CAPABILITIES BRIEF
2020
Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
“Ask Yourself this Question…”
Why would thousands of America’s best fighters
come year after year to a small private company
for critical pre-mission training?
“Here’s why…”
Because when their lives are on the line…they will always
choose the best company that will help them win the fight
and come home safely to their families!
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
Gryphon’s Training Facilities: Gryphon Group's Fort Bragg Combat Training Center is a fully licensed and staffed 500 acre full-spectrum training center located 15 minutes South-West of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The entire facility is zoned "Heavy Industrial" with Conditional Use Permits for Live-Fire Military-Level Training to include High Explosives.
Go to www.gryphonsecurity.com for a video tour of FBCTC.
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
GEMINI TRAINING COMPLEX
Gryphon’s Gemini Training Complex is a world-class training facility that provides an advanced close-quarters combat laboratory. This 11,000 square foot low-profile facility sits on 4 acres in Aberdeen, North Carolina (15 minutes from Fort Bragg). Gemini enables Gryphon to conduct complex multi-dimensional scenarios in a very realistic environment.
The main features of the Gemini Training Facility are: ➢ 24 Person Fully Equipped Briefing Room/Classroom ➢ 4,000 Square Foot Two-Story Fully Furnished Force-on-Force CQC Shoot House ➢ Total Coverage Video Recording System of Complete CQC Shoot House ➢ 4K Video Cameras that are High Quality Low-Res Capable for Night Operations ➢ 24 Person Multi-Monitor Room for Real-Time Observation and Brief-Back of CQC Shoot House ➢ Trained Role Players & OPFOR Team to Provide Realistic Mission Environment ➢ Complete CQC Shoot House is Designed to Rapidly Change the Flow & Layout in One Hour or Less ➢ Mechanical & Shotgun Breachable Exterior Door Jig Mounted to CQC Shoot House ➢ Multi-Room, Multi-Door, Multi-Hallway “Half Wall” CQC Rehearsal Area ➢ Close Tactical Reconnaissance Training Capable
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
Gryphon’s Gemini Training Complex can be populated with role players dressed and acting as citizens in any particulars region of the world, televisions showing recent news events or television shows from any country in the world, radios playing music from the target country, as well as target language signs, books, magazines etc, all which will create very realistic training environments to practice specific mission scenarios.
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
GRYPHON ADVISORY BOARD
Brigadier General Gary “Mike” Jones (U.S. Army Special Forces – Retired)
Chairman – Gryphon Advisory Board
Gary “Mike” Jones is now the Chairman of the Gryphon Board of Advisors. He was the President of Gryphon Group for 10 years, and is recognized as a proven, experienced-forged senior leader in military and international affairs. General Jones has 28-years military special operations experience with extensive operational expertise in Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, the Caribbean, Central America and the Middle East.
Some of the milestones of his exceptional military career include:
• Commander, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) • Deputy Commanding General, United States Army Special Operations Command • Deputy Director, Central Intelligence Agency Counter-Terrorism Center • Deputy Commander, Combined Joint Task Force-Mountain-Operation Enduring Freedom • Commanding General, Special Operations Europe • Commanding General, United States Army Special Forces Command
After his years of military service, General Jones served as Senior Vice President for Performance Materials, Inc., a company providing innovative armor solutions for the Department of Defense; as Senior Vice President of Saffron Technology, an innovative Software Company providing state of the art analytical support to the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community; and as President of Myrmidon Consulting, LLC.
He has provided consulting support to U.S. Special Operations Command as a senior mentor to the Unified Quest series exercises, and to the Joint Chiefs of Staff J7 for Irregular Warfare doctrinal review. General Jones is an alumnus of Louisiana State University where he earned a Bachelor Degree in Criminal Justice and is a graduate of the Army War College and the Conflict Management and Negotiation programs, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
Major General Edward M. Reeder Jr. (U.S. Army Special Forces – Retired)
Member – Gryphon Advisory Board
Major General (Ret.) Edward M. Reeder Jr. retired from the US Army after nearly 35 years of service. Reeder spent the last 30 years in uniform as a Special Forces Officer commanding at every level in the US Army Special Forces.
Reeder served as the Commanding General of the US Army Special Forces Command, consisting of 15,000 Soldiers with a $450M USD operating budget. He was responsible for manning, training, equipping, and deploying the elite US Army Green Berets operating in 56 different countries each day.
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
He also served as the Commanding General of the US Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. He was responsible for the entry level training of the US Army Special Forces, Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs, as well as, selected advanced training for the greater US Special Operations community.
His other assignments include: • National Civil Defense Advisor, Republic of El Salvador in 1988. He was responsible for organizing, training, and equipping a local defense force of 58,000 volunteer fighters. • Reeder also commanded Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha 786 in support of Operation JUST CAUSE in 1989; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group under Task Force Black, Republic of Panama. • He commanded Special Operations Task Force 32 (2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group) in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM Afghanistan in 2002 and again in 2003. • He commanded the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan (7th Special Forces Group) in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM Afghanistan in 2006 and again in 2007. He was responsible for all US Army Special Operations in Afghanistan, as well as, the special operations from the United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, France, Canada, and the Netherlands. • Reeder also planned, organized, established and served as the Commanding General of the first Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010. He was responsible for all US Army Special Operations in Afghanistan, as well as, special operations from the United Arab Emeritus, Jordan, France and Canada. • From 2014 to 2015 he served as the Commanding General of the Special Operations Joint Task Force/ NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and Operation FREEDOM SENTINEL. The Special Operations Joint Task Force consisted of 12,500 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines from 21 different countries with an operating budget of $1.3B USD. He was responsible for all US and NATO Special Operations in Afghanistan.
