Nick Minzghor - Nick is the manager and owner of AST. Nick is a 21 year veteran Master Police Officer for the King County Sheriff's Office and former Marine. He has had numerous assignments in his career, including 6 years on the tactical team as a sniper and member of the Tactical Training Unit. He developed or co-developed and taught every major firearms program in use on his department today. Nick is a pistol, rifle, shotgun, sub-gun, instructor among many other instructor certifications. He has been through at least 3,200 hours of specialized firearms and tactical training in the past 10 years.

Nick has over 5,000 hours teaching firearms and tactics to Washington State police officers. This includes helping to develop and teach the current WA state Basic Sniper course. Nick served as a tactical team member and as a less lethal expert during the WTO riots in Seattle. He currently is responsible for course development and is the lead instructor of annual Active Shooter training for several contract cities within the sheriff's office. Nick studies Yang Ki Yin Jiu-Jitsu and he is an active competitive shooter, ranked as a Master in Limited Division with USPSA.

Taking it up a Notch - in the FALL 2007 issue of NTOA "The Tactical Edge" magazine written by Nick

Tim Winfree - CMSgt Tim is currently on active duty serving in the United States Air Force as the Superintendent of the 50th Mission Support Group at Schriever Air Force Base Colorado.  Tim is a 21 year veteran in the Security Forces career field and has performed duties around the world on numerous large and small security and law enforcement teams.  For more than 16 of the 21 years served Tim has served as team member, leader, trainer, and coach for several Air Force Security Forces competitive shooting and tactics teams.  Competing against teams of security and combat professionals from all over the world Tim has lead his teams to more than 15 gold, silver, and bronze medals.  As Protective Services Team lead for the Ministry of Interior, Baghdad Iraq, Tim provided protection, transport, and combat training to numerous international heads of state, dignitaries, and coalition force members with zero loss of life during his tenure.  Tim has earned the expert marksman medal for every Security Force weapon in the Air Force inventory and is a master range certified official.  In addition Tim is a certified Air Force and National Incident Management and Response System member.

Don Gulla - Don is the lead instructor for AST combatives training. Sgt. Gulla is a 25 year veteran of the King County Sheriff's Office. Don has been assigned to the SWAT team for the last 10 years on the Entry Team. Don is the department Taser coordinator and is one of only 14 Senior Master Taser Instructors worldwide. Don is a Master Defensive Tactics Instructor and the founder of Arrestling™. Don spent 7 years teaching at the WA State Basic Law Enforcement academy as a Defensive Tactics instructor among other duties. Don was also instrumental in the creation of his department's active shooter training program. He is also a 4 time World Police Olympics Gold Medalist in Karate and has twice served on the security team for the U.S. Olympics. Don also has extensive experience as an instructor nationwide.

Kirk Wiper - Kirk is a 27 year veteran of law enforcement, having worked for the Kelso Police Department for most of his career. He served several years as the Lead Firearms Instructor at the WA State Basic Law Enforcement Academy and helped develop many of the firearms programs currently used by the academy today. He is a pistol, rifle, shotgun, and sub-gun instructor and has instructed several thousand police officers in the use of firearms and related tactics. He is a court recognized expert witness in the use of force and police tactics. Kirk has worked on tactical teams in both corrections and law enforcement as both a team leader and sniper and is currently assigned to patrol.

Brad Harbour - Brad is a 20 year veteran Lt. with the Madison county sheriff's department in Mississippi. He has spent 13 years as a K-9 highway interdiction deputy and now serves as commander of the department's swat team and training coordinator. His other duties involve being the liaison between the school system and the sheriff's department and being the crime stoppers coordinator. Brad is a pistol, rifle, shotgun, and taser instructor.

Matt Soden - Matt is a 15 year veteran Lt. with the Fairbanks Police Department in Fairbanks, Alaska. He has spent 10 years as a member of the department's swat team and now serves as commander. His other duties include being the department's firearms program coordinator, Taser program coordinator and lead active shooter instructor. Matt has been the lead instructor for active shooter classes to other agencies in the Fairbanks area. Matt is a pistol, rifle, shotgun, and sub-gun instructor.

Darrion Holiwell - Darrion is a 13 year veteran full time sheriff's deputy.  Darrion is the chief firearms instructor for his department and a full time SWAT team member.  He helped develop several firearms programs currently used by his department today.  He is also one of the lead training coordinators for the SWAT team.  Darrion is a pistol, rifle, shotgun, sub-gun  instructor along with several other instructor certifications.  He has several thousand training hours in the use of firearms and tactics.  As a SWAT entry team member, he has served over four hundred high risk warrants over the past six years.  He is currently responsible for firearms course development and is the lead instructor for all pistol, rifle and sub-gun CQB courses.  Darrion is an active competitive shooter, ranked as a Master in Limited and Production divisions with USPSA.  He is also ranked as an Master in the Stock Service Pistol Division with IDPA.

