Almost 200 years of combined experience, yet still seeking knowledge. In order to be an effective firearms instructor, you first and foremost should be a student of the craft. Our instructors come from a variety of backgrounds, such as SWAT Team Leaders, SWAT Medics, Army Rangers, and Navy Special Warfare. It is our goal to continually search for the best information in order to effectively serve our students.
Instructors
Meet Our Expert Instructors
Bill is the Vice President of Training and Range Operations for The Outpost Armory. Prior to joining TOA he was a member of Mt. Juliet Police Department for 10 years with assignments in Patrol (Patrolman, FTO and Patrol Corporal), Narcotics Detective and Special Response Team Member (Assaulter, Team Leader and Sniper). He remains a certified officer as a Reserve Deputy with the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team. Before entering Law Enforcement, he served 6 years in Iraq and Afghanistan supporting OIF and OEF as a Diplomatic Security Specialist where he provided Close Protection to US State Dept. Dignitaries including the US Ambassador to Iraq and Deputy Ambassador to Afghanistan as well as numerous members of Congress and the Executive branch. Bill held positions such as Detail Member, Tactical Commander and Shift Leader of both Close Protection teams and a 40 man Tactical team responsible for Principle Recovery and Extraction. Bill has a wealth of training experience having previously been a Senior Instructor for LMS Defense where he instructed Military, Law Enforcement and Civilians in the legal use of firearms and tactics and is an Adjunct Instructor at the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy. Bill is a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Army. He has completed courses with Frank Proctor, John McPhee (SOB Tactical), Northern Red, Brandon Wright, Jared Reston, Bill Blowers, Chuck Pressburg, Steve Fisher (Sentinel Concepts) Jamey Caldwell (1 Minute Out), Centrifuge, Pat Rogers (EAG Tactical), John Chapman (LMS Defense & Forge Tactical), Sig Academy, Tom Givens (Rangemaster), Blackwater, Triple Canopy, ALERRT, USCCA, as well as multiple SWAT and Patrol Tactics courses.
Certifications
Firearms Instructor, Patrol Rifle Instructor, Red Dot Pistol Instructor, CQB Instructor, Tactical Officer Instructor, Low Light Instructor, Night Vision Instructor, FOF Instructor, STOPS Instructor, Active Shooter Instructor, E.R.A.S.E Instructor, OC Instructor, ASP Baton and Restraint Instructor, PPCT Defensive Tactics Instructor, Field Training Officer, Patrol Interdiction, IACP Drug Evaluation and Classification Program (Drug Recognition Expert), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driver Enforcement, USCCA Concealed Carry and Home Defense Instructor, USCCA Defensive Shooting Fundamentals Instructor, USCCA Defensive Pistol Program Instructor
Affiliations
National Tactical Officers Association, International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association, Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Officers Association, 75th Ranger Regiment Association, Police Benevolent Association, United States Practical Shooting Association and the National Rifle Association, US Concealed Carry Association.
TJ is the Assistant Director of Training at The Outpost Armory Indoor Range, as well as a USCCA certified Firearms Instructor and Range Safety Officer. TJ is a US Army Veteran, having been an AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter mechanic and crew chief for 7 years. During his time in service, he completed 2 deployments to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. TJ has a Bachelor's degree in Education and was an elementary school teacher prior to joining our team at The Outpost Armory. He has completed training with OTG Tactical, Jared Reston, Brandon Wright, Chuck Pressburg (Press Check Consulting), Rick Crawley (Achilles Heel Tactical), Steve Fisher (Sentinel Concepts), Shane Kerwin (Personal Survival Solutions), Chuck Haggard (Agile Tactical), Brian Hill (Complete Combatant), and Erick Gelhaus (Gunsite/Cougar Mountain Solutions).
Certifications:
USCCA Concealed Carry and Home Defense Fundamentals Instructor, USCCA Defensive Shooting Fundamentals Instructor, USCCA Defensive Pistol Program Instructor, Pistol Mounted Optics Instructor, Low Light Instructor, OC Spray Instructor, State of Tennessee Firearms Instructor, Range Safety Officer, Barrett M82/M107 Armorer, Barrett MRAD/MK22 Armorer
Affiliations:
U.S. Concealed Carry Association, United States Army
Bud is the Range Manager of The Outpost Armory - Murfreesboro, as well as a Firearms Instructor and Range Safety Officer. Prior to joining The Outpost Armory team, Bud retired from Bridgestone, North America. Bud is also retired from the US Navy, where he served in a variety of roles including 3 years as Navy Law Enforcement Senior Petty Officer in Keflavik Iceland, Instructor at Naval Training Center, Great Lakes IL, 5 years as the Senior Boat Commander with Office Of Naval Intelligence/Naval Special Warfare Detachment Defense Intelligence Agency in Rodman Naval Base, Panama. Bud conducted Inter-agency Counter Narcotics operations in Panama and the surrounding area. Bud also earned the US Navy Expert Pistol, and Expert Rifle Awards.