Captain William McMichael "Bill" Shepherd (U.S. Navy SEAL & NASA Astronaut – Retired)
Member – Gryphon Advisory Board
William McMichael "Bill" Shepherd is an American former Navy SEAL, aerospace, ocean, and mechanical engineer, and NASA astronaut who served as Commander of Expedition 1, the first crew on the International Space Station. He is also a recipient of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. Shepherd has logged over 159 days in space.
Education and Training Shepherd received a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering from the United States Naval Academy in 1971. He completed Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in 1972, then joined the United States Naval Special Warfare Command and qualified as a Navy SEAL. He served with the Navy's Underwater Demolition Team ELEVEN, SEAL Teams ONE and TWO, and Special Boat Unit TWENTY. He obtained an Engineer's degree in Ocean Engineering and an MS in mechanical engineering in 1978 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
NASA Career Shepherd was selected for the NASA Astronaut Corps in 1984, as the first military non-aviator in astronaut training, following his unsuccessful application for NASA Astronaut Group 9 in 1980. In 1986, his Navy SEAL training proved unexpectedly useful to NASA as he helped to direct the underwater salvage operations of the Space Shuttle
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
Challenger after its destruction. Shepherd then served as a Mission Specialist on three Space Shuttle flights: mission STS-27 in 1988, mission STS-41 in 1990, which deployed the Ulysses probe, and mission STS-52 in 1992. He was the first member of NASA Astronaut Group 10 to fly a space mission.
From March 1993 to January 1996, he was assigned to the International Space Station Program, serving as Program Manager and Deputy Program Manager. In November 1995 he was selected to command the first crew of the International Space Station (ISS). The mission was supposed to launch in 1997, but a long series of political, financial, and technical problems caused significant delays.
Spaceflight Experience • STS-27: Atlantis (December 2–6, 1988) Shepherd served with his crewmates on a mission which lasted 105 hours and carried Department of Defense payloads. • STS-41: Discovery (October 6–10, 1990) during 66 orbits of the Earth, the crew aboard the Orbiter successfully deployed the Ulysses, starting it on a four-year journey (via Jupiter) to investigate the polar regions of the Sun. • STS-52: Columbia (October 22 to November 1, 1992) was the 10-day mission deployed the Laser Geodynamic Satellite (LAGEOS), and conducted U.S. microgravity payload experiments. • ISS Expedition 1 (October 31, 2000 to March 21, 2001) He and Russian cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergey Krikalev launched from Baikonur on Soyuz TM 31 and served as Expedition 1, the first crew onboard ISS. The crew returned to Earth on the Space Shuttle Discovery, STS 102.
Post-NASA Career Shepherd was next assigned to the staff of Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command, to assist with the development of new capabilities and programs for the Navy's SEAL and Special Boat units. He retired from the U.S. Navy in January 2002. Captain Shepherd also served as U.S. Special Operations Command's first Science Advisor from 2008–2011.
Colonel Kevin Merrigan (U.S. Army – Retired)
Member – Gryphon Advisory Board
Kevin Merrigan is an independent consultant specializing in U.S. Department of Defense with an emphasis on tactical wheeled vehicles and C4ISR including Cyber, AI and Electronic Warfare.
Mr. Merrigan retired as a Vice President at General Dynamics Mission Systems in January 2019 following a very successful 12-year career. During his career at General Dynamics he held multiple key leadership positions including vice president of business development for the Department of Defense market. His responsibilities included developing strategies that create new business opportunities and support existing DOD programs. He was responsible to oversee everything from strategy development through program win and customer engagement.
Prior to this, Mr. Merrigan was vice president and general manager of a $500M per year Battle Management Systems line of business responsible for the overall executive management of complex command and control and information systems for the U.S. military. Programs under his leadership included the Army’s Command Post of the Future (CPOF), Prophet Enhanced tactical signals intelligence system, Tactical Airspace Integration System (TAIS), Consolidated Product Line Management, the US Marine Corps Combat Operations Centers (COC) and Common Aviation Command and Control Program (CAC2S) and USSOCOM’s Ground Mobility Vehicle as well as others.
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
He earned his bachelor’s degree in General Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1982. Mr. Merrigan is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and holds a Master’s Degree in National Security Studies from the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.
Mr. Merrigan served in the United States Army from 1982 to 2006 and retired with the rank of Colonel.
Dr. Brian L. Kent
Member – Gryphon Advisory Board
Dr. Brian L. Kent has over 20 years of experience supporting the United States Special Operations Command and the Intelligence Community in Program Management and Tech Lead positions. He is the Senior Director for Business Strategy for Mission Driven Innovation Solutions (MDIS), part of the Technical Solutions Division (TSD) at Huntington Ingalls Industry (HII). The strategic focus allows the group to continue strategic growth alignment in C6ISR, Military Training, and Modeling & Simulation (M&S). A key advisor for ISR and IO to the Division. Previously, he managed the International ISR and IO to the Division.
Previously, he managed the International ISR and S&T Directorate supporting operations around the globe for USSOCOM, USCENTCOM, and USINDOPACOM, while continuing to work with Academia and emerging technology companies.
