Gangs in the Military: A Dangerous Combination for America’s Law Enforcement. December 14, 2011 / By Sgt. Lou Savelli, NYPD (retired)
Crips, Bloods, Latin Kings, Asian gangs, white supremacists, and even extremist groups have all infiltrated the military. And when they come home, they are armed and more dangerous than ever. Experts estimate that there are over 14,000 active gang members serving in America’s armed forces today. They are given extensive tactical training, access to all types of weapons, experience in teamwork and squad leadership, and even taught how to improvise explosives and use camouflage. With all this knowledge in hand they return from active duty back to the streets and use their combat experience to commit heinous crimes. Now knowledgeable in command, they train their gangs at home in advanced tactics, weapons use, and teamwork. And they use these techniques to commit some of the most gruesome and senseless crimes in American history.
The New Gangster Paradise: How Gangs come to being in once quiet communities far from Gang Central. November 16, 2011 / By Sgt. Lou Savelli, NYPD (retired)
There are many reasons that cause gang members to migrate from one neighborhood to another or from one city to another. These reasons can range from family migration (parent’s business, part of a migrant workforce, family moves to be closer to an incarcerated family member), or attending a new school to being placed in a foster home or going to live with a relative and fleeing from justice. When there is a drug connection, however there can be other reasons that gang members migrate to other areas. These reasons can include new business markets, less competition, higher profits, less police enforcement, and greater stature may be achieved in a new neighborhood. These neighborhoods, often quiet communities that were historically unaffected by the ills of the big cities, become essentially a ‘new gangster paradise’ for their newest residents and the sickness that they are about to inflict.
The Pentagon's Secret Plans to Secure Pakistan's Nuclear Arsenal. November 9, 2011 / By Jeffrey Goldberg and Marc Ambinder National Journal
By hiding its nuclear weapons from Washington, Pakistan has made them much more vulnerable to jihadists. In response, the Pentagon has devised secret plans to secure the Pakistani arsenal -- by force if necessary.
Shortly after Navy SEALs raided the Pakistani city of Abbottabad in May and killed Osama bin Laden, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, the Pakistani chief of army staff, spoke with Khalid Kidwai, the retired lieutenant general in charge of securing Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal. Kidwai, who commands a security apparatus called the Strategic Plans Division, had been expecting Kayani’s call.
Gangs and Terrorists: Partners in Crime. October 12, 2011 / By Sgt. Lou Savelli, NYPD (retired)
You could still smell the odor of the burned towers of World Trade Center all the way to the East Flatbush neighborhood in Brooklyn weeks after the attacks. On the corner of Clarendon Road, a few feet from Flatbush Avenue, it was business as usual. Haitian Mafia Crips was spread out across the four corners looking for Five-Oh. People were heading home in the darkness after a long day at work in Manhattan. They seemed almost oblivious, or frightened, to the gang colors and apparent drug dealing as they scurried across the street homeward like mice racing to a hole in a wall when the lights go on. "There's a hand to hand!" clamored Detective Paul Rossi, lead investigator for the case. His voice resounded with some confusion over the tac radio about a drug deal that just went down on the corner. "Male black, blue Colorado Rockies cap, blue North Carolina jersey, blue jeans and white and blue KSWISS sneakers", he continued.
Before he could make another radio transmission, I cut him off. "Unless he's dealing for our subjects, disregard the Crips on the corner! We're here for the Palestinians in the grocery store. They are our targets! We have a new mission, now!” The radio immediately became silent as we continued our surveillance on an alleged Palestinian funding cell working for an unnamed foreign terrorist group. As tough as it was to stand down on a ground ball drug deal by gang bangers, most likely armed with hand guns, my unit and I were reassigned to work terrorists in the wake of the 9-11 attacks. After spending several days at the World Trade Center searching through the rubble and learning the names of several fellow officers who were killed, it was an assignment I accepted immediately and with great aggression. Yes, aggression! I was pissed and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on anyone remotely connected to Bin laden.
Ten Years Later, Remembering 9/11: Local Company Trains for Terror Attacks in a Post 9-11 World. September 14, 2011 / By Samantha Wright - Boise State Public Radio
BOISE, Id – This week we’re looking at how the ten year anniversary of September 11th changed Idaho. One of those changes has been on the law enforcement front especially when it comes to training people how to handle terrorism events. In fact, 9-11 was the catalyst for one Idaho man to launch a private company that does just that. Chadd Harbaugh is the President of the Eagle-based Government Training Institute. He told Samantha Wright he got the idea for the company while he was a police officer in Garden City.
