Last month, following an exclusive invitation, Government Training Institute (GTI) president Chadd Harbaugh and Senior Terrorism Instructor, Peter Spagnolo, spent four days on Capitol Hill briefing delegations of the United States Senate and Congress. The topic of discussion was the preparedness levels of state and local law enforcement SWAT teams who counter terrorism and respond to mass casualty events in the US. Also discussed were the efforts that are being made by GTI and others to prepare for future attacks.
The briefings came only one month after the publishing of James Forest PhD's Countering Terrorism and Insurgency in the 21st Century: International Perspectives in which Harbaugh and Spagnolo co-authored a chapter on the very topic on which the briefings centered. The publication is used by Dr. Forest's students enrolled in the Center for Countering Terrorism at the US Military Academy at West Point. Copies of the book can be
purchased online.
Since GTI's visit to Washington, DC, staffers from various Senate and Congressional offices have visited the training facility in Boise. "There is a lot of work to be done but fortunately we have some great people in office who are whole heatedly concerned with the safety and security of the great people of our country," stated Harbaugh, "Together we can accomplish anything!" GTI is currently working with several delegations on numerous homeland security related issues.
Following the week on Capitol Hill, Harbaugh visited states on the east coast and met with different agencies to discuss the specific and regional needs of law enforcement departments to identify how GTI could help law enforcement agencies meet their preparedness goals. "Relationships were solidified and GTI will move aggressively forward helping these agencies to secure our homeland and meet any threats head on," Harbaugh added. "We need individuals in government, public office, and private business who are forward thinkers. Folks who have 'can do' attitudes, people who identify problems and formulate solutions in advance of need. Partisanship has no place in homeland security. We must deliver to the first responders and to the public. We have a synergy now and we are culminating it."