Dr. Kent was also the Co-Founder and President of K3 Enterprises Inc. He has more than three decades of experience in the Defense Industry. He was most recently the manager of a diverse consulting organization with current core competencies in Communications, Analysis (C5ISR), Biometrics, and Training. His other areas of specialty are as a DARPA Strategic Advisor for Technology Transfer & Transition, Entrepreneurship Professor, Finance and Investing, DoD Acquisition & Defense Contracting.
Dr, Kent is a Certified ISO 9001:2008 Lead Auditor for Quality Management Systems. He earned his Master’s Degree in Management Technology for Murray State University and later completed his PhD in Business at Trident University. His Dissertation focused on Technology Acceptance.
Dr. Kent holds an active Top Secret Department of Defense Security Clearance.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP Gryphon Group sets the highest standards in the industry for our services and our personnel. We recruit only the best from the law enforcement, military special operations, intelligence, and executive protection communities.
Our standards are high and our emphasis on talent and integrity are unyielding. All Gryphon Cadre Members Undergo the most comprehensive selection and qualification program in the industry. Our Cadre has extensive documented experience providing specialized combat training to thousands of USSOCOM personnel from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines.
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
Founder / CEO / President / Master Instructor (Full Spectrum) Michael K. Vaden
Michael K. Vaden is the Founder, CEO, President, & Managing Partner of Gryphon Group Security Solutions LLC, and has over 30 years of military special operations experience. Since establishing Gryphon Group, he has trained over 35,000 American Warfighters & Federal Agents in specialized combat training.
Mr. Vaden has been a leading innovator in the military training industry. He has designed, developed, and implemented new types of combat training methods and programs that have saved lives in combat operations around the world.
Mr. Vaden served in the United States Marine Corps’ special operations team & intelligence units. He also served with the United States Army Special Forces, and joint special mission units. Mr. Vaden has worldwide combat & operational experience in the Middle East, Central Asia, Europe, the Balkans, Africa, Central & South America, and East Asia. He has taught advanced combat training and unconventional warfare methods in both Armed Services. Mr. Vaden taught at the U.S. Marines Corps Scout/Sniper School at Camp Lejeune and at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center (JFKSWC) at Fort Bragg. He was a Senior Resistance Instructor at the U.S. Army’s Level C Survival, Evasion, Resistance, & Escape (SERE) School at Camp Mackall North Carolina.
Mr. Vaden has written on foreign policy and national security issues for Congress and senior-level policymakers. He has a Masters Degree in U.S. Foreign Policy from the American University's School of International Service. For over five years, Mr. Vaden was a Program Associate with the Smithsonian Institution's prestigious national security think-tank, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington DC. There, he worked on non-traditional national security threats, nuclear weapon proliferation issues, and national intelligence policy.
Senior Vice President Pamela L. Lande Pamela Lande is a Gryphon Group Senior Vice President and manages all administrative and logistical aspects of Gryphon’s global operations. Ms. Lande is one of the original Gryphon Cadre members. For over 18 years, she has been directly involved with the training of over 35,000 American Warfighters & Federal Agents in specialized combat training programs. Ms. Lande came to Gryphon with over 15 years of crisis management and customer service experience.
She is also responsible for coordinating and supporting our Mobile Training Teams worldwide. In coordination with the rest of our staff, Ms. Lande maintains communication with our current and prospective clients to ensure that our client’s questions are being answered and their training needs are being met. She is the principal liaison between Gryphon Group and military special operations units and federal agencies world-wide. Ms. Lande was a Registered Private Investigator in the Commonwealth of Virginia as well as a Licensed Private Investigator in the State of Florida.
Executive Vice President / Master Instructor (Full Spectrum) Frank McBee Mr. McBee is the Executive Vice President of Gryphon Group and is responsible for all operations at Gryphon’s Fort Bragg Combat Training Center. He has been a Gryphon Cadre Member for over 18 years. Mr. McBee is the former Vice President of the Florida SWAT Association and served over ten years as the Training Coordinator of the Southeast United States for the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors. Since joining Gryphon Group, he has trained over 35,000 American Warfighters & Federal Agents in specialized combat training. Mr. McBee has been a Law Enforcement professional for over 20 years, including 17 years as an Emergency Response Team member. He is a graduate of the Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville and has trained extensively in the areas of Mass Casualty Incidents and Management of Natural Disasters.
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
Mr. McBee’s operational focus centers on Counter Drug Initiatives, Counter-Terrorism and Organized Crime, having served on the Regional Domestic Security Task Force for the State of Florida as well as numerous Federal Task Forces. As a Firearms Instructor, he has traveled and trained extensively in the United States and Europe, training elite civilian and military units in firearms and small unit tactics. Mr. McBee has served as an Adjunct Instructor for HK Inc., Olympic Arms and Offshoots Training Institute. He specializes in Small Arm Tactics for Squad Deployment such as Hostage Rescue, Vehicle Assaults, Vessel Assaults, and Counter Force Initiatives.
Vice President / Master Instructor / Military Canine SME Travis Bobo
Sergeant First Class Travis Bobo (U.S. Army Special, Retired) has over 16 years of active military service and has world-wide operational experience. His career began as a Fire Direction Control Specialist for Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) and High Mobility Advanced Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and conducted multiple combat rotations in Afghanistan in support of the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC). In 2010, Mr. Bobo was selected to attend the Special Forces Qualification Course and graduated as a Special Forces Communications Sergeant in May of 2012 and assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group.
