This course will discuss Islamic jihadi terrorist groups, their origins, motivations, interaction, lessons learned abroad and current trends. It is crucial that US SWAT teams understand terrorist tactics that not only take into account a law enforcement response, but also specifically target those responders for destruction. As global jihadi terrorism spreads from the battlefields of the Middle-East, it is imperative that the accomplished SWAT officer fully understands their enemy and knows how to defeat them in the streets of America.

Bart Branyon has served on the tactical support unit, SWAT officer, sniper, team supervisor, and tactical operations center commander at the Olathe, Kansas Police Department. He also served as the US Department of Defense subject matter expert (SME) in counter-IED operations and a US Department of State SME in counter-terrorism operations. Currently, he is the Chief of the Kansas Alcohol Beverage Control. Bart has received multiple awards throughout his career to include the 1994 Kansas City Metro Tactical Officers Association Tactical Officer of the Year award, the NTOA's 2005 Individual Award of Valor, the Kansas Peace Officers Association Medal of Valor, the Kansas City Metro Chiefs of Police Medal of Valor, the Olathe Police Department Medal of Valor, the OPD Life-Saving Award, and the OPD 2005 Officer of the Year Award. He received the US Department of the Army Commanders Award for Civilian Service and the US Department of the Army Superior Civilian Service Award. The US Department of the Army and the International Security Assistance Force-Special Operations Forces recognized Bart for his embedded counter-IED service in Afghanistan in 2012 and 2013. Bart is a member of the NTOA Board of Directors and an instructor in SWAT Command and Decision-Making.