Certifications:
USCCA Concealed Carry & Home Defense Instructor, USCCA Defensive Shooting Fundamentals Instructor, USSCA Training Counselor, Tennessee State Firearms Instructor, Range Safety Officer, American Red Cross First Aid and CPR.
Affiliations:
U.S. Concealed Carry Association
Tony is the Assistant Manager at The Outpost Armory - Murfreesboro, as well as a certified Firearms Instructor and RSO. Prior to joining the TOA team, he served 24 years as an aircraft mechanic in the United States Air Force, deploying multiple times in support of the War on Terror. After retiring, he was a DOD contracted mechanic for 5 years. Tony is a certified USCCA CCHDF instructor as well as being a Red Dot Pistol instructor, has participated in a number of USPSA competitions, and has trained with OTG Tactical, Jared Reston, Shane Kerwin (Personal Survival Solutions), and Chuck Haggard (Agile Tactical).
Certifications:
USCCA Concealed Carry and Home Defense Instructor, Pistol Mounted Optics Instructor, State of TN Firearms Instructor, Range Safety Officer, Sig P320 Armorer, Sig P365 Armorer, Glock Armorer
Affiliations:
US Concealed Carry Association, US Practical Shooting Association
Dan is a Firearms instructor and Range Safety Officer at The Outpost Armory. Dan retired after 20 years of active-duty military service, split between the United States Marine Corp and the United States Navy. During his 8 year in the Marine Corps, he was a Correctional Officer at the NavCon Brig in Charleston, SC, as well as serving as a Stinger missile gunner. While in the Marines, Dan also completed two deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. 4 years after his enlistment in the Marines ended, Dan became part of US Navy Special Warfare as a Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewman (SWCC) and was assigned to Special Boat Team (SBT) Twelve. During that time, he served as Lead Engineer, Boat Captain, and Lead Petty Officer on both RHIB and CCA assault boats. He is also a trained Designated Defensive Marksman (DDM) and a qualified ROIC (Range Officer in Charge) for small arms and heavy weapons. His time in the Navy took Dan all across the world, to include Iran, Iraq, Yemin, Jordan, Qatar, Oman, North Africa, Taiwan, Japan, and Italy. He also spent 3 years in Coronado as a BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) and SWCC instructor. Outside of his military training, he has also trained with Steve Fisher, Erick Gelhaus, and OTG Tactical.
Certifications:
USCCA Concealed Carry and Home Defensive Fundamentals Instructor, State of TN Firearms Instructor, Pistol Mounted Optics Instructor, Range Safety Officer, Barrett M82/M107 Armorer
Affiliations:
United States Concealed Carry Association, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, Combatant Craft Crewman Association
Mike is a Firearms Instructor and Range Safety Officer at The Outpost Armory. He spent 6 years in the United States Marine Corps, first serving in a Surveillance and Target Acquisition (STA) platoon where he received training as a spotter and sniper. While in the Marines, he also served as a squad leader and platoon sergeant in an infantry battalion atCamp Pendleton, CA. After finishing his enlistment, Mike joined the Los Angeles Police Dept, where he served for 23 years in roles such as patrol, collision investigations, and as traffic enforcement officer (motorcycle officer).
Certifications:
USCCA Concealed Carry and Home Defense Instructor, State of TN Firearms Instructor, Range Safety Officer, Glock Armorer
Affiliations:
United States Concealed Carry Association, United States Marine Corps, Los Angeles Police Dept
Aaron is a USCCA certified Firearms Instructor and Range Safety Officer at The Outpost Armory. He also holds specialized armorer certifications from Glock, Sig Sauer, and Barrett Firearms. With nearly 20 years of expertise in corporate investigation and interrogation, Aaron has collaborated with Fortune 50 companies to enhance security and mitigate risk. Prior to joining Outpost, for the past 6 years, Aaron has also led executive protection efforts for national news outlets, film studios, high-net-worth, and ultra-high-net-worth clients, ensuring their safety in diverse high-risk environments.
