I was so impressed with the Hike Stalk Shoot training event that I asked Dan, “When is the next one?” Ever since the police academy I knew that I wanted to be on the Costa Mesa Police Department S.W.A.T. team, and I knew that learning snipercraft would give me a competitive edge when the time when a position opened up. My patrol partner responded, “Once a year. We plan on doing this once a year.”

Fortunately, it did not turn out that way. The Hike Stalk Shoot event had been such a success with everyone involved that another event was scheduled just a few months later. This time I was asked by Dan, Ken, and Scott to help plan it. As a former Art Director for a few advertising agencies I had already designed their logo, and their first brochure, and I had done well as an "aggressor" at the first event. I had the talents and enthusiams they wanted. 

The second sniper counter-sniper training was also a tremendous success, and the numbers for each following event swelled. With each passing event more people attended, and the targets were starting to get too expensive for the four of us founders to pay for on our own, and we started charging a small fee to cover the expenses for our shooting club.

Dan Erber, known as the "silver tongue," because he could talk anybody into just about anything, was able to make friends with the instructors of Scout Sniper School at Division Schools at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It wasn't long until these Marine instructors were inviting Dan and me to actual Scout Sniper School courses. Since our police station was only 45 minutes away from Division Schools we raced down there as often as we could. The Marines plugged us two Costa Mesa officers into their stalking exercises, classroom lectures, and even had us join them on the firing line. I was even allowed to shoot with their government rifles. Somehow Dan was able convince the Marine instructors into letting us do some Hike Stalk Shoot events at the MOUT (Military Operations Urban Terrain) facility. Over the months my snipers skills increased and I was eventually asked by Dan to be his sniper partner for upcoming Hike Stalk Shoot events.

About a year later, during some of the training events, the "aggressors" started to complain that they had nothing to do when the snipers were doing the live-fire training. Ken Alexander, who was on his department's S.W.A.T. team, decided to start conducting Entry Team training while the snipers were shooting. This turned out to be a good move, and even more law enforcement and military personnel started showing up to succeeding events just to get in on this new training. One day at Camp Pendleton a Marine lieutenant handed us a check issued by the Department of the Navy. Dan asked him, "What is this for sir?" The lieutenant replied, "This is for our guys running though your course today. Is there a problem?"

When we got home the four of us Hike Stalk Shoot founders had a brief meeting. We were now receiving government checks and we didn't even have a legitimate business. We had viewed Hike Stalk Shoot as nothing more than a "club" trying to improve our tactical skills, along with anyone who wanted to join in on the fun. Now it was apparent that Hike Stalk Shoot was turning into a training organization. To keep ourselves out of any leagal trouble we immediately incorporated and divided the shares into four equal shares. We registered the corporation in the State of California, and we became a legitimate business. 

Dan and my chain of command at the Costa Mesa Police Department gave us permission to attend many of the Marine courses at Camp Pendleton on city time, because it allowed us, and other Costa Mesa Police snipers, to attend some good training. We were even allowed to take police vehicles on most of the training events. However, nothing is ever for free. The Marines at Division Schools wanted to learn police S.W.A.T. tactics and defensive tactics from us, due to the peace keeping missions the Marines were finding themselves embroiled in at that time in history; especially in Somalia.

In 1994 I became a member of the Costa Mesa Police S.W.A.T. team. It was not to be in the role of a police sniper as I had originally wanted, and I had been working towards, but by the request of the new S.W.A.T. commander, Lieutenant Ron Smith, it was to be for the newly created position of Command Post Operations Officer (CP OPS OFC). I was the only person on the team who could do accurate tactical diagrams, and I already had extensive scout sniper training by this time, which was required for the position. These two fieldcrafts were vital since my position required me to scout out the target area, which meant moving up to the Kill Zone, obtain photographs and sketches, and then draw up the tactical diagrams back at the mobile Command Post. This is why my official uniforms consisted of a Battle Dress Uniform urban camouflage along with a Battle Dress Uniform woodland camouflage, and a ghuillie suit I made at Scout Sniper School under the directions of my Marine instructors. The type of call-out determined what uniform, and what gear, I was to take out of the S.W.A.T. van during deployment. The new position suited me well, because it untilized many of my skills, and it ultimately give me the good fortune of being the most crossed training officer on the S.W.A.T. team.