Steve McDonald - Steve is a 15 year veteran of a large Sheriff's Office in WA state. Steve is currently assigned as a detective in the special assault unit. Steve is also a 10 year veteran of the SWAT team and has spent time on both the entry and sniper elements and has assistant team leader experience. Steve is also a defensive tactics instructor.

Erik Hildebrand - Erik is a 15 year veteran of the Yakima Police Dept. and is currently assigned as the Sgt. of the Yakima Gang Unit as well as assistant team leader of the SWAT team. Erik has experience in street crimes as well as detective experience. Erik holds instructor certifications in Active Shooter, Chemical Agents, Less Lethal and NFDDs. He is currently an instructor for a Yakima County wide Active Shooter cadre.

Justin Wood - Justin has 10 years of full time service as a sheriff’s deputy. Starting his law enforcement career with a large Sheriff's Office in WA state, he served 4 years with their patrol division and was trained as an active shooter response member. Justin is now currently working near Minneapolis / Saint Paul, Minnesota as a full time sheriff’s deputy. He is currently assigned as a detective.
Since 2005, Justin has been a SWAT team leader for his agency and serves as an entry team member. He has been a Field Training Officer and is a department Use of Force and Firearms Instructor. Justin is a lead Defensive Tactics Instructor for Rasmussen College and has developing course curriculum for training future law enforcement candidates. He also teaches throughout the Midwest with a private training corporation which trains law enforcement, military and security personal in advanced police tactics.

Wes Worbington - Wes is a 8 year veteran Sgt. in Jacksonville, Florida. Wes is currently assigned full time as a leader on the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office SWAT team and currently is a Rapid Response instructor for his agency. Wes has over 300 hours of active shooter training. Wes is a pistol, rifle and shoot house instructor as well as a training coordinator for the SWAT team. Wes has held numerous responsibilities for the SWAT team and is currently assigned as a rappel master and scout. He is a graduate of the University of North Florida with a degree in Logistics and Business Management.

Brent Naylor - Brent is a 16 year veteran of the King County Sheriff's Office. Brent has been assigned to the SWAT team as a sniper since 1999. He has participated in several hundred high risk callouts and warrants. Brent's prior assignments include Field Training Officer, Master Police Officer and member of the Tactical Training Unit. He is also a handgun and rifle instructor. Brent is an assistant instructor for the WA State Basic Sniper Course.

Bruce Matthews - Bruce is a 25 year police veteran and former soldier. Bruce has been with the King County Sheriff's Office for the last 8 1/2 years. He has experience in plain clothes and narcotics assignments as well as metro transit police. Bruce is active shooter assistant instructor and team leader.

Kevin Compton - Kevin is a 13 year veteran full time sheriff's deputy. He’s an assistant instructor, team leader, field training officer and Master Police Officer. Kevin has served 18 years in the Army, Army Reserve and National Guard. In 2004 he did a combat tour in Iraq as an Infantry Squad Leader. He’s a graduate of The University of Washington with a degree in History.

Tim McDonald - Tim is an 11 year veteran full time sheriff's deputy and is a Field Training Officer and has been a member of the Active Shooter Response Team for the last 5 years and was assigned as a rifleman during the WTO riots in Seattle. Tim is also an Active Shooter team leader as well as an assistant trainer in the Active Shooter program who holds instructor certifications in Defensive Tactics, Handgun and Rifle. Tim is a Marine combat veteran from the first Gulf War. He served as a platoon Sgt. for Bravo Company 4th Tanks. Tim has been studying Yang Ki Yin Jiu-Jitsu for 5 years.

Tracy Owen - Tracy is a 9 year veteran full time sheriff's deputy. He is a Master Police Officer and a Field Training Officer. Tracy has attended over 300 hours of Active Shooter training. He has been a member of his department's Active Shooter Response Team for the last 5 years where he is a team leader and a training assistant. Tracy also attended the University of Washington where he graduated with a degree in economics.

Doug Deppa - Doug Deppa is a 10 year veteran full time sheriff's deputy. Doug has over 300 hours of Active Shooter training and is an assistant instructor and a team leader. He is also a handgun instructor and field training officer within his department. Doug has begun studying Yang Ki Yin Jiu-Jitsu.

Erik Soderstrom - Erik is a 9 year veteran full time sheriff's deputy. Erik holds instructor certifications in handgun, shotgun, rifle and Taser weapon systems and has a Bachelors degree in Law and Justice. Erik is a Field Training Officer with over 300 hours of Active Shooter training, has been a team leader for the last 5 years, and is an assistant instructor in the Active Shooter Response Team.

Steve Perry - Steve is a 7 year police veteran with the King County Sheriff's Office. He is currently a property and financial crimes detective; in addition, he serves as an active shooter response team leader and instructor. Steve holds certifications as a handgun and patrol rifle instructor. He is a graduate of Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington with bachelor degrees in Criminal Justice and Sociology.