Certifications:
USCCA Concealed Carry and Home Defense Fundamentals Instructor, State of TN Firearms Instructor, State of TN Armed Security Guard, Range Safety Officer, Barrett M82/M107 Armorer, Sig Sauer M400/M4/M16/AR15 Armorer, Sig P320 Armorer, Sig P365 Armorer, Glock Armorer
Affiliations:
United States Concealed Carry Association
Mark is a Firearms Instructor and Range Safety Officer at The Outpost Armory. Prior to joining the Outpost, Mark trained as a gunsmith. He has been involved in many areas of the competitive shooting world, from trap/skeet to USPSA and two gun matches, all the way to benchrest rifle competition and precision rifle series. Mark also previously worked at Beretta USA in Gallatin, TN for 2 years as a level 2 machinist, producing M9/92 Series pistol barrels.
Certifications:
USCCA Concealed Carry and Home Defense Instructor, State of TN Firearms Instructor, Range Safety Officer
Affiliations:
United States Concealed Carry Association
Mike is a firearms and medical instructor for the Outpost Armory. He currently works as a Paramedic Shift Supervisor for Rutherford County EMS. He has worked with Rutherford County for 15 years and has been in EMS for 18 years. With RCEMS, he has been an FTO. He has been assigned to their special operations division, certified in rescue diving, swift water rescue, HAZMAT, both low angle and high angle rope rescue, vehicle extrication and a drone pilot. He has been a medic on the RCSO SWAT team for 10 years. He has completed courses involving tactical medicine, close quarter combat, hostage rescue, firearms courses and tactical response to Weapons of Mass Destruction courses.. He has completed multiple operations including narcotics warrants, high risk search warrants, barricades/suicidal subjects, and hostage rescue He is deputized through Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office. He works with all law enforcement with in Rutherford County. He also teaches for the National Center of Biomedical Research and Training of LSU. With LSU he teaches a course called Active Threat Integrated Response Course (ATIRC). He teaches CPR and first aid. Mike has an Associates in Allied Health. He was in the Army National Guard and was deployed to IRAQ in 2005.
Certifications:
Instructor in CPR through the American Heart Association, Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS), Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC) and Law Enforcement, First Response (LEFR) instructor through the National Association of Emergency Medicine Technician, Firearms through United States Concealed Carry Associations.
Affiliations:
National Tactical Officers Associations, National Association of Emergency Medicine Technician, American Heart Association
Troy a Senior Instructor for The Outpost Armory. Troy has served with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office for 24 years. Assignments have included Patrol, FTO, Criminal Investigations Detective, Mounted Patrol, Firearms Instructor, Training Officer and SWAT. He is currently serving as R.C.S.O.’s Range Master/Primary Firearms Instructor and has done so for the last 3 years. During his time with the S.W.A.T. team he has been assigned to Entry, Point-man, Assistant Team Leader and Team Leader, where he is currently assigned. In that time frame he has completed over 150 successful operations including narcotics warrants, high risk arrest warrants, barricaded/suicidal subjects and hostage rescue. Troy has a well-rounded history of training both law enforcement and military units. He has worked as a certified Firearms Instructor since 2000. Prior to joining OTG and the law enforcement community he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Middle Tennessee State University. He has completed courses with Haley Strategic Partnership in Handgun and Carbine Vehicle Darkness operations, Frank Proctor, Northern Red , John Chapman (Forge Tactical), Blackwater, National Tactical Officer’s Association, ALERRT, multiple SWAT and tactical response to Weapons of Mass Destruction courses.
Certifications
N.R.A. Handgun/Shotgun Firearms Instructor, Select-Fire Instructor, Patrol Rifle Instructor, Tactical Firearms Instructor, Tactical Shotgun Instructor, Chemical Weapons Instructor, Less Lethal Instructor, Active Shooter Instructor, E.R.A.S.E. Instructor, CQB Instructor, SWAT Instructor and N.A.E.M.T. Law Enforcement First Responder.
Affiliations
National Tactical Officers Association, International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association, Police Benevolent Association and National Rifle Association, Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Officers Association, International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors, US Concealed Carry Association.
Bio coming soon