Over the years the name "Hike Stalk Shoot" no longer reflected the vast training the corporation was providing. Sniper training was now only a small part of what was being offered by us. I had created all of the combatives (for the military) and defensive tactics (for law enforcement) courses, along with the entry level sniper course that government agencies were sending their personnel to, and new instructors were coming aboard all of the time with unique skill sets. The new name of HSS International became the new business name, and I designed the new logo to usher in that change. HSS Internationa was teaching Entry Team tactics, bus assault courses, high risk warrant service, and other police patrol and S.W.A.T. related courses. It soon expanded to waterborne operations, aircraft interdiction, train interdiction, and protective services (bodyguarding).

In the HSS organization there was a lot of talent to tap into, and I, taking full advantage as one of the founders and on the Board of Directors, attended almost every HSS International event scheduled. This gave me a tremendous amount of tactical training from a wide variety of law enforcement and military instructors. It wasn't long before I was assisting in Entry Team courses and gaining valuable instructor experience along the way. Although my specialty was self-defense and scout sniper tactics I had been thrust unwillingly into other chief instructor roles. In 1998 HSS International was training seasoned agents from the U.S. Marshal Service and the United States Marines at Camp Pendleton. The HSS instructor originally slated to teach the bus assault portion of the course did not show up. My HSS partners Ken and Scott, who had more training in bus assaults than I did, could not teach the course and they pushed me into it saying, "Don't worry, you know enough. You'll do just fine."

Needless to say, I pulled it off and the students' comments about me on the evaluation forms read, "excellent," "professional," and "confident." In 2002 I was again thrown into the fire when Dan Erber, the president of HSS International, said to me, "Our instructor for the tactical dive course cancelled, and I don't have anyone that can go to Miami. Jim, you are the only one I've got who can pull it off." I told Dan that although I had plenty of SCUBA and maritime training under my belt, I was not comfortable being the chief instructor to professional police dive teams. However, after much arm twisting from Dan I reluctantly agreed to fly to Miami and teach the course to the half dozen agencies hosted by the North Miami Police Department.

When I arrived in Miami I had to be honest and I confessed to my students right from the start that I had never been on an actual maritime mission, but I could definitely teach them some state-of-the-art techniques that I had learned, and that I had practiced, in training scenarios if they were willing to learn.

At the finish of the two-day Tactical Dive Course the students were extremely happy with my instructions, and all of them gave me high marks and commented that my instructions were at the highest level, both technically and tactically. I learned a valuable lesson that week, and that is teaching is not always about direct experience, but accumulated experiences or just a good solid understanding of the material. Being a good instructor is about learning information well and passing it on to others. It was true that I had never done a maritime operation before teaching those dive teams, but I did have other real-world tactical experiences to draw upon, along with some really good maritime training from great instructors. After I taught my techniques and had the students perform them, I would then ask my veteran students if they had anything else to add to what I had taught them or anything pertinent to share. Sometimes they would show me their techniques, which revealed that what I had been teaching all along was on par with the accepted standards, and in some instances I learned something completely new and I added it to my tactical tool box. This is how I stretched myself as an instructor, and how it gave me even more confidence in my teaching abilities. Today, when I certify my Reality-Based Personal Protection instructors, I tell them that it is impossible to have experience in everything they teach. For example, I had been in shootings on the ground, but I had never been in a shooting in the air as a Federal Air Marshal. Likewise, most people have never been in a terrorist hand grenade attack either, but any one of my instructors around the world can teach someone the basics on how to survive such an attack, even though they may lack the actual experience. A good instructor knows how to pass on knowledge. That's the key. Yes it helps to have the experience to back up the instructions, but finding someone who has been through every level of the tactical spectrum is rare indeed, if not impossible.

In 1998 I taught a group of Spanish bodyguards a one-week Protective Services course in Orange County and Los Angeles. These were bodyguards who protected Spanish diplomats against ETA terrorists. ETA, or Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (Basque for "Basque Homeland and Freedom"), was an armed Basque nationalist separatist organization founded in 1959. This same bodyguard group invited me to Spain to teach, which I eventually did one year later in 2000. It was this opportunity to teach internationally that made me decide to leave full time law enforcement and teach full time for my own company, HSS International. Dan, Ken, and Scott placed me in charge of all international training, and the company started expanding worldwide. I remained on with the Costa Mesa Police Department as a Reserve Police officer, and then left in 1999 because my sergeant, Sergeant Les Gogerty, was one of the worst supervisors I had ever encountered in my life. Therefore, I went over to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and applied as a Reserve deputy sheriff there.

