I did it! | College of the Mainlands | Galveston P.D. SWAT

FROM YOUR INSTRUCTOR
April 24, 2010

I did it! As of Friday April 23, 2010 at 3:00:00 p.m . CST your old Instructor is officially a Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Education Police Firearms Instructor and a Texas Commission on Private Security Board Firearms Instructor. Thanks to the fantastic training staff of Nick Rack and Lem Powell and their course at The College of the Mainland Law Enforcement Training Center ( and now the fees we pay Austin.) .

Those of you who know me understand that my near fatal accident in January 2008 and the follow on dissolution of my engagement and subsequent move and recovery period set that goal back until now. It just so happens I returned after my third surgery to work in April 2008 so it was a two year set back, but as many of my dearest friends and family have heard me say on many occasions “RANGERS NEVER QUIT!” To those friends and trainees and family members who encouraged me and supported me through it all helping me “hump my load” with positive encouragement I say from my heart THANK YOU.

To those who doubted, and thought me crazy and that I’d never do it ? I told you so!!!!! ( You know who you are). Never tell a Ranger (even an old one) that they can’t do something.

I have many reasons for posting this on the website beyond my pride in the accomplishment of a goal I set for myself years ago and accomplished through adversity and financial hardship. I had the great privilege of training with some incredibly dedicated Law Enforcement Professionals from the Galveston P.D. S.W.A.T. Team, Galveston County Sheriffs Dept. Firearms Training cadre’ and Warrants Div. (they gave me an official Galv. Sheriff’s Deputy patch for the job I did), Kemah P.D., Santa Fe P.D., and the Tx. Dental Board Criminal Investigation Unit. Their support for me as the only non full time police officer and their always positive feedback on my shooting skills, professionalism, and presentations both of my classroom lecture and course of fire development and execution were very humbling and gratefully received. I was awarded both the GCSO patch and praise from the Galv. P.D. SWAT officers in that they wished everyone they deal with in private security field were as professional and skilled as I am. High praise indeed from these officers indeed and much appreciated.

Let me talk about them for a bit. Galveston P.D. is presently sharing space with Galv. County S.O. in the basement of the S.O. building. The members from the G.P.D. S.W.A.T. Team are NOT FUNDED! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT CRAP AFTER WHAT THEY WENT THROUGH AND DID FOR THEIR CITY COMMUNITY AFTER HURRICANE IKE ?!!!!!! That is a shameful disgrace and a political problem that should not be allowed to continue. It is not G.P.D.’s fault.

These dedicated officers pay for their own training, weapons (personal) beyond issued equipment, and still have to fulfill their duties as patrol officers. Post Hurricane Ike and Rita that is just wrong guys. As a fellow professional, I can’t help but admire these guys for going above and beyond the call of duty to guarantee the community they protect that their brother officers will receive the absolute best training that they can possibly have and therefore also the highest chance of survival on a street that is truly in the throes of turmoil. STILL!!!!

Any one I have trained and licensed should know that equipment for a team like G.P.D. S.W.A.T. is not only highly specialized, but very expensive. These guys pay for that equipment out of their own pockets because they are true professionals. Then they show their dedication by not only attending a full 40 hour Instructors Course, but also working their shifts or giving up their vacations. As you can tell I’m impressed. That is positive Law Enforcement no matter how you look at it. They even had to drive their own vehicles to and from class. 

1. They need to get paid o.t. and they need to be reimbursed.
2. They should get every piece of gear they need and have their Dept. pay for it or reimburse them.
3. They should at least get promotions that would increase their pay and ease the financial burden they take upon themselves and their families
4. These are the very least things that should be done and the City of Galveston and The State of Texas should be ashamed that this is allowed to happen in a place that continues to rise up from the Gulf every time a natural disaster occurs. They have a true WARRIOR SPIRIT and I for what it’s worth salute them and their dedication to not only their city and community but to their fellow officers.

I understand that there are other Departments that face the similar situations that Galveston does, but c’mon; these guys really were at the tip of the spear and unlike the City of New Orleans they didn’t run. Hell they couldn’t even be blown or washed out and they are our neighbors. The other officers from the Gulf Coast that came to the Instructors Course were just as dedicated and took a huge hit (Kemah especially) and all banded together. I saw no mention of that in any type of media post hurricane Ike, and we should all be thankful that these guys are out there. I always appreciate it when y’all and others thank me for my military service and support for all my fellow veterans and military personnel but hey at the very least would you all do something for me please? The next time you get a chance; if an officer happens to drive through your neighborhood on patrol, flag him down and thank him just like you thank me. He or she deserve that much but you might offer em a soda or bottle of water or just an invite for coffee on a cold day or nite. Introduce yourself and your kids. Don’t hesitate to do it. It brightens their day and everyone who serves likes to know that somebody appreciates the job they do or have done. If you take your kids to Galveston and the water parks and beach and museum don’t just contribute to the corporate interests that take money from us as tourists. Stop a patrol officer if you see one and say “Thanks” and if you can have them call a SWAT guy if there’s one on patrol and donate your old cartridge brass to them or donate to their “fund “ whatever it may be but most of all thank them for their dedication and tell the SWAT team that your Instructor “Special Ed” asked you to say Hi.

 My hat is off to the dedicated Law Enforcement professionals I trained with this week and I’ll train under them ANY TIME!

Tomorrow I’ll give some detail about the class but as a preface it was fun and we shot over 575 rounds supplied by College of the Mainland.

Later... Eddie Out