He conducted 2 rotations to Afghanistan as a senior communications sergeant before volunteering to be assigned as Multi-Purpose Canine (MPC) Handler in late 2014. During his time as an operational canine handler, Mr. Bobo deployed to multiple countries in Africa as well as ISO JSOC during Operation Inherent Resolve. He has attended over 1,200 hours of formal training on training MPC canines in all areas of canine capability. Mr. Bobo is a graduated of the Special Forces Qualification Course, SERE–High Risk, Military Freefall Parachutist Course, USASOC Jumpmaster Course, Special Forces Communications Course and is a graduate of the International Sports Science Association (ISSA) Personal Training Certification Course.
Senior Advisor to the CEO / Special Weapons SME Colonel Bogdan Gieniewski (U.S. Army Special Forces - Retired) Mr. Gieniewski served over 30 years in the U.S. Army with 24 years as an Army Special Operations officer, retiring in 2010. Mr. Gieniewski started his career as an infantry officer with 1st Bn 187th Inf Regiment in the Republic of Panama. He then attended the Special Forces Qualification Course and was assigned to the 1st Bn, 10th Special Forces Group in Bad Toelz, Germany. Mr. Gieniewski has extensive experience training soldiers as an instructor, John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, observer/controller Joint Readiness Training Center, G3 training chief and deputy G3 United States Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command and Deputy J7 United States Special Operations Command.
At the request of the Commander USSOCOM, Mr. Gieniewski served as Liaison Officer to the Polish Special Operations Command in Krakow, Poland, and was instrumental in assisting with the stand up of their new Joint Command. Mr. Gieniewski is currently an adjunct senior instructor with the Joint Special Operations University (JSOU), MacDill AFB Tampa Florida where he serves on JSOU's world wide mobile education team, routinely conducting SOF/NATO courses for foreign SOF and conventional forces in Europe. Mr. Gieniewski has extensive experience in Eastern Europe and speaks Polish fluently. His expertise also includes an in-depth knowledge of foreign weapons, both light and heavy, and is a licensed manufacturer of Machine Guns, suppressors and Destructive Devices. Mr. Gieniewski has appeared as a foreign weapons expert and advisor on the Smithsonian Channel, and has assisted in supporting various museum and living history events. As a weapons expert, he has assisted Gryphon Group in acquiring and starting a Foreign Weapons Training Program.
Senior Advisor to the CEO J. Brian Skelly J. Brian Skelly is one of the most widely recognized driving instructors in the world. Mr. Skelly has directly trained tens of thousands of American Warfighters. He has appeared on the Discovery Channel and the Learning Channel while training Corporate/Military bodyguards and Law Enforcement Officers in advanced security skills. Mr. Skelly holds Instructor Certifications through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the International Association of Professional Law Enforcement Emergency Response Trainers, the Department of Defense, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, General Motors, Ford and the ATV Safety Institute, to name a few.
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
He is a certified Emergency Vehicle Operators Course Instructor with 20 years of experience with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office as the Driver Training Instructor Supervisor. Mr. Skelly ensures quality and continuity, develops curriculums, and conducts training courses in all aspects of emergency vehicle operations to include: Tactical Police Driving, Collision Avoidance, Pursuit Conditions, Police Motor Cycle Operations, Four by Four off Road/Hummer Driving, Dignitary Protection/Escorts and Police Recruit Driving Training.
Program Development SME / Master Instructor (Full-Spectrum) Brandon Salazar As an original Gryphon Cadre Member, Mr. Salazar has trained over 20,000 thousand of Army Special Forces Soldiers, Naval Special Warfare personnel, Air Force Special Tactics Operators and Special Operations Marines, as well as Federal Agents. He is the Senior Advisor to the CEO for Program Development. Mr. Salazar is involved in all aspects of Gryphon’s Operational Programs. He served in the United States Marine Corps as an Amphibious Reconnaissance Marine and has extensive special operations experience in Central America, South America, West Africa, and South Africa. Mr. Salazar has conducted numerous personal protection operations for COMMARFORSOUTH as well as dignitaries in high threat areas of Latin America and the Middle East.
Some of his other duties while at 2nd Marine Reconnaissance Battalion included being a platoon marksmanship instructor for NATO small arms. Mr. Salazar is also licensed to operate most Soviet-bloc military vehicles ranging from tanks to troop carriers. He has been a martial arts instructor for over 20 years. Mr. Salazar was a Registered Private Investigator in the Commonwealth of Virginia as well as a Licensed Private Investigator in the State of Florida. He is a NRA Certified Pistol Instructor, Certified Rifle Instructor, Certified Shotgun Instructor, Certified Home Defense Instructor, and Certified Range Safety Officer.
Special Projects John Hoover John Hoover has over 21 years of military experience and served with the United States Army Rangers, as well as a member of the United States Army Special Forces. During Mr. Hoover's military career, he was a distinguished member of the United States Army Parachute Team - The Golden Knights. As a Competitive-Skydiver, he conducted over 12,000 jumps, winning two World Championships, setting five World Records and is a five-time National Champion in Formation Skydiving. In 1989 as a Ranger, Mr. Hoover participated in the invasion of Panama during Operation Just Cause. He was a Ranger Indoctrination Program Instructor for the 75th Ranger Regiment. In the 1990s, as a Special Forces Weapons Sergeant (18B), Mr. Hoover conducted missions in Africa and drug interdiction operations in North America. During Operation Enduring Freedom with the U.S. Army 3rd Special Forces Group, he served two combat tours in Southern Afghanistan working closely with Afghan Forces against the Taliban insurgency.