In early 1999 I was teaching my Police & Military Knife Defense course for TREXPO WEST (a law enforcement convention that included police courses). One of my students, "Rudiger" was with the German Boarder Patrol. After the course was over Rudiger came up to me and said, "Jim, I was very pleased with this course you taught. I have seen nobody teach knives like you. I would like very much for you to teach our unit these skills if you have the time." I took the card, shook his hand, and said, "Yes, perhaps one day when I am in Germany." I did not think much of the contact at the time since I was getting offers from other countries as well.

A minute later I looked down at the business card Rudiger had handed me before placing it in my pocket with the others, and I saw the words GRENZSCHUTZGRUPPE 9 with the German eagle contained in a shield with cluster leaf wings on either side. I instantly recognized this as one of the top counterterrorist teams in Europe, and so I raced out into the parking lot to stop Rudiger. When I caught up with Rudiger I gave him my training video titled Police & Military Knife Defense, and I told him that I would be available to train his team. A few months later the German government flew me to the GSG9 Headquarters in Sankt Augustin, located near the old West German capitol of Bonn. There I met personally with Friedrich Eichele, the commander of GSG9. Commander Eichele was the second person to ever command the GSG9 after its conception by the first commander Ulrich Wegener; who I was to also meet years later.

GSG9 not only had me teach them my knife system, later in history to become Knife Survival, but they also requested defensive tactics, live-fire firearms instructions, and S.W.A.T. tactics. In return GSG9 instructed me in German Entry Team tactics and got me behind various HK weapons systems where I got to shoot in their indoor 15 million euro shoot house. Defensive tactics and firearms instructors of the Bundesgrenzshutzschule (Federal German Border Police Academy) were also invited by GSG9 to learn from me, and eventually I'd be invited to train more of their instructors at their base.

GSG9 was so pleased with my training that they flew me out the following year to teach more combat instructors (GSG9 is divided into four combat teams). In addition to the GSG9 instructors instructors I also taught members of the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA), the German version of the FBI.

On my third trip to Germany it was the Federal German Border Police Academy that flew me to their location in Lubeck in order for me to teach all of the instructors in the use of Simunitions (FX). These are real firearms that fire plastic bullets filled with a colored marking soap. I taught the very first police course in Germany using these training weapons. GSG9 had already incorporated their use in their own training, but were restricted from training other units. Therefore, GSG9 recommending me, and American, to teach them. What I taught at these academy instructors was eventually taught to every police department in Germany. Many of these same instructors I taught would go on to form the German Air Marshal program, and use many of my techniques and training methods in 2002.

It wasn't long afterwards that I made more contacts around the world, and I found myself teaching the Finnish National Police Academy, the Mexican police, constables of the London Metropolitan Police, contables of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, soldiers of the Canadian Army, and Special Operations teams down in Argentina and Brazil. It was a very exciting time for not only the company, but for me personally.

After the terrorist attacks on the United States of America on Septebmer 11, 2001 I took a leave of absence from HSS International and joined the Global War on Terrorism. The government had a place for me with the United States Federal Air Marshal Service, along with a few thousands other agents who were needed to prevent Al Qaeda from another attack on the aviation transportations sector.

After my 146th Federal Air Marshal mission Al Qaeda activity in the aviation transportation sector became rather quite, largely because passenger aircraft and American airports had become "hard targets" due to the new cockpit fortified doors, more Air Marshals on flights, and Al Qaeda knew that passengers would tear them apart if they attempted another 9/11 style sky jacking. At the same time the FAM program was also experiencing a mass exodus of agents leaving the organization do to a lot of internal problems. Right around this same time my articles, which I continued to write even in counterterrorism school and in my hotel rooms after missions, in Black Belt magazine in North America and in Budo magazine in Europe, along with my recently released videos on both continents, was impacting the martial arts community. However, in my absence on the teaching circuit instructors from other fighting systems were starting to define what "reality-based" was and was not, but I knew that many people were not fully grasping what the movement was really all about. For all of these reasons combined I resigned from the federal government on September 11, 2002; the one year anniversary of 9/11. I spent my last day assisting an HSS International event up at the Burro Canyon Gun Range. it was an Israeli firearms course taught by my good friend Major Avi Nardia of the Israel Defense Force (Reserve).

A couple of months later, on January 21, 2003, I left HSS International and officially launched the Jim Wagner Reality-Based Personal Protection system. A few weeks later I sold my shares of HSS International stock back to my partners, and set out on my new direction in life.