September 11, 2001 Reflect and Remember. September 7, 2011 / By Dennis O'Connor
As we approach the tenth anniversary of 911, we as a nation should reflect on the bravery of our first responders and civilians that lost their lives on that tragic day. The days that followed showed a unity among Americans, regardless of background and differences that could be felt around the world.
Our country was soon propelled into the war to defend our democracy and freedoms that our constitution entitles us to have. The war on Terrorism soon became a national goal among our military and our law enforcement.
Having had worked as a law enforcement officer in a jurisdiction in close proximity to New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania, I felt the winds of change that were about to occur in our daily lives. My department was inundated with money, equipment and training as were other jurisdictions.
Gangs and Terrorists in our Midst as Partners in Crime: The Newest Threat Exposed as the Tenth Anniversary of September 11th arrives. September 7, 2011 / By Sgt. Lou Savelli, NYPD (retired)
In the last few years, US Armed Forces, Federal Agencies, Intelligence Officials and Border Protection Agents have been increasingly concerned about the threat of terrorism and its connection to the US-Mexico border. In our training course, Gangs and Terrorism, we have exposed the historical and current connection between, what the government calls 'Special Interest Aliens' (Aliens from countries that Al Qaeda is active), and gang members. In our effort to help America's Homeland Security Forces and local, state and federal law enforcement officers better prepare for this increasing threat, we, at GTI, have exposed a myriad of conspiracies and links between foreign terrorists, American Street gangs, Transnational Organized Criminals and Drug Cartels and how their partnerships can be found in so many American cities.
Looking Beyond the Barrel of the Gun. August 17, 2011 / By Dennis O'Connor
Spending my entire adult life either in the military or law enforcement, I have learned or I thought I did learn to be very conscious of my surrounding. In reality what I did learn was to be vigilant in anticipation of a violent act or crime to be committed. What I never spent time on, was once the violent act or crime was committed and a response was required, how to deal with processing.
Over the last four years I have had the greatest opportunity to train some of the best tactical officers in the law enforcement community as well as first responders. Regardless of whom the students are, the one most notable down fall, is the ability to see past the end of their gun and to process what they see.
In a high stress environment, we know that the sympathetic nervous system takes over and tunnel vision begins to occur. The question that arises is how do we as trainers teach the student how to process everything they see, prioritize and act accordingly.
Are We Prepared? A Chilling Scenario. June 7, 2011 / By Peter N. Spagnolo
When American commandos took Osama bin Laaden out in early May of this year, they also conducted as thorough a search of the compound as the situation allowed.
Among the most interesting pieces of intelligence collected in this operation were documents strongly leading US antiterrorism authorities to believe that Osama was, up to the last days of his life, encouraging his adherents to conduct armed attacks on targets within the borders of the United States.
These attacks would probably be along the lines of the November 2008 attacks in Mumbai, which, over three violent days, claimed the lives of some 164 innocents.
The terror attacks in Mumbai consisted of ten separate, but coordinated attacks; they were well planned and executed.
Osama exhorted his followers to conduct small-scale attacks with firearms.
It appears that the aircraft attacks of 911 were too costly, took too many resources and too much time to plan.
While these attacks were spectacular, Osama believed that smaller attacks, in smaller US cities would have an even more dramatic impact on the citizens of the United States.
Wounded Soldier to receive Medal of Honor for action in Afghanistan June 1, 2011 / By Army News Service
An Army Ranger who lost his right hand and suffered shrapnel wounds after throwing an armed grenade away from his fellow Soldiers will be the second living Medal of Honor Recipient from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
On July 12, 2011, President Barack Obama will award Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Arthur Petry, with the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry. Petry will receive the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions during combat operations against an armed enemy in Paktya, Afghanistan, May 26, 2008.
Petry now serves as part of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Ga.
Tactical Concerns: The Partnership between, and threat from, Gangs, Extremists and Terrorists April 13, 2011 / By Lou Savelli
As our borders receive more scrutiny and terrorists develop stronger partnerships with gang members, criminal adversaries become more adept at countering law enforcement and military tactics. In light of the more prevalent threat from 'homegrown' terrorists, these adversaries may even come from within our own ranks or simply have an intricate knowledge of our tactics. American gang members, foreign terrorist and domestic extremists have been excessively infiltrating the ranks of our military for decades and, to a much lesser degree, the ranks of our law enforcement community. This exposure to 'tactical' experience and knowledge lends itself to bringing enemy combatants, whether gang members, terrorists or extremists, a step closer and more capable of defeating our tactical efforts.
Over the years, I have investigated or learned about many individuals who were actually gang members, extremists or terrorists who have been privy to military and law enforcement tactical information and training. These infiltrators were able to observe military or law enforcement tactics first hand, putting them to use against us. These examples show the deadly potential posed by gangs and terrorists.
