Instructors

Ted Ajax founded and served as medical director of the TEMS (Tactical Emergency Medical Support) Unit of the Cascade County Sheriffs Office Tactical Response Team (SWAT), as well as serving as an operational team member for many years. A lifelong competitive shooter in several disciplines, Ted first started studying under Jeff Cooper at Gunsite 25 years ago. He is a Glock certified instructor/armorer and NRA certified LE handgun instructor. Ted is a devoted hunter, and has a special interest in African hunting, where he has successfully hunted dangerous game. Ted currently is a practicing physician in Wyoming.

Troy Arce has over 23 years of rescue and special operations experience. He is currently serving as a Combat Rescue Officer where he leads combatants in full spectrum personnel recovery. Troy has been teaching at Gunsite since 1996. He is a Rangemaster in pistol, carbine, and shotgun. Troy also teaches special classes to include wilderness emergency skills and Tactical Medicine.

Scott Burgess recently retired from active duty as a US Army Major who spent
27 years in the service in both Infantry and Aviation specialties. He has worked extensively with foreign armies in tactical training during NATO operations. He has anti-terrorism experience and has worked with US Army Special Forces, Rangers, Special Operations Aviation and the British Special Air Service. A professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Scott has developed a defensive skills college course that includes the 250 course.

Captain Ken Campbell has over 24 years experience at the Boone County Sheriff Department in Central Indiana. His duties have included K-9 Handler, Crash Reconstruction, Haz Mat Tech, Reserve Unit Commander and Shift Supervisor. Ken is currently the Sheriff of Boone County Indiana in Lebanon. Firearms training has included Glock, Remington, Colt, H&K, Smith & Wesson and others. He has Instructor Certification in several less-lethal applications including Oleoresin of Capsicum, Sage Int'l and Taser. Ken is a Rangemaster 1991. for Pistol, Carbine, Shotgun, Rifle and Submachinegun.

Dean Caputo has served as a sergeant on the Arcadia PD as an officer since 1982 currently as patrol supervisor, and the supervisor in charge of the Force Training unit (FTU) since 1994. He has done a 5 yr tour as the supervisor in the Detective Bureau and is in charge of all major investigations. Dean has also done a 5 year tour on a DEA task force (part of the largest seizure of cocaine in the world). Dean has been a Gunsite adjunct Instructor since 1999 and is qualified to teach Pistol & Carbine.

Bill Dreeland is currently a Special Agent for the US Customs Service in Tucson, AZ. He has more than 23 years of law enforcement experience as a local police officer, a police academy instructor, and as patrol agent with the US Border Patrol. He has been a firearms trainer since 1977. Bill was a Captain in the US Army Reserve and served in several intelligence units. He has completed several military counter and anti-terrorism courses. As a Rangemaster at Gunsite bill is qualified to instruct pistol, carbine, rifle a, SMG and Foreign Weapons.

Ron Fielder retired from the Metro Nashville PD after 35 years service.He served in patrol and K-9 and was with SWAT for 20 years, retiring as team leader and senior firearms instructor.Ron spent 5 years as a sergeant with CIS, responsible for tracking persistent violent offenders.Ron has instructed for local, state, and federal agencies. He has been an instructor at Gunsite since 2000. He teaches pistol, shotgun, carbine, and rifle.

Erick Gelhaus has been a Deputy Sheriff with Sonoma County, CA. since 1989. He is currently assigned to the Patrol Division, along with being both a Senior Firearms Instructor and Armorer. Previously, he was assigned to the Gang Enforcement Team and Narcotics Investigations. Eric is an avid hunter both in North America and Africa. Eric teaches Pistol, Carbine, Shotgun and Rifle.

Howard Hall has over twenty-four years of experience in counter-terrorism, nuclear security, incident command and emergency management in United States Department of Energy (DOE) facilities.  He worked for many years in DOE special operations as a Special Response Team Operator, Team Leader, Officer-in-Tactical Command and Commander.  He has also worked for over twenty years with Crisis Negotiation Teams both as a negotiator and as a Team Leader.  He is currently the Director of Training for Security Forces at the Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory as well as a sworn officer with the Los Alamos Police Department.  He has been a Gunsite Instructor and Rangemaster since 1987 specializing in pistol, shotgun, and carbine.

John Hall is currently a police sergeant with a California law enforcement agency. He began his law enforcement career in1994 after serving eight years in the Army and CA National Guard.His assignments have included patrol, canine handler, Field TrainingOfficer, detective, range master, patrol supervisor, and administrativesergeant. He has served on his department's SWAT Team for severalyears and held positions as sniper, entry team member, assistant team leader, and team leader. John is a pistol instructor at Gunsite.