HSS International courses taught by Jim Wagner (partial list)

September 22 – 23, 1993
U.S. Customs Aviation Operations
Lake Hemet, California

February 12 - 13, 1995
Special Operations
19th Special Forces Group and USMC Division Schools
MOUT, MCB Camp Pendleton, California 

May 30, 1995
8th Hike Stalk Shoot Sniper Counter-sniper
Mountain Operations
Escondido, California

September 16, 1995
Urban Sniper Scenario Training II
MOUT, MCB Camp Pendleton, California

November 2 – 3, 1996
10th Hike Stalk Shoot Hostage Rescue Course (Operation Hurricane)
MOUT, MCB Camp Pendleton, California

June 20, 1996
Counter-terrorism Course for San Diego SWAT
1996 Republican Convention preparation
MOUT, MCB Camp Pendleton, California

July 27, 1996
Urban Sniper Training Course
MOUT, MCB Camp Pendleton, California

1997
Edged Weapons Course
Costa Mesa, California

May 10, 1997
Counter-terrorism Course
(Intertie Power Grid of the Western United States)
Haynes Generating Station, Seal Beach, California

August 26, 1997
Ship Assault Tactics
Port of Los Angeles, California

September 20-23, 1997
Live Fire Close Quarters Battle
MAC/MOUT
MCB Camp Pendleton, California
Instructors: Chuck Habermehl
                  Jim Wagner (Range Saftey Officer) 

November 1 – 2, 1997
SWAT Scenario Training
MOUT, MCB Camp Pendleton, California

February 28, 1998
High Risk Patrol Training Course
Long Beach, California

March 3-4, 1998
Entry Team Combatives
Orange County, California

May 6, 1998
Edged Weapons Defense Course
Costa Mesa, California

June 8, 1998
High Risk Patrol Training Course
McCook Police Department, Nebraska

June 19, 1998
Warrant Service Training
Introduction to Team Combatives
Anaheim, California

Investigator Combatives
Marine Corps Training Center Pico Rivera, California

July 6, 1998
Edged Weapons Defense Course
Costa Mesa, California

July 18, 1998
High Risk Patrol Training Course
Long Beach, California

August 1 - 2, 1998
Tactical Dive Course
Port of Los Angeles, California

August 3 – 4, 1998
Ship Interdiction Tactics and Scenarios
Port of Los Angeles, California

August 31, 1998
Urban Sniper Course
Camp Pendleton, California

September 14 – 15, 1998
GOPLAT (Gas & Oil Platform) Assault Course
Platform Eva, Huntington Beach, California

September 28 - 29, 1998
Patrol Combatives
Costa Mesa, California

November 16 - 17, 1998
Entry Team Combatives
Costa Mesa, California

November 9 - 13, 1998
VIP Protection Course
Spanish Diplomatic Bodyguards
Anaheim, California

November 30, 1998
Edged Weapons Course
Costa Mesa, California

December 7, 1998
Urban Sniper Course
Camp Pendleton, California

January 8, 1999
Edged Weapons Course
San Diego, California

January 9, 1999
High Risk Patrol Training Course
Long Beach, California

February 2, 1999
Edged Weapons Course
Orange County, California

January 13-14, 1999
Patrol Combatives
San Diego, California

February 20-21, 1999
Patrol Combatives
Fresno, California

March 1-2, 1999
Patrol Combatives
San Francisco, California

March 11-12, 1999
Patrol Combatives
Washington, D.C.

March 23-24, 1999
Entry Team Combatives
Orange County, California

April 7-8, 1999
Patrol Combatives
Dallas, Texas

April 19-20, 1999
Patrol Combatives
Whidbey Island Naval Air Station,
Washington

April 21, 1999
Edged Weapons Course
Whidbey Island Naval Air Station,
Washington

May 18, 1999
Edged Weapons Course
McCook Police Department
McCook, Nebraska

June 15-16, 1999
Entry Team Combatives
Orange County, California

June 28-29, 1999
Patrol Combatives
Orange County, California

September 30, 1999
U.S. Pretrial Services Combatives
San Diego, California

October 11, 1999
Prisoner Transport Defensive Tactics
San Diego Sheriff’s, San Diego, California

November 15-16, 1999
GSG9 Combatives & Tactics Course
Sankt Augustin, Germany

November 29 – 30, 1999
Institutional Combatives
San Diego Sheriff’s, California

January 29, 2000
Urban & Rural Sniper Training Course
MOUT/MAC, Camp Pendleton, California

February 8 – 9, 2000
Patrol Combatives
US Navy Security Forces
NAS Whidbey Island, Washington

