We had the good fortune of connecting with Shawn Thornton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shawn, what do you attribute your success to?
Our brand is recognized as a reality-based firearms and tactics training company that encourages clients to train in the realm of realism versus benign artificial flat range firearms training.

Paraclete Consulting Group is a brain-based fundamentals training company that teaches the 8 fundamentals of shooting while pushing students to progress into reality-based training. No gunfight has even been fought standing static at the 3-yard line shooting a static target or threat.

Gunfights are fought in many positions, situations and environments and our training must replicate that. If we train in these unconventional situations, when we find ourselves there, it won’t be the first time.

Survival based shooting must push the student into survival situations so fighting in positions other than standing become comfortable.

Lastly, the Paraclete Consulting Group 360 Shooter Program forces students to be equally familiar with PISTOL, CARBINE and TACTICS. We must possess a solid comprehension of all three areas.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have 35 years of security and security management and program management experience gained from the:
o US Military
o Police | SWAT | Criminal Investigator | Detective | Interview & Interrogation Certified | 2000 hours of
specialized training
o Global High Threat Protection on behalf of the Department of State, Worldwide Protective Service
High Threat Protection Division of Diplomatic Security (DS)
▪ US Consulate Southern Provincial Government of Iraq
▪ US Consulate Jerusalem Consulate Generals Protective Detail
▪ Office of Secretary: Secretaries Detail:
• Condoleezza Rice
• Hillary Clinton
• John Kerry
▪ POTUS / VPOTUS Diplomatic Security Program
• George Bush / Dick Chainey
• Obama / Clinton
• Global Advance Team Detail Leader
▪ Detail Leader Middle East Peace Initiative Palestinian Delegation
▪ Agent in Charge Detail Leader for the Special Envoy to the Middle East
▪ US Embassy Diplomatic Security Amman, Jordan
▪ Senior Program Kabul Embassy Security Force directing:
▪ Director of Training Diplomatic Security
• KASOTC
• JESTC
▪ Primary Instructor Diplomatic Security
▪ Global Response Security (GRS) National Security Agency (NSA) Global Protective Division
CLASSIFIED Operations
•7 years of CLASSIFIED US government security and protective operations, mission planning, advance team
operations, logistics, OCONUS and CONUS foreign travel program and residential protective details for US
diplomats and family
• Licensed Texas Level III / IV Personal Protective Officer (PPO) with Texas Department of Public Safety
under the Private Security Bureau
• Licensed Firearms Instructor
• Licensed Protective Operations Instructor
• Bachelor’s degree in security administration
• Associate degree in criminal justice

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This would be a weekend of training at the Secure America Now Training Center (www.secureamericanow.us) in San Antonio, Texas. We have a 30 acre training facility that supports handgun, carbine, low light, night vision equipment and tactics. We would conduct close quarters tactics and active shooter training in our 3000 square foot training house.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My years of experience are gained from the US Military, Law Enforcement, SWAT, Government High Threat Protection, Corporate Security Operations. I have the had the pleasure of working with and learning from some of the best men and women this country has produced. I owe all of my credit to those that have gone before me and paved the way for the next generation of security professional and instructor.

Website: www.paracleteconsulting.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paracleteconsulting

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.