The Raven Tactical International Urban Survival & Operations School is dedicated to teaching people from all walks of life essential Urban survival skills. Our Instructors will teach the students to "gain the upper hand" if they find themselves outnumbered, outgunned, and outmatched in an urban setting. Our Courses are invaluable to both the professorial operating in dangerous urban settings on a daily basis, or the laymen who may suddenly find himself in a dangerous urban situation.

THE INSTRUCTORS

 LEAD SURVIVAL INSTRUCTOR

"Shink Daddy" has served as an Infantryman in the United States Army and deployed to several hostile urban environments. He operated as a member of a QRF (quick reaction force) team in Haiti,and also as a VIP escort in Kosovo along with several other deployments to various countries. He was later hand selected to attend the exclusive US ARMY TAITC small group instructor training course as an expert in MOUT (military operations in urban terrain) He traveled to various locations giving classes to United States soldiers and soldiers from allied countries. He was later recruited by the Department of Defense as a liaison and due to the sensitive nature of his activities little can be shared publicly although he was involved in several joint operations with the FBI, DEA, and many local and state level law enforcement agencies.He has also been retained by several large corporations to train employees working overseas in dangerous urban environments on safety,and as a group leader/planner for contingency operations in case that situation should arise.  He has been highly trained in the areas of escape and evasion, search and rescue, sustainment operations, armed and unarmed combat, and remaining undetected in urban environment both by the United States government, law enforcement, and private contracting agencies.

LEAD DEFENSIVE TACTICS INSTRUCTOR                                                                                                                                                              Mr. Fernan Vargas is a certified and experienced Close Quarter Combat and Defensive Tactics instructor. Fernan Vargas is a current Safety Patrol Leader and Trainer for the Chicago Chapter of the Guardian Angels Safety Patrol, and the founder of the official Guardian Angels Defensive Tactics System. As a certified Law Enforcement Defensive Tactics Instructor, Mr. Vargas has taught defensive tactics to law enforcement officers at the local, state, and federal level, as well as security officers, military personnel and private citizens from around the United States and foreign nations such as Canada, Italy and Spain. Mr. Vargas has developed programs which have been approved by the Police officer training and Standards Board of several states, and adopted by agencies such as the Pentagon Force protection Agency. Additionally, organizations such as the Fraternal Order of Law Enforcement and the International Academy of Executive Protection Agents have given formal endorsements of the programs developed by Mr. Vargas and Raven Tactical International.

COURSES OFFERED

URBAN SURVIVAL-BASIC...INTERMEDIATE...AND ADVANCED                                                                                                          Students are taught how to acquire basic and advanced needs in an urban setting and while in survival mode....."survival mode" is defined during the course and students are tested during a field exercise that is made as realistic as possible and still safe for participants. This course will teach students survive long enough until help arrives or relocation is possible. (approx 8 hours classroom time and overnight field exercise for basic level...to achieve intermediate or advanced levels it is recommended that students take at least two of the other workshops....classroom time is not necessary to achieve intermediate or advanced levels...only the overnight exercise)

 INFILTRATION                                                                                                                                                                                                                  This course teaches students urban infiltration....by the end of this course students will be able to identify common structures and security framework of those structures....students will be taught to create a realistic mission plan to infiltrate these structures in the most efficient method possible while operating alone or in a small group (less than 5) and in a way as to not trigger a large scale response from those occupying the structure or the security measures which are in place.

NAVIGATION                                                                                                                                                                                                                Students are taught to move on the three levels of urban terrain...(the high-rise level, subterranean level, street level) safely and efficiently.

 TRACKING AND COUNTER-TRACKING                                                                                                                                                          Students are taught to locate and close with a specific target in all 4 types of urban environment...students are also taught how to avoid being tracked after they themselves have been targeted...students are tested during a field exercise that is made as realistic as possible and still safe for participants (approx 8 hours classroom time and overnight field exercise)

ESCAPE AND EVASION                                                                                                                                                                                           Students are taught to evade the most common types pursuit techniques in each of the types of urban environments....and how to create and implement a realistic escape mission should evasion fail or be dropped.....(and evasion mission is dropped if the student identifies that it will be easier to allow oneself to be captured and escape later...this is done very seldom and not advisable unless under special conditions which the student will be taught to identify) ..students are also taught to behave while in captivity as to not impede the escape mission should that situation arise (8 hours classroom and a daytime field exercise which students will demonstrate evasive maneuvers in controlled realistic situations)

CAMOUFLAGE-BASIC                                                                                                                                                                                              Students are taught to remain hidden across all four types of urban environments (this is not painting your face and acting like a trash can)...students are taught skills of misdirection,hiding in plain sight,and disguise.....ADVANCED-students are taught the most common electronic surveillance and search methods found in an urban environment and how to remain undetected or defeat these devices.....(8 hours classroom and a daytime field training exercise where the students location will be known within 50 meters and they must remain hidden from or defeat all search methods for 1 hour)

CRIME SURVIVAL                                                                                                                                                                                                         Students will be taught how to identify and avoid criminal activity.  The student will learn the elements of criminal activity, predator lures, and how to interact with the police and the courts system.  This course will also teach the student how to elevate their situational awareness.  Students will learn the basics of target hardening, personal and home security and much more.

 SURVIVING THE ACTIVE KILLER                                                                                                                                                                                In this course students will learn how to survive and active killer scenario.  Students will learn the dynamics of an active killer scenario, how to correctly use cover and concealment, how to properly move through an effected area, and how to implement last resort physical tactics to subdue or disarm an active killer.

 TERRORISM SURVIVAL                                                                                                                                                                                        Students will learn about the motivations, and workings of terrorist groups, both foreign and domestic.  Students will learn about common strategies and tactics used by such groups and how to counter these actions should they find themselves in the midst of a terror attack.  Students will learn tactics for improving surviveability in the event of a chemical or biological threat as well as hostage situations and active shooter environments.