February 10, 2000
Edged Weapons Defense Course
NAS Navy Security Forces
NAS Whidbey Island, Washington

February 15, 2000
Command Post Operations
San Diego, California

March 6 - 7, 2000
Patrol Combatives & Tactics
Helsinki Police Department, Finland

March 17, 2000
Advanced Patrol Combatives
Orange County, California

March 22, 2000
Combatives & Edged Weapons
TREXPO WEST
Ontario, California

March 23-24, 2000
Institutional Combatives
Skagit County Sheriff’s, Washington

April 10, 2000
Command Post Operations Training
Los Angeles, California

April 14, 2000
Urban Sniper Course
MOUT/MAC, Camp Pendleton, California

April 24-28, 2000
SWAT School for Brazilian & Argentinean
Police Officers (United States visit)
Los Angeles, Orange County, & Chula Vista,
California

May 10-11, 2000
Institutional Combatives
San Diego, California

May 30 – June 1, 2000
Protective Services
DEA Field Office San Diego, California
Instructors: Ben Alexander (medical)
                  Jim Wagner (tactical) 

June 6, 2000
School Shooting Response Course
McCook Police Department, Nebraska

June 7, 2000
Edged Weapons Training Course
McCook Police Department, Nebraska

June 15 – 16, 2000
Tactical Medic Course
DEA Field Office San Diego, California
Instructors: Ben Alexander (medical)
                  Jim Wagner (tactical)

June 22, 2000
Advanced Patrol Combatives
San Diego, California

June 24-25, 2000
Patrol Combatives
Surrey, Canada

June 26, 2000
Edged Weapons
Surrey, Canada
July 7, 2000
Urban & Rural Sniper Training
Fresno, California

July 10, 2000
Bus Interdiction
USMC Pico Rivera, California

July 12-13, 2000
Patrol Combatives
Vancouver Police Department
Vancouver, Washington

July 14, 2000
Edged Weapons Defense Course
Vancouver Police Department
Vancouver, Washington

July 18-19, 2000
Entry Team Combatives
Dallas, Texas

July 20, 2000
Edged Weapons
Dallas, Texas

July 31 – August 4, 2000
SWAT School for Brazilian & Argentinean
Police Officers (United States visit)
Los Angeles, Orange County, & Chula Vista,
California

August 17-18, 2000
Combatives & Edged Weapons
TREXPO EAST
Washington, D.C.

September 10 - 15, 2000
SWAT SCHOOL
Porto Alegre, Brazil

November 13, 14, 15, 2000
GSG9 (Combatives, Tactics, Live-Fire Training)
Sankt Augustin, Germany

November 17, 2000
Urban & Rual Sniper Training
MCB Camp Pendleton, California

November 28-29, 2000
Patrol Combatives
MCAS Yuma, Arizona

December 14, 2000
Patrol Combatives
Montreal, Canada

December 15, 2000
Edged Weapons Defense Course
Montreal, Canada
 
January 17 – 18, 2001
Institutional Combatives
Wasco State Prison, California

March 30 - April 1, 2001
Protective Services Operators Course
Orange County, California

April 4-5, 2001
High Risk Patrol Training Course
Grenzschutzschule (German Police Academy)
Lübeck, Germany

April 17, 2001
Edged Weapons Defense Course
Metropolitan Police (Hayes) Sports Club
The Warren, London, United Kingdom

April 18, 2001
High Risk Patrol Course
Metropolitan Police (Hayes) Sports Club
The Warren, London, United Kingdom

April 19, 2001
Ground Tactics Training Course
Metropolitan Police (Hayes) Sports Club
The Warren, London, United Kingdom

May 17, 2001
Urban & Rural Sniper Course
McCook Police Department, Nebraska

May 27-31, 2001
Entry Team Combatives, Tactics, &
Live-Fire Firearms Training
La Policía de Misiones
Misiones, Argentina

August 22, 2001
Tactical Dive Course (SCUBA)
Port of Los Angeles, California

August 23-24, 2001
Search & Recovery Dive Course (SCUBA)
Port of Los Angeles, California

August 25-26, 2001
Gas & Oil Platform Interdiction Course
Port of Los Angeles, California

August 27, 2001
Boat Interdiction
Port of Los Angeles, California

September 26, 2001
Knife Defense Course
Territorial Army Centre
Kent, United Kingdom

September 27, 2001
High Risk Patrol Training Course
Territorial Army Centre
Kent, United Kingdom