Senior Advisor to the CEO C.W. Ogburn Mr. Ogburn served with the Central Intelligence Agency and with the United States Marine Corps. He has over 24 years of field experience in Intelligence Operations directed at counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics. Mr. Ogburn has over 16 years of overseas experience training foreign military, police and civilian agencies. He specializes in Threat Assessment, Investigations, Organizational Structure and Media Relations. Mr. Ogburn has broad and deep experience providing specialized and technical training in Operational Security. He presently provides Latin American Area Analysis and Security Studies with a primary focus of Program Development and Implementation with direct managerial duties and responsibilities. Mr. Ogburn has provided consulting services in the field of crisis management to private agencies, individuals and firms nationwide as well as internationally.
Senior Instructor (Full Spectrum) Richard Ramsey Richard Ramsey served 11 years in the United States Army. Mr. Ramsey was a Technician and Senior Technician for a twelve-man Tactical Nuclear Weapons Fire Team. As Senior Technician, he was responsible for the Transportation, Security and Detonation of Tactical Nuclear weapons. Mr. Ramsey also tested new conventional explosives for practicality of use by the United States Army. In addition, he served as a Military Police Officer and served as a Squad Leader, a Patrol Supervisor, and as Point Man on the Special Reaction Team for the 2nd
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
Infantry Division in Camp Casey, Korea. While assigned to Ft. Hood, Mr. Ramsey deployed with the military police to Panama in support of Operation Promote Liberty.
He was also assigned to the 89th Military Police Brigade III Corps and Ft. Hood’s Special Reaction Team. Some of Mr. Ramsey’s duties included Entry Team Leader, Sniper, Hostage Negotiator, Traffic Enforcement Section Assistant NCOIC, Special Reaction Team NCOIC and Lead Instructor for Ft. Hood’s Military Police Academy. As a Special Reaction Team NCOIC, his duties included the personal security of all visiting dignitaries and VIP’s.
Senior Instructor (Full Spectrum) David Blalock Mr. Blalock is a Full Spectrum Instructor at Gryphon Group and has over 22 years of law enforcement experience. He conducted hundreds of investigations which included surveillance operations, conducting interviews and interrogations with witnesses and suspects, investigations of homicides, violent assaults, domestic-violence, drug trafficking, & burglaries. Mr. Blalock served as a member of the several Special Weapons & Tactics Teams which conducted law enforcement special operations in high threat circumstances.
He received Police Canine Certification and worked with K-9s as part of a multi-agency drug interdiction team. Mr. Blalock was a Lieutenant and Supervised a shift of Patrol Officers in County-wide operations. Prior to his law enforcement career, Mr. Blalock was a Private Investigator in the State of North Carolina and conducted dozens of surveillance missions in support of various investigations. He also worked as an Executive Protection Specialist. Since joining Gryphon Group, Mr. Blalock has helped to train thousands of Special Operators & American Warfighters from the Army, Navy, Air Force, & Marine Corps as well as Federal Agents in specialized combat training.
Instructor & Chief Mechanic Brandon Oxendine Mr. Oxendine is the Chief Mechanic at Gryphon Group and is a lead Instructor on several of our “specialized training programs”. He has taught over one thousand American War-fighters in Vehicle Sabotage, Vehicle Commandeering, Field Expedient Vehicle Repairs, and many other Irregular Warfare topics. Mr. Oxendine has over 12 years of experience as a mechanic and fabricator. He worked for a railroad line as a diesel mechanic on locomotives rebuilding engines, generators, and traction motors. Mr. Oxendine was a lead welder and fabricator in the railroad diesel shop and did complete repowers which consists of removing factory engines and replacing them with up to date more efficient Detroit 60 series engines and also new style generators. He is a JLG certified mechanic and qualified heavy equipment mechanic. Mr. Oxendine has broad experience in all aspects of military vehicle operations to include foreign right-hand drive vehicles and special tactical vehicles. He is a certified firefighter and a certified ambulance driver.
Medical Director, Operational Medicine Division Captain Richard C. Osman, MD, FACS (U.S. Navy - Retired) Dr. Richard Osman serves as Gryphon Group’s Medical Director and provides medical expertise to the Director of OMD and the CEO in regards to in the development of all training programs, internal SOP’s, as well as ensuring that appropriate structures, systems, protocols, competencies, and values are maintained. Dr. Osman holds the rank of Captain in the United States Navy.
His military experience spans over 20 years of combined active and reserve service. Captain Osman was a Naval Flight Surgeon with Carrier Air Wing One aboard the USS America in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf during both Operations Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. As a reserve officer, Captain Osman served as the Commander of the Aviation Medical Unit of Marine Air Group Four Two. He deployed to the Al Anbar Province of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in 2005. Dr. Osman is a practicing Otolaryngologist with 28 years of medical and surgical experience. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois’s College of Medicine in Chicago and completed Internship training at the Naval Regional Medical Center in San Diego, CA.