FBI: 100 Percent Chance of WMD Attack February 14, 2011 / Newsmax
The probability that the U.S. will be hit with a weapons of mass destruction attack at some point is 100 percent, Dr. Vahid Majidi, the FBI’s assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate, tells Newsmax.
Such an attack could be launched by foreign terrorists, lone wolves who are terrorists, or even by criminal elements, Majidi says. It would most likely employ chemical, biological, or radiological weapons rather than a nuclear device.
As it is, Majidi says, American intelligence picks up hundreds of reports each year of foreign terrorists obtaining WMD. When American forces invaded Afghanistan, they found that al-Qaida was working on what Majidi calls a “nascent” weapons of mass destruction effort involving chemical and biological weapons.
THE PERFECT STORM February 9, 2011
America faces two huge, interlinked problems. We see direct results from these problems and are facing increasing threats from worsening perceptions of them. Our unemployment rate is running at 9.4%, meaning that in excess of 14 million Americans are out of work (not including those looking for full-time jobs but settling for part-time work – if you include those numbers the figure is around 18%). Job creation is not even keeping pace with our current rise in population (and no one knows the true numbers of our population growth). The intertwined problem is our budget deficit. It is nearly 10% of GDP - obviously non-sustainable. As a result, interest payments are consuming 10% of total government revenue (also non-sustainable).
Fort Hood lessons promote better force protection. November 5, 2010 / Department of Defense News
One year after a tragic shooting spree left 13 people dead and 32 more injured at Fort Hood, Texas, the military is working at every level to apply lessons learned to protect the force against an increasingly complex threat, an Army force-protection official told American Forces Press Service.
The Fort Hood incident forced the military to evaluate, "not just the tactical-level response that happened at Fort Hood specifically, but also the processes and systems and policies that were in place for the Department of Defense as a whole that could have led to what happened," said Mary "Chris" Frels, deputy provost marshal for U.S. Army North.
Hood Marks One Year Since Deadly Rampage November 5, 2010 / Agence France-Presse FORT HOOD, Texas -- When the first shots rang out in a deployment center here, Soldiers thought it was a drill. They were stunned to discover they were in a middle of a massacre, by one of their own.
By the time it was over, 13 people were dead and dozens more wounded in an attack that brought home the war to this sprawling military base in the heart of Texas, and raised the specter of homegrown Islamic extremism.
A year after the shootings, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, 40, sits paralyzed from the chest down in a jail cell facing 13 counts of premeditated murder -- charges that could bring the death penalty.
The Nov. 5, 2009, shooting shocked the nation. Military officials have faced intense criticism for overlooking warning signs about Hasan, an army psychiatrist who corresponded by e-mail with a radical cleric now in Yemen.
The cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, has since been accused of links to a string of other plots originating from Yemen, most recently the discovery of explosive devices on U.S. cargo planes.
The Army's top civilian, John McHugh, and chief of staff, Gen. George Casey, will speak here Friday at a ceremony in memory of the victims. A 6-foot-tall granite memorial etched with the names of the 13 people killed in last year's shooting rampage was to be unveiled at the ceremony.
Pentagon Releases Final Fort Hood Shooting Review. August 20, 2010 / Department of Defense News
WASHINGTON — Pentagon officials today released the Defense Department’s final review of recommendations issued by an independent panel in the wake of the Nov. 5, 2009, shooting spree on Fort Hood, Texas.
26th MEU raid force hones maritime interception skills June 24, 2010 / Marine Corps News
BARNWELL, S.C. — Marines prepare to fast-rope onto a building as their hovering Navy MH-60S Seahawk Helicopter begins to inch closer to the rooftop. The Marines launch their ropes and swiftly slide down onto the roof, which serves as the simulated deck of a ship. As soon as the team is on the deck, they quickly assemble and breach the building entrances where their enemy waits to resist.
CASE STUDY -- When the unthinkable happens, Delaware SWAT teams don’t miss a beat April 12, 2010 / Government Security News
Day to day, most citizens do not think twice about the routine activities that their local law enforcement agencies complete in order to ensure their safety. Things like issuing citations for minor offenses or patrolling the neighborhood to prevent vandalism simply equate to another “day in the life” for law enforcement officers. Ideally, these routine activities keep neighborhoods all over the country relatively safe and quiet. But what if the unthinkable happens?
Sunnyside officers earn SWAT certification in week-long training. January 10, 2010 / Daily Sun News
This week has been rigorous for 10 of Sunnyside's finest. The police officers and a fire department captain have been undergoing basic concepts and tactics training to become fully certified SWAT team members.
30 Officers Undergo Active Team Training August 13, 2009 / Marianas Variety
LOUD explosions followed by screams were heard at the former Koresca Hotel in Koblerville yesterday as students were evacuated during a shooting training conducted for 30 local police officers.