Allen Hall has been involved in civil and federal law enforcement since 1979, currentlyserving as a patrol Sgt. SWAT/SRT member and team leader since 1981. He has 8 years on a full time USDOE SRT team, including Operational Sniper, Assaulter, Team leader, and SRT Training Instructor. POST certified Instructor in SWAT , Sniper, Firearms, and OC. Involved in various martial arts since 1972. Allen has been a Gunsite instructor since 1990. Allen is a Rangemaster in Pistol, Carbine, Shotgun, SMG and Advanced Tactical Problems.

Bill Halvorsen retired in 2002 after 27 years in law enforcement with LAPD and Glendale CA. Police Departments. During his career he worked patrol, special enforcement detail, detectives and motors. Bill was a team leader, rangemaster and armorer on the SWAT team. Bill is a Rangemaster at Gunsite since 1985. He is certified in Pistol, Carbine, Shotgun and Rifle.

Dave Harris has been an active duty California law enforcement officer since 1980. He has worked numerous specialty assignments including firearms and tactics instructor, academy instructor, gang unit, Special Weapons and Tactics unit, special enforcement team, field training officer as well as being a team leader for a federal agency task force. He is a court qualified expert in firearms, gangs and narcotics. Dave originally joined the Gunsite staff in 1988 and is a qualified Rangemaster for Pistol, Carbine, Shotgun and Rifle.

Ed Head retired as a Field Operations Supervisor with the US Border Patrol in 2001. In his 30 years of law enforcement experience he has served in a variety of patrol, investigative and training capacities and has been a federal and state certified firearms instructor for more than 25 years. Ed has been a Gunsite instructor since 1991 and a Rangemaster since 1997. He teaches Pistol, Carbine, Rifle, Shotgun and Specialty classes. Ed is the operations manager at Gunsite.

Michael Hughes, is a retired Major from the US Army Reserves. He has over 18 years experience in Law Enforcement. Mike is currently a Lieutenant with the Denver PD. His assignments have included Patrol Officer, Gang Unit Technician, Accident Investigation Supervisor, Police Academy Continuing Education Supervisor and Field Training Supervisor. He is one of the Department's Arrest Control Technicians, Pursuit Intervention Techniques, Pepperball, Taser, Less Lethal Shotgun and Immediate Action/Rapid Deployment instructors. Lt. Hughes has been a Rangemaster at Gunsite since 1991. He is an instructor for Pistol, Shotgun, Carbine and Submachine gun.

John Hutchison is one of the world’s most respected police and military defensive tactics trainers. A master martial artist, self defense expert, combatives instructor and former S.W.A.T. Team Leader, Sgt. Hutchison is a 5th Degree Black Belt in the martial art of Dynamic Combat™ and the lead Tactical Weapons Training Instructor for Ryan Defense Systems, Inc. Sgt. Hutchison helped develop the Talon Shield Defense System™, and is its chief Instructor.

Lamonte Kintsel retired from the Ventura County Sheriff's Dept., CA after 32 years of service. He served as a firearms instructor for eight years. He also spent 25 years in the CA Army National Guard, and retired as a Captain and Helicopter pilot. Lamont has been a Gunsite instructor since 1999. He teaches pistol, shotgun, carbine, rifle and subgun.

Paul Kultala is a police officer with Chandler (AZ) Police Department. He is currently assigned as a School Resource Officer. He has served as a Special Assignment Unit Tactical officer and Sniper. He retired from the USAF after 20 years service as a pararescueman. He has been an adjunct instructor at Gunsite since 1996 and teaches pistol, rifle, carbine, shotgun and tactical medicine

Mario Marchman has been a police officer with Glendale CA. PD since 1977. His duties have included but are not limited to Special Enforcement Detail, Vice/Narcotics Investigator, SWAT Team Leader, and Special Enforcement. He is currently the training sergeant and Rangemaster. His specialties include but are not limited to Shotgun, Carbine, Pistol, and Sub Gun. Mario is an avid rifleman and hunter with North American and African Safari Experience. Mario has been an instructor at Gunsite since 1990.

Chris Matthews has been a police officer with a large southwestern police department for over 17 years.  Currently a police pilot, he has over 10 years SWAT/SRT experience as a team member and instructor.  He is a firearms instructor in his department’s academy and in-service training sections.  A former U.S. Marine, he has trained other law enforcement and military units and is also an adjunct instructor for the D.O.E. Office of Secure Transport.  Chris has been a Gunsite instructor since 1996 and teaches pistol, shotgun and carbine.