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
Otolaryngology Residency training followed in San Diego before serving as the Chief of Service at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Okinawa Japan, 1995-1997. Leaving active service, Dr. Osman entered private practice in South Carolina in 1999. He has served the local and medical communities in many ways. He has served as Chief of Surgery and Chief of Staff at Grand Strand Medical Center in Myrtle Beach South Carolina. He has been involved in medical leadership positions and currently serves as the Chairman of the Board on the South Carolina Medical Association. He also serves the community as the Chairman of Access Health Horry, a non-profit organization serving the low income uninsured of Horry County.
Gryphon is very proud to announce that after 2 years of effort & preparation, on November 29, 2016 we passed our final ISO Quality Assurance Audit and received our official ISO 9001-2015 Certification.
Achieving this prestigious internationally recognized standard of quality assurance is recognition of Gryphon Group’s long-standing commitment to delivering only the highest quality training to America’s heroes.
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
WWW.GRYPHONSECURITY.COM All the Gryphon Group’s training programs have video briefs that can be viewed at www.gryphonsecurity.com as well as videos on our mission, team, methodology, and training center.
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT PROGRAM Gryphon Group is an ideal company to support research & development programs that require special test ranges and high-level precision.
Gryphon has provided test & evaluations services to the Army Test & Evaluation Command and the U.S. Army Operational Test Command for its airborne test of the new XM2010 .300 WinMag Sniper Rifle. This test series utilized our unique Fort Bragg Combat Training Center and its 1400 Meter Sniper Range which is co-located with one of Gryphon’s Military Free Fall Drop Zone.
Gryphon Group is currently teamed with the University of North Carolina – Charlotte’s Engineering Department and its Infrastructure Security & Emergency Responder Research & Testing Project (ISERRT) to provide high quality explosives testing services to the U.S. government & American manufacturing community.
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
MILITARY TRAINING PROGRAMS In the special operations & intelligence world, your mind is your “primary weapon system.” Gryphon Group’s approach to weapons training is that the “decisions” an operator makes with the weapon in combat are as important (if not more important) as their marksmanship and speed with it.
All of Gryphon’s military training programs are based upon these “Universal Truths of the Battle- field”. These “truths” do not change from war to war, battle to battle, firefight to firefight. The Human Mind, Human Nature & the Human Body are always the same during every war.
Gryphon focuses on these “Human Factors” when preparing American Warfighters to be more mission- effective & “survivable” in combat.
These universal principles are applicable to ANY battlefield in ANY region, therefore, resulting in training results that are long-lasting in each War-Fighter or Agent…
Gryphon is a true “Full-Spectrum” training company and many of our programs are considered “Best-in-Class”.
Commandos the week prior to D-Day during World War II practicing clear infiltration lanes …some things never change.
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
MILITARY TRAINING PROGRAMS Gryphon is a true “Full-Spectrum” training company and many of our programs are considered military units as “Best-in-Class”.
Call us today to request the 2020 Class Schedule and details of the following primary programs: • Surveillance Operations Program - Course #SO-1101 • Counter Surveillance Program - Course #CS-2101 • Surveillance Vehicle Driver Program - Course #SVD-2202 • Hostile Surveillance Identification Program - Course #HSI-3101 • Close Target Reconnaissance Program - Course #CTR-4101 • Operational Explosives Program - Course #OE-501 • Tactical Clearing & Cutting Program- Course #TCC-502 • Commercial Explosives Program - Course #CE-503 • Tactical Shape Charges Program - Course #TSC-504 • IED Awareness Program - Course #TSC-505 • Irregular Warfare Program - Course #IW-506 • SOF Long Range Casualty Evacuation Program - Course #LRCE-0201 • Safe House Medicine Program - Course #SHM-0301 • SOF Telemedicine Program - Course #SOFT-0401 • Tactical Combat Casualty Care Certification - Course #TCCC-0101 • SOF Combat Anesthesia Program - Course #SOFT-0501 • Multi-Purpose Canine (MPC) Employment Course - Course #OCD-0109 • Canine Defeat Course - Course #OCD-0209 • Operational Canine Trauma Management Course - Course #OCD-0309 • Operational Canine Military Free Fall Course - Course #OCD-0409 • Mobile Force Protection Program - Course #MFP-10 • Asymmetrical Threat Survivability Program - Course #ATS-20 • Pre-Mission Training Program - Course #PMT-30 • Foreign Affairs Counter Terrorism Program - Course #FACT-40 • Combat Driving Program - Course #CD-50 • Tactical Off-Road Driving Program - Course #TORD-60 • Foreign Vehicle Operation Course – Course #FVO-70 • Field Expedient Tradecraft Program - Course #FETC-90 • Global Protective Operations Program - Course #GPO-111 • Advanced Protective Operations Program - Course #APO-212 • Protective Ops Counter-Surveillance Program - Course #POCS-313 • Protective Ops Security Advances Program - Course #POSA-414 • Protective Ops Security Driver Program - Course #POSD-515 • Assault Rifle Program - Course #AR-001 • Combat Pistol Program - Course #CP-002 • Combat Shotgun Program - Course #CS-003 • Suppressed Combat Pistol Program - Course #SCP-005 • Concealed Weapon Program - Course #CW-006 • Foreign Weapons Program - Course #FW-007 • Advanced Sniper Development Program – Course #ASD-008 • Capture Avoidance Program – Course #CAP-60 • Individual Signature Reduction Program - Course #ISR-70 • Validation Program - Course #VTX-001 • Full Mission Profile Program – Course #FMP-002
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING PROGRAMS The men & women of the law enforcement community in the United States are the best in the world. They are on the cutting-edge between the enemies of freedom on the streets of our nation and it’s citizens.