Active Shooting Response Training for Police Officers August 13, 2009 / Saipan Tribune
As students ran toward the door to flee a shooting rampage, responding police officers wearing bulletproof vests and arms drawn storm the hallways and rooms to search for the “shooter” and stop him from doing further harm.
GTI and Delaware Law Enforcement Community Announce Joint Partnership Agreement June 25, 2009
Government Training Institute, Inc. (GTI), a leading military and law enforcement training organization, and Delaware Police Chief's Council have announced a joint partnership that will allow for the delivery of standardized, DHS approved training to state and local law enforcement officers in the northeast region of the United States. The partnership comes in response to the nation's security needs in Delware, New Jersey, Philadelphia and New York.
Veterans Training Corporation Signs Teaming Agreement with Government Training Institute February 25, 2009
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. -- Bio-Clean International, Inc. announced today that the Company's affiliated entity, Veterans Training Corporation, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), has entered into a Teaming Agreement with Government Training Institute (GTI).
Government Training Institute (GTI) Relocates Center of Excellence October 20, 2008 / Southern Carolina Region News
Government Training Institute, Inc., a leading military and law enforcement training organization for first responders, has selected South Carolina to be the new home of its advanced tactical operations training headquarters.
Global Clients, Local Company August 6, 2008 / The People-Sentinel (Barnwell, SC)
Police, military training firm locates headquarters in two-county region. Barnwell and Bamberg counties may seem like rural, remote locations, but it is becoming a destination for some of the world's best police and military groups.
Training Against Terrorism August 1, 2008 / The State (Columbia, SC)
Two police officers wearing bulletproof vests and helmets stood on the dark blue helicopter's skids as it landed on the building's roof. Below, officers blew open a door with explosives, stormed through the opening and rescued hostages. The officers also arrested a handful of "tangos" -- police and military jargon for terrorists
Training Contractor Relocates August 1, 2008 / The Augusta Chronicle (Augusta, GA)
Government Training Institute Inc., a police and military training contractor, has moved its training facilities to Barnwell and Bamberg counties.
Company Specializing in Homeland Security Training Relocates July 31, 2008 / Times and Democrat (Orangeburg, SC)
Officials of Government Training Institute Inc., which specializes in training in the fields of anti-terrorism, terrorism counter-measures, police sniper operations, specialized patrol, high-risk policing activities and other law enforcement and military functions related to the post 9/11 world, announced Thursday they are relocating GTI’s corporate headquarters to Denmark
Government Training Institute (GTI) Relocates Center of Excellence July 31, 2008
Leading military and law enforcement training organization, GTI, has relocated its training center to South Carolina. The move comes in response to national demand for the delivery of Active Shooter and SWAT courses approved by U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), taught exclusively by GTI with eligibility for Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) funding.
New Training Facility July 31, 2008 / News Channel 12 WRDW-TV (Augusta, GA)
It's a major safety and economic boost for you; a new government training facility, training soldiers and more; all to protect you and boost the economy. It's quite the international experience, too.
GTI Relocates to South Carolina June 27, 2008
GTI moves headquarters to South Carolina. New facility will bring approximately 15 jobs and more than 3,000 visitors and related revenues into the Southern Carolina region as first responders attend GTI law enforcement and military personnel training programs at two regional sites.
MCSO SWAT Personnel Survive Rigorous WMD/HAZMAT Tactical Course Taking Top Honors June 26, 2007
MCSO SWAT personnel return after attending a three week tactical course that tested their physical and mental endurance.
Experts Co-Author West Point Training Publication "Countering Terrorism and Insurgency in the 21st Century" June 1, 2007
The book was edited by Professor James Forest who teaches at the Combating Terrorism Center: It will be used to help educate and train students at West Point. GTI's contributors covered the role state and local police departments play -- with an emphasis on SWAT. The book will be utilized at West Point.
Peter Spagnolo accepted into the International Development PhD Program at University of Southern Mississippi April 16, 2007
A challenging four-year doctorate program that requires intensive research and is overseen by professors who specialize in various subfields of political science.
GTI Announces New Course: Immediate Action Teams January 4, 2007
This is designed for the patrol officer; it takes the student through the change in police action in an active shooter situation.
GTI and ISU Join Forces January 3, 2007
Idaho State University’s Institute of Emergency Management (IEM) to offer GTI's SWAT Type III course. Curriculum reviewed and approved by the US Department of Homeland Security, Office of Grants & Training.
GTI Launches Corporate Website September 1, 2006
The new site features a rich online atmosphere while providing greater functionality and more flexibility for students who frequent the site regularly.
