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A Look Back to Three Days In May.
Executive Protection Training in Ukraine
In May 2023 while a volunteer in Ukraine, I was contacted by a friend who passed along a request to visit with the Ukrainian Court Security Services to speak about the protection of judges.
Now I had already conducted three executive protection courses and some urban combat training for Ukrainian security services and law enforcement, but this was a visit to their headquarters for a formal meeting with their director, key members of his staff, and a sharing of ideas.
Little did I realize just how rewarding these next three days would be working with the officers of the Court Security Service.
The request was simple, observe their officers in a series of drills and exercises and provide feedback. Make some recommendations and just like that I would be back to my day job.
Well instead, the officers and I ran those exercises together and we learned from each other. Their techniques, my techniques, shared procedures, and tactics became intermeshed.
As the scenarios got more difficult and complex the easier, they became.
The philosophy of protection is the same regardless of the threat, situation, or the protectee. Only the risk mitigation procedures change, so when we got beyond language barriers and talked about daily procedures it was like I had served alongside these officers.
In the field, on the range, or in the dojo it was apparent these were experienced professionals. But they were also willing and avid learners who absorbed everything we talked about and everything we trained on.
Given the everyday threat level to their protectees from the Russians, organized crime, and just everyday threats in a war zone you would think they would be burned out and a bit paranoid. And to highlight this just a bit during one training event there was an air raid, and that evening the Russians posted on social media my location, what I was doing, and for whom. So now OPSEC was an issue for them as well.
Of course this training was against the backdrop of the war with invading Russian forces. So the local law enforcement teams also requested urban warfare training in infantry and reconnaissance tactics. Training necessary so they could fight to hold a government building. campus or the city if needed.
I was reminded today of these events when someone from the public safety sector in Rivne Ukraine visited my LinkedIn profile. A former student, a police chief, or an agency staff member perhaps.
But regardless, I can still say with absolute certainty I learned as much as I shared, and I am indebted to the director of the CSS for his confidence in my experience and professionalism enough to seek me out.
Today I still conduct team and detail readiness assessments as well as executive protection training for law enforcement and other security services in the United States. But I will never forget the Ukrainian Court Security Services and three days in May.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/197XbrzT9D/
https://sso.court.gov.ua/sso/pres-centr/news/1423751
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1H6Tw5RhtP/