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Jerry McCown is a retired captain with the Glendale, AZ Police Department. He had over twenty-five years of service and worked in Patrol, Investigations, Traffic Services and Support Services. He was the commander and primary trainer for the department's Tactical Operations Unit from its inception until his transfer to Investigations Commander. He is currently the Academy Commander for the Glendale Community College Law Enforcement Training Academy, as well as their primary instructor for firearms and tactics, having held this position since 1984. Jerry has been a Rangemaster for Gunsite since 1985. He teaches Pistol, Shotgun, Carbine and Submachine Gun.

Larry Mudgett served as an Infantry Sergeant in the 1st Air Cavalry in Viet Nam from 1967-1968. He retired from the Los Angeles Police Department after nearly 35 Years. Larry was a S.W.A.T. team member and an instructor for the team for fourteen years. He was also the Chief Firearms Instructor of Training Division for thirteen years. He has taught revolver, pistol, rifle, carbine, submachine gun and shotgun for the L.A.P.D. and other police and military organizations. Larry has trained both foreign and domestic Special Ops Units, as well as local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. He was an Adjunct Instructor for the D.O.E. Central Training Academy for ten years. Larry is a competitive Cowboy Action Shooter. Larry teaches pistol, carbine and rifle.

Charlie McNeese retired from the AZ. Department of ublic Safety after serving 33 years. He was the Department's Master Firearms Instructor and Senior Armorer. He received a Master Firearms Instructor certification from the University of Illinois. He was in the Marine Corps for four years prior to his law enforcement career. Charlie is a Gunsite Rangemaster in Pistol, Carbine and Shotgun.

William Murphy has been a police officer for 25 years. He is currently a Senior Police Officer assigned to Patrol/SWAT with the Huntington Beach PD in CAlifornia, where he is also a Firearms Instructor/Armorer and Use of Force Instructor. Bill serves as Lead Instructor for low-light and firearms courses at the SureFire Institute. Bill is qualified as a Rangemaster in Pistol, Carbine and Shotgun.

Il Ling New grew up hunting and fishing, and started guiding for her father's outfitting service as a teenager. She received her first guide's license at 17. Later, she became the first female captain of her university's shooting team.   Il Ling is a professional guide in the US, as well a National Sporting Clays Association Instructor. Outside the US, Il Ling has hunted in the UK, Asia, Australia, and Africa. At Gunsite, she teaches defensive handgun, rifle and shotgun courses, as well as hunting rifle and wingshooting.

Eric Olds is a former Force Recon Marine with a background that includes Ivy League College, wilderness travel, motion-picture screenwriting and subsistence hunting. Eric has been an adjunct instructor since 1992 and is qualified as a Rangemaster for Rifle, Pistol and Carbine. He also provides private rifle hunting instruction based on individual clients' goals and needs.

Robert Reed served with the US Army Special Forces and was assigned to 10th Special Forces Group (Europe). He has been a police officer with the city of Huntington Beach CA since 1977. His primary duties are Patrol and SWAT. Robert has over 19 years SWAT experience with time being split between entry team and sniper team assignments. An instructor since 1989, he is a Rangemaster for Rifle and Precision Rifle classes. He is also a coach for Pistol, Shotgun, Submachine Gun and Carbine.

Michel Röthlisberger is currently in charge of the firearms and tactics training for the Swiss Federal Police. He served in Special Operations Units as a Team Leader, entry man, sniper and VIP protection specialist both in the Police and Military in Switzerland with different assignments in other countries. He is an avid hunter with world wide hunting experience for more than 20 years.  Michel has been teaching pistol, carbine, shotgun, rifle and sniper classes at Gunsite since 1992.

Ben Salas is a sworn police officer, experienced martial artist, and professional defensive tactics instructor. He has designed and delivered tactical programs to local, federal, and international agencies and has performed specialized work for elements within the Department of Justice, Department of Defense, and the Department of Homeland Security. Benjamin has been on staff here at Gunsite since 2005 and instructs Edged Weapons Operations and Close Quarter Tactics.

Bobby Schneider retired from the Denver, Colorado PD 1998 after 21 years of service. He spent 18 years assigned to his department’s full time Special weapons and tactics team. Bobby is a certified firearms and less-lethal weapons instructor and has taught classes to federal, state and local law enforcement officers as well as to U.S. and foreign military units here and overseas. He has been a Gunsite Instructor since 1991 and is a qualified Rangemaster for pistol, shotgun, carbine and submachine gun.

Ed Stock is an Agent with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, assigned to the DPS Special Operations Unit as a bomb technician and weapons instructor. He is a Federal and Arizona qualified law enforcement firearms instructor and has taught classes to DEA, FBI, the US Army and several friendly foreign governments in both firearms and explosives. He has recently returned from serving in Iraq with the US Army. A Rangemaster for Gunsite since 1980, Ed is an instructor for Pistol, Rifle and Carbine.