Gryphon’s training programs are battle-tested & combat-ready and can help the Law Enforcement Officer maximize their effectiveness and survivability in real-world street conditions.
Over the last 18 years, Gryphon Group’s mission-specific training programs have helped to prepare Military Special Operations Personnel and Federal Agents to operate & survive in some of the most dangerous countries and cities in the world.
Gryphon Group also has a deep connection to the law enforcement community, with many of our senior Cadre Members being retired patrol officers, undercover officers, and detectives.
The training needs of a police officer and a special operations soldier are much the same in four ways: 1. Being ready for the unexpected 2. Practicing worse-case scenarios 3. Surviving close-proximity unexpected attacks 4. Stopping hemorrhaging after being shot or stabbed until EMTs arrive
Call us today to request the 2020 Class Schedule and details of the following primary programs: • 3-Day Canine Integration into Room Clearing & Close Quarters Combat - #LEOCND-0900 • 3-Day Advanced Canine Narcotics Detection Course - #LEOCND-0901 • 3-Day Law Enforcement Canine TCCC Course - #LEOTCCC-0902 • 3-Day First Responder Counter Ambush Training Course - #LEOCAT-0903 • 3-Day Tactical Self-Aid for the First Responder Course - #LEOTSA-0904 • 3-Day Surviving Close Proximity Weapons Attacks Course - #LEOCPA-0905 • 3-Day Law Enforcement Vehicle Operations Course - #LEOVO-0906 • 3-Day Dynamic Entry Strategies for Special Teams - #LEODE-0907 • 3-Day Building Searches for First Responders Course - #LEOBS-0908 • 5-Day Surveillance Operations for Law Enforcement - #LEOSO-0909 • 5-Day Advanced Canine Explosive Detection Course - #LEOSO-0910 • 5-Day Advanced Undercover Officer Survivability Course - #LEOUOS-0911 • 5-Day Advanced Police Sniper Development Course - #LEOAPS-0912
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
CORPORATE SECURITY TRAINING PROGRAMS
Today’s business community in the United States faces growing security threats that technology alone cannot solve. The only solution that has proven to minimize these threats is effective training in realistic conditions.
Gryphon’s training programs delivers this type of real-world training that will have an immediate effect on corporate personnel involved in the safety & security of the corporation’s executives, employees, and assets.
Our executive protection training programs is considered by dozens of military commands & federal agencies as being one of the most effective in the world.
Gryphon’s Six P’s of Protective Operations have been validated and utilized by over 7,000 federal agents and military personnel protecting U.S. government officials and senior military commanders all over the world. Gryphon Group has decades of experience helping to train and evaluate the corporate security personnel of many Fortune 100 Corporations in the United States and at their facilities overseas.
Call us today to request the 2020 Class Schedule and details of the following primary programs: • 5-Day Executive Protection Agent Course – #EPAC-830 • 5-Day Executive Protection Agent Intermediate Course – #EPACI-831 • 5-Day Executive Protection Agent Advanced Course – #EPAAC-832 • 3-Day Executive Driver Certification – #EPAC-860 • 3-Day Executive Driver Advanced Course – #EPAC-861 • 2-Day Executive Anti-Kidnapping Course – #EPAC-870 • 2-Day Executive Counter Surveillance Course – #EPAC-871 • 2-Day Executive Self-Protection Course – #EPAC-872 • Custom Executive Security Course - #CESC-880
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
STRATEGIC PARTNER
Gryphon Group is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Raven Advisory LLC.
Raven Advisory provides the best resources to achieve the toughest tasks in the most challenging places.
Founded in December 2013, Raven Advisory is a privately-held registered LLC in Virginia with it’s headquarters located in Fayetteville, North Carolina (adjacent to Fort Bragg). Comprised of over 50 hand-picked mature specialized personnel having more than 60 years combined experience in Special Forces, Special Mission Units, SEAL’s, Ground Branch, and the CIA, we maintain active Top Secret and Secret security clearances (some SCI and Poly) along with professional relationships in multiple regions around the world.
Gryphon Group’s partnership with Raven Advisory will enhance our ability to support overseas operational services and provide training support services to Raven.
In effect, Raven Advisory will be Gryphon’s “go- to-source” to support our overseas operational services requests and Gryphon will be Raven’s “go-to-source” to support their CONUS-based operational training services.
The Raven Advisory team is one of the most professional and capable group of professionals that Gryphon has ever worked with.
They have our complete confidence and trust that they will deliver world-class operational services to any client Gryphon Group refers to them.
Conversely, Gryphon’s 600-acre Fort Bragg Combat Training Center will deliver effective and realistic training to Raven Advisory’s clients that are referred to us.
Call today for more information on the new Gryphon Group–Raven Advisory Team.
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
STRATEGIC PARTNER
Gryphon Group is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Veterinary Tactical Group.