September 28, 2001
Ground Tactics Course
Territorial Army Centre
Kent, United Kingdom

November 29, 30, 2001
Aircraft Interdiction Training
21st Security Forces Squadron
U.S. Army 759th Military Police Bn.
Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado

2001
Combatives and Armed Situations
London Metropolitan Police
Territorial Support Group (TSG)
London, United Kingdom

May 17, 2001
Urban & Rural Sniper Course
McCook Police Department, Nebraska

August 27, 2001
Boat Interdiction
Port of Los Angeles, California

November 29, 30, 2001
Aircraft Interdiction Training
Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado

January 8-10, 2003
Terrorism Preparedness Course
United States Attorney's Office
Anti-Terrorism Task Force
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

April 12-13, 2003
Corrections Defensive Tactics
Matsqui Prison, Abbotsford, Canada

HSS International courses attended by Jim Wagner as a student (partial list)

October 26 – 27, 1992
2nd Annual Scout/Sniper Course
Victorville, California
Instructors: Hike Stalk Shoot staff

March 20 - 21, 1994
5th Hike Stalk Shoot Sniper Counter-sniper Training
Victorville desert, California
Instructor: Hike Stalk Shoot staff

May 15 - 16, 1994
6th Hike Stalk Shoot Sniper Counter-sniper Training
MOUT, MCB Camp Pendleton, California
Instructor: Hike Stalk Shoot staff

August 19, 1994
Urban Sniper Training
MOUT, MCB Camp Pendleton, California
Instructor: Hike Stalk Shoot staff

May 25, 1995
Tactical Climbing Course
Rockreation Sport Climbing Center, Costa Mesa, California

1995
GIGN Debrief on Air France Flight #8969
Hijacking and Recovery at Marignane Airport
Orange County, California
Instructors: SGT K. Hubbs & Officer D. Borinski
San Diego Police Special Response Team

1995
San Francisco Incident of November 14, 1994
Orange County, California
Instructors: SGT K. Hubbs & Officer D. Borinski
San Diego Police Special Response Team

March 7, 1996
Cold Weather Sniper Operations
Lake Hemet, California
Instructor: LT Feet, Norwegian Army

September 20, 1997
SWAT High Performance (Nutrition) Lecuture
Placentia, California
Instructor: Chuck Habermehl

June 22, 1998
Pistol Stress Course
Burro Canyon Shooting Park, Azusa, California
Instructor: Alon Stivi, Israeli HISARDUT

July 15 – 17, 1998
Tactical Shotgun Operators Course
Burro Canyon Shooting Park, Azusa, California
Instructors: Officer Ken Alexander, Placentia
Police and Scott Williams

September 22, 1998
Unknown Distance/Extreme Angle Sniper Course
Burro Canyon Shooting Range, California
Instructor: Officer Brian Poor

October 3, 1998
Dynamic Entry Training Course
Instructors: Scott Wiese, Monterey Park Police
& Ken Alexander, Placentia Police

October 10, 1998
Ruby Ridge Debriefing
Instructor: Dave Dallaire, U.S. Marshal Service
Special Operations Group

October 29, 1998
Unknown Distance/Extreme Angle Sniper Course
Burro Canyon Shooting Range, California
Instructor: Officer Brian Poor

November 14, 1998
Dynamic Entry Training Course
Instructor: Scott Wiese, Monterey Park Police

June 26, 1999
Tactical Rappel Training
MCB Camp Pendleton, California
Instructor: SGT Frank Ortega, USMC

August 16, 1999
Tactical Swimmer Course
Port of Los Angeles, California
Instructor: SGT Frank Ortega, USMC

February 29, 1999
Unknown Distance & Extreme Angle
Law Enforcement Sniper Course
Burro Canyon Shooting Park, Azusa, California
Instructor: Officer Brian Poor, Torrance Police

1999
Low Light & Night Sniper Training Course
MCB Camp Pendleton, California
Instructor: Officer Brian Poor, Torrance Police 

1999
School Shooting Active Shooter Training
Placentia, California
Instructor: SGT Gene Harris, Monterey Police

February 5, 2000
Stress Pistol Course
MCB Camp Pendleton, California
Instructor: Alex Rodriguez

February 17-19, 2000
Advanced Sniper School
Los Angeles & San Diego, California
Instructor: Brian Poor, Torrance Police Dept.