Giles Stock retired from the Phoenix Police Department with 20 years of service, the last 11 as a Sergeant.  He supervised the Department’s firearms training unit and functioned as the primary Firearms Instructor Supervisor for the department’s Special Assignments Unit (SWAT).  He is also the primary instructor for the Hornady Academy, which conducts carbine and precision rifle classes for police and military personnel. Giles has been an Adjunct Instructor for the Gunsite since 1981. He is a range master for handgun, rifle, shotgun, and carbine.

Steve Tarani is an internationally recognized Force Options instructor who provides high profile operational skills training for various agencies worldwide specializing in the bridge between firearms and defensive tactics. He provides training to a number of government agencies where his training programs have been accepted as standard curriculum within the US defense and criminal justice training community. Steve is currently sworn in the State of CA and serving on staff as a DT and Firearms Instructor for Del Rey Oaks, CAPD. Steve has been on staff at Gunsite since 1997 teaching Defensive/Close Quarter Tactics, Edged Weapons and Pistol.

Mark Thomen has been a Reserve law enforcement officer since 1976, and he joined the San Jose Reserve unit in 1980 and is currently a Reserve Captain.  He has been an instructor for the handgun and carbine classes for the San Jose MERGE (SWAT) team and those classes ar open to officers from other jurisdictions in the Bay area.  He also  trains with the MERGE Sniper Unit.  He is an NRA certified instructor for Pistol, Personal Protection, and Tactical Police Handgun.  He has been a Gunsite instructor since 1999 and teaches Pistol and Carbine classes.

Jay Tuttle spent 10 years with a central Indiana law enforcement agency, serving as a patrol officer, and firearms and defensive tactics instructor. He is currently an adjunct instructor at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, where he teaches firearms and firearms instructor courses for pistol, shotgun and patrol rifle. Jay is a former Marine, and holds Black Belts in Korean and Japanese martial arts. He joined the staff in 2000, and teaches Pistol, Shotgun, Carbine, and Rifle.

Ken Tuttle recently retired as the Director of the Plattsburgh Air and Marine Branch, Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security. He was a federal law enforcement officer for 25 years and firearms instructor for 23 years. In addition Ken instructs federal officers in law enforcement tactical air assault and aerial gunnery. He was a founding member of two separate federal agency tactical teams with 10 years combined service to the teams. An Adjunct Instructor since 1993, Ken instructs Pistol, Carbine and Submachinegun.

Kenneth Vogel is a retired Police Captain with thirty-four years of service with a municipal police agency. During his career he was the commanding officer of a regionalized composite SWAT team and the Police Training Bureau. He is in possession of a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and a Master of Science degree in Administration. Ken has extensive international teaching experience and has provided training throughout the USA and on five foreign continents for the police, military and security forces from twenty-five separate nations in multiple subject areas concerning specialized use of force. Ken has been an instructor at Gunsite since 1998. He is qualified to instruct Pistol, Carbine, shotgun, rifle and SMG.

Hal Wachter has been a member of the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office since 1994.He was the SWAT team sniper for 5 years. Sergeant Wachter is also a firearms and general instructor for his agency. Hal worked 7 years for the LAPD on gang and undercover assignments. Hal is a former Navy SEAL. Hal has been an avid outdoorsman and North American Hunter most of his life. He has been an instructor at Gunsite since 2000. He teaches Pistol, Carbine and Rifle.

Sharon Wachter is a former officer with an Arizona Law Enforcement Agency. Sharon worked as a Personal Protection Specialist from 1996 through 1998, specifically protecting a Royal Diplomat. She was a police officer for the Los Angeles PD for 9 years. She was assigned in the South Central Los Angeles area. Sharon was a member of the South Bureau Criminal Resources Against Street Hoodlums Unit assigned to an undercover robbery apprehension detail which targeted violent criminals and high crime areas. Sharon has been an instructor since 2003. She teaches pistol classes.

Chris Weare, a former First Recon Marine and Vietnam veteran, retired in 2002 from the
Orange County California Sheriff's department after 30 years of service. He began his tenure in patrol and investigation, moving to a full-time position as a Bomb Technician
and instructor. For 16 years he was an adjunct weapons instructor in the OCSD Sherriff's
Academy, where he taught handgun and shotgun. Chris is a Gunsite Rangemaster and
teaches handgun, shotgun and carbine, as well as Explosive Injury for the Gunsite
Tac Med course.

Bob Whaley is a 28 year veteran in law enforcement currently serving as a lieutenant with the St. Louis County (Mo) Police Department.  His previous assignments included 15 years with the department's Tactical Operations Unit (SWAT) during which he received training in a variety of weapons systems and tactical applications.  Bob attended his first class at Gunsite in 1989 and began instructing in 2005.  He is a certified instructor in pistol, shotgun.