Veterinary Tactical Group provides mission-relevant veterinary consulting for tactical canine programs including:
✓ K-9 Tactical Combat Casualty Care & K-9 Tactical Emergency Casualty Care Training for canine handlers, emergency medical responders, and veterinary personnel ✓ Skilled veterinary field support for real-world missions or canine events ✓ Research and Development support and collaboration with our team of veterinary clinical, research, and forensic subject matter experts. ✓ Canine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation services through VTG Canine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Mobile Clinic ✓ K9 TCCC/TECC training based on current human TCCC/TECC guidelines, adapted for the canine casualty, validated by canine casualty data and lessons learned from the field ✓ Cutting-edge research and development directly applicable to canine teams in the field, dedicated to extending the effective range of the canine team in the operational environment. ✓ VTG is a member of the Working Canine Consortium collaborative research effort.
Gryphon’s partnership with VTG will allow them to utilize our Fort Bragg Combat Training Center to conduct all of their training programs and research & development programs when appropriate. This partnership also allows Gryphon to embed VTG’s world-class training into all of our pre-mission training programs.
VTG was founded by Dr. Janice Baker, DVM, MS, DACVPM Owner of the Veterinary Tactical Group (VTG) Janice L. Baker, DVM, MS, DACVPM is a veterinarian specializing in occupational health of working dogs.
With the current rank of Colonel, Dr. Baker has served over 18 years in the U.S. Army as a veterinarian on both active duty and U.S. Army Reserve, the majority of this time with special operations canine and medical units, and has multiple combat deployments in support of working dogs. She has served with the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC).
She holds a master’s degree in Veterinary Forensics, is a board-certified specialist in Veterinary Preventive Medicine, and has over 15-years experience working in veterinary emergency practice. Dr. Baker owns Veterinary Tactical Group, a consulting group focusing on in advancing the health and performance capabilities of working dogs. Dr. Baker and her VTG colleagues are leaders in research regarding occupational hazards of working dogs, including hostile action injuries in law enforcement and military working dogs and canine heat injury.
Call today for more information on the new Gryphon Group–VTG Team.
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
STRATEGIC PARTNER Gryphon Group is proud to announce our new teaming effort with Paraclete XP Aviation and their world-class Military Free Fall Training Program.
The Gryphon/Paraclete Team enables Paraclete to utilize the excellent facilities at the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport and Gryphon’s certified drops zones for their military free fall training.
It also enables the Unit to combine Paraclete’s courses and Gryphon Group’s Pre-Mission Training Program for a complete Infil-to-Exfil training experience. Paraclete’s Military Free Fall Training Program is one of the best in the world.
The Paraclete Aviation team are experts in special operations and military free fall skills. Their current primary courses are: • Basic Military Free Fall training • Basic Military Free Fall training in the Wind Tunnel • Static Line Training • Canopy Control Courses • Jump Master Courses • HAHO/HALO Jumps • Wind Tunnel Instructor training • AFF Instructor training
Paraclete has an excellent fleet of certified aircraft to support their Military Para Drop Services. Paraclete Aviation has six turboprop aircraft in its fleet with the capability of acquiring other aircraft types for special operations. All aircraft are maintained by our in-house, full-time maintenance department which maintains FAA Part 91 standards. Their fleet consists of: Cessna Caravan 208 (x2). de Havilland Twin Otter, Shorts SC-7 Skyvan, and Casa 212 (x2). All aircraft have been inspected and are listed on the AMC approved list for Paradrops. Their Skyvan and Casa 212 aircraft are outfitted for static line operations.
Call today for more information on the new Gryphon Group–Paraclete Aviation Team.
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
Serving America’s Heroes for Over 18 Years…
GRYPHON GROUP’S MISSION: Gryphon’s only mission is to help to save the lives of our nation’s heroes and to help them defeat our nation's enemies--both foreign & domestic.
Because the product we sell can mean the difference between life & death of America’s War- Fighters, our aspirations must be consistent with the highest standards we can achieve and be coupled to the ideals of patriotism and self-less service to our nation.
The motto under Gryphon's crest is "Murum Aries Attigit" (The Ram has Touched the Wall!), which comes from Julius Caesar's first-hand account of the Gallic Wars, Commentaries on the Gallic War.
It refers to the roman army concept of not allowing any mercy or surrender to the occupants of a fortification once the battering ram begins the assault on the city walls.
In other words, “total commitment” where failure is not an option!
As a company of patriots, we have one rule: Say what you mean, mean what you say…and, work hard for our nation’s guardians of freedom, regardless of who is or isn't watching!
The men & women of Gryphon Group are totally committed to our mission. We are determined to bring a new standard of excellence to our industry with cutting-edge approaches to increasing survivability & effectiveness of the American Warfighters we train.
Above all, we expect to be a credit to the communities we serve, a valuable resource to our nation, and a place where our Cadre members can grow and prosper while being guided by a strong moral & ethical compass.
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020 Serving America’s Best for Over 18 Years
Call Gryphon Group today to begin enhancing the survivability and mission-effectiveness of your Units personnel:
• Michael K. Vaden – Founder & CEO – 321-271-6446 [email protected]
• Pamela L. Lande – Senior Vice President – 321-271-6442 [email protected]
• Frank McBee – Executive Vice President - 910- 844-4202 [email protected]
• Travis Bobo – Vice President – 910-280-5323 [email protected]
• Melissa Bergman – Senior Admin Specialist & Scheduler – 910-844-4202 [email protected]
Additionally, our website at www.gryphonsecurity.com has a training request form that you may download – fill-out – and send in to [email protected] to secure your seats today.
Gryphon Group Capabilities Brief - 2020