March 16, 2000
Domestic Terrorism Awareness Training
Marine Corps Training Center Pico Rivera, California
Instructor: Rober Newcomer, US Navy

April 15,2000
Tactical Rappel Training Course
MCB Camp Pendleton, California
Instructor: Frank Ortega

May 30 – June 1, 2000
Protective Services Operators Training Course
San Diego, California
Instructor: Kevin Mitchell

August 7-8, 2000
Tactical Swimmer Maritime Interdiction Course
Port of Los Angeles, California
Instructor: Frank Ortega

August 9-10, 2000
Search & Recovery SCUBA Diver Course
Port of Los Angeles, California
Instructor: Jason Barbosa & Frank Ortega

August 11-12, 2000
Gas & Oil Platform Interdiction Course
Port of Los Angeles, California
Instructors: Tom Love, USMC
                  Jose Martinez, USMC

August 14, 2000
Ship Interdiction Course
Port of Los Angeles, California
Instructors: Tom Love, USMC
                  Jose Martinez, USMC

August 15, 2000
Boat Interdiction Course
Port of Los Angeles, California
Instructors: Tom Love, USMC
                  Jose Martinez, USMC   

October 18-21, 2000
Sniper Training
Burro Canyon Shooting Park, Azusa, California
Instructor: SGT Frank Mainzinger, German Police

December 5, 2000
Domestic Terrorism Awareness Training
Los Angeles, California
Instructor: Rob Newcomer, US Navy

January 9, 2001
Domestic Terrorism Awareness Training
Los Angeles, California
Instructor: Jim Rewald, Los Angeles County
Sheriff’s Office

March 29, 2001
Advanced Pistol Training
Ventura, California
Instructor: Bill Skiles, USMC

February 11, 2002
Israeli Entry Team Tactics
Orange County, California
Instructor: Major Avi Nardia, Israel Defense Force

February 13, 2002
Israeli YAMAM Combat Firearms Course
Burro Canyon Shooting Park, Azusa, California
Instructor: Major Avi Nardia, Israel Defense Force

September 11, 2002
Israeli YAMAM Combat Firearms Course
Burro Canyon Shooting Park, Azusa, California
Instructor: Major Avi Nardia, Israel Defense Force

Units & Agencies trained by Jim Wagner while with HSS International

This partial list contains both units and agencies that sent their personnel to courses and also those who hosted courses starting with the United States:

ARIZONA

Flagstaff Police SWAT
Maricopi County Sheriff's Department Tactical Team
Phoenix Police Tactical Team
Yuma County Sheriff's Department
United States Marine Corps Yuma
 
CALIFORNIA

Alameda County Sheriff's Department
Alhambra Police
Anaheim Police
Arcadia Police SWAT
Baldwin Park Police
Beverly Hills Police SWAT
Brea Police
Burbank Police
California Department of Fish & Game
California Department of Corrections Department of Defense Police
Department of Justice Investigators
California Highway Patrol (CHP)
California State University Police 
Carlsbad Police
Chula Vista Police SWAT
Corona Police
El Cajon Police
Fullerton Police
Grossmont College Police
Hawthorne Police
Hemet Police
Huntington Beach Police SWAT
Kern County Sheriff's Department
Lakeport Police
Los Angeles Port Police
Los Angeles International Airport Police
Los Angeles Housing Authority SWAT
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Los Angeles County Marshal's Office
Los Angeles Unified School Police
Merced Police
Monterey Park Police SWAT
National City Police
Orange County Marshall’s Office
Orange County Sheriff’s Department
Orange County Transit Authority (OCTA)
Pasadena Police
Placer Sheriff's Office
Placentia Police SWAT
Riverside Police
San Bernardino Police
San Diego Harbor Police
San Diego County Sheriff's Department
  Prisoner Transportation Unit
  Custody
  SWAT
San Francisco County Sheriff's Department SWAT
San Mateo County Sheriff's Department
Santa Barbara Police
Torrance Police
Tustin Police SWAT
University of Southern California Police (USC)
Ventura County Sheriff's Department

WASHINGTON D.C.

Capitol Police Department
White House Security Forces
U.S. Marshal Service

FLORIDA

Escambia County Sheriff's Department SWAT
North Miami Beach Police SWAT
Pensacola Police

HAWAII

Honolulu Police SRT

INDIANA

Clark County Sheriff's Department

KANSAS

Norton Police
Oberlin Police

MASSACHUSETTS

Boston Police SRT

NEBRASKA

McCook Police
Nebraska State Game/Parks - Law Enforcement
Nebraska State Patrol
Redwillow County Sheriff's Department

NEVADA

North Las Vegas Police
North Las Vegas Detention Center

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma City Police SWAT
Office of Emergency Management
Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office

TEXAS 

Dallas Police SWAT
Forth Worth SWAT

WASHINGTON

Clark County Sheriff's Department
Skagit County Sheriff's Department
Snohomish County Sheriff's Department
Washington State University Police

U.S. FEDERAL  Agencies

AMTRAK Railroad Police
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)
Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS) & ICE
United State Border Patrol (USBP - DHS)
United States Customs Air Bureau - Riverside, California

TRIBAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS

Navajo Nation Indian Police Department
Quinault Indian Tribal Police
 
U.S. ARMY
 
19th Special Forces Group

U.S COAST GUARD
 
Alameda, CA
Sector Los Angeles, CA
USCG Cutter Sherman, Alameda, CA
Sector Long Beach, CA
Terminal Island, CA

U.S. AIR FORCE

Security Police Forces - Edwards Air Force Base (California)
Air National Guard - Communications - Costa Mesa (CA)
21st Security Forces Squadron - Peterson AFB, Colorado
30th Security Forces Squadron - HRST - Vandenburg AFB, California

U.S NAVY

Corpsmen - Division Schools, Camp Pendleton, CA
SEAL TEAM ONE (snipers)
Security Police - Bangor Naval Submarine Base, WA
Whidbey Island Naval Air Station Police, WA

U.S. MARINE CORPS
 
1st Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) - G2, Camp Pendleton
1st Battalion - 5th Marines MOUT Training Unit
1st Force Reconnaissance Company
1st Marine Division - Scout/Sniper School
1st Marine Division - Division Schools (Tactics)
1st Marine Division - Helicopter Rope Suspension Training (HRST)
2nd Battalion-1st Marines SSP
2nd Battalion-5th Marines SSP
2nd Battalion-7th Marines SSP
11th Marines Motor Transport
3rd Marine Air Wing PMO - Miramar Air Station, California
Military Police - PMO Special Enforcement - Camp Pendleton, CA
Military Police - PMO Yuma Air Station, AZ
Military Police - Tustin Helicopter Station, CA
Military Police - El Toro Air Station
Military Police Special Enforcement Branch - Miramar Air Station, CA
Special Operations Training Group (SOTG), CA
Marine Air Training Support Group (NAS Whitbey Island, WA)

ASSOCIATIONS

American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers (ASLET)
The Varro Group
TREXPO West
TREXPO East
Virginia Tactical Officer's Association
World War II Merchant Marine Association

Foreign units Jim Wagner trained:

ARGENTINA

State Police G.O.E.

AUSTRALIA

Western Australia Police
Australian Army (Reserves)

BRAZIL
 
Air Force
Bahia State Police
Ceara State Military Police
Espirito Santo State Police
Federal Highway Police
Santa Catarina
Acre State
Goias State Police
Mato Grosso State Police
Mato Grosso de Sul State Police
Military Police of Minas Gerais State
Military Police of Bahia State
Military Police of Espirito Santo State
Military Police of Rio Grande do Sul State
Military Police of Sao Paulo State
Minas Gerais State Police
Para State Police
Parana State - Civilian Police
Rio de Janeiro State - Federal Police
Rio Grande do Sul State Police
Roraima State Police
Santa Catarina State Police

CANADA
 
Abbottsford Police
British Columbia Sheriff's Department
Canadian Pacific Railroad - Police Department
Delta Police
Edmonton Police Service
Esquimalt Police
Federal Prisons - Emergency Response Team ERT
Fisheries & Oceans - Law Enforcement
Montreal Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Westminster Regiment - 2822 RCACC
Vancouver Police

DENMARK

Army - Long Range Reconnaissance Unit

ENGLAND
 
London Metropolitan Police 
  Territorial Support Group (TSG) 
  CO19 - Firearms Unit

FINLAND

Helsinki Police Department
Finnish National Police Academy

GERMANY

Aus - Und Fortbildungszentrum Grenzschutzprasidium Nord
Bundeskriminalamt (BKA)
Mobiles Einsatzkommando
Bundesgrenzschutz (BGS)
Grenzschutzgruppe 9 (GSG9)
Grenzschutzschule (Lubeck)
BGS Aus-und Fortbildungszentrum Grenzschutzpridium Nord
 
MEXICO
 
Playas de Rosarito Policia
 
SPAIN
 
Government Personal Protection Group
Spanish Foreign Legion (Grupo de Operaciones Especiales)