Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers

FLETC ournal

VOLUME 20 • Spring-Summer 2018

Artesia  Charleston  Cheltenham  Glynco

Supporting the Mission

BEHIND THE SCENES
FOREWORD

Thomas J. Walters

Director

Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers

On a typical day at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC), you would likely 

see law enforcement recruits from throughout the Federal Government participating in training 

lectures, laboratories, and realistic scenarios. You might observe students riding buses from their 

dormitories to class, eating in the cafeteria, exercising in the gymnasium, and participating in 

recreational activities during non-training hours. But what you might not readily see are the 

many behind-the scenes efforts occurring every day across our four training sites that together 

keep the FLETC engine running.

This edition of the FLETC Journal takes us “under the hood,” where our contributing authors 

share perspectives and information on activities and programs that might be invisible to most 

students and visitors, but are nonetheless critical to our daily operations and long-range planning. 

Within these pages, you will read about what we do at FLETC before actually delivering training, 

such as how we develop curriculum and work with our partners to translate real life events into 

scenarios and exercises. Other articles provide overviews of a number of the support processes 

that enable our training mission to occur, such as scheduling, multi-media services, procurement, 

facilities management, equipment issue, assets and logistics management, and emergency 

management. 

Since my arrival at FLETC in October 2017, I have had the opportunity to meet many of the 

professionals from a host of disciplines who work each day to support and enable the training our 

instructors provide to thousands of law enforcement officers annually. Their collective dedication 

to the FLETC mission is no less avid than those on the frontlines teaching our students. In these 

pages, we provide a glimpse of the work they do each day, and I hope you enjoy our “behind-thescenes” look at FLETC.
3 Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 FLETC J

Detailees Contribute to Success

A perspective from partner organization instructors 

Truth is 

Stranger 

than Fiction

Realistically 

portraying training 

scenarios

THIS ISSUE

VOLUME 20 • SPRING-SUMMER 2018

BEHIND THE SCENES

14

24

18

23

FLETC MOBILE APP

Timely and effective communications using 

today's technologies

ADDIE-R

An Instructor's perspective

EVALUATING REALISM IN 

POLICE DRIVING

Comparing new and current simulators

LAW ENFORCEMENT 

COMMUNITY SERVICE IN 

DISASTER AREAS

Department of Interior law enforcement 

deploy in response to our nation's needs

FRONT COVER photo: Ernie Brooks, a FLETC mechanic, 

inspects the fuel pump of a training vehicle after 

installation. (Photo by Brandon Spragins, FLETC)

5

7

10

REFLECTIONS ON 

LEADERSHIP

I can hear you!

FLETC SUPPORT

Executing the mission behind the scenes 

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT 

DIVISION

Supporting the physical infrastructure 

STRATEGIC PLANNING 

EXECUTION

The full value of strategic planning

12

27

29

How Training 

Programs are Created

Our blueprint for providing a world class 

training environment

19
4 Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 FLETC J

Director

Thomas J. Walters

Deputy Director

William Fallon

Executive Sponsor

Michael S. Milner

Editorial Team

Tommy Brabson

Preston Farley

Alicia Gregory

Tim Miller

Bill Norris

John Stamp

Jen Tocco

Susan Thornton

Lauren Ware

Design/Layout

Brandon Spragins

The FLETC Journal’s mission is to explore and disseminate information 

about law enforcement concepts, research initiatives, programs, and 

trends that impact or will potentially affect law enforcement training. 

It is produced, published, and printed through a joint collaboration 

with the Multi-Media Division and the Government Printing Office. The 

printed circulation is 2,000 and it is also available electronically on 

the FLETC website at http://www.fletc.gov/about-fletc.

The content within this production contains hypertext links or 

pointers to information created and maintained by other public and 

private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for the 

users’ convenience. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers 

do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or 

completeness of this outside information. Further, the inclusion 

of links, pointers or logos of particular items is neither intended to 

reflect their importance nor endorse any views expressed, products 

or services offered, on these outside sites, or the organizations 

sponsoring the sites.

The content of this publication is written in accordance with the 

guidelines of the Associated Press (AP) style. Articles, photographs, 

and other contributions are welcomed from the law enforcement 

training community and academia. Publication depends on general 

topical interest as judged by the editorial team.

Where FLETC Trains

FLETC Domestic Training Sites

 - Glynco, Georgia 

 - Artesia, New Mexico 

 - Charleston, South Carolina 

 - Cheltenham, Maryland 

Domestic Export Locations 

State, Local, and Tribal Law Enforcement

(Training Facilities Nationwide)

Academic, Operational, and Program Support

- Singapore 

Maritime Law Enforcement Training Center 

(Port of Los Angeles)

International Law Enforcement Academies

- Gaborone, Botswana 

- San Salvador, El Salvador

- Bangkok, Thailand

- Budapest, Hungary

- Roswell, New Mexico

International Training and Capacity Building Programs

- Delivered Worldwide

Online Training

- Available Worldwide

FLETC FAST FACTS

Consolidation of law enforcement training permits the federal 

government to emphasize training excellence while keeping 

costs low. Professional instruction and practical application 

provide students with the skills and knowledge to meet the 

demanding challenges of a federal law enforcement career. 

They learn not only the responsibilities of a law enforcement 

officer, but through interaction with students from many 

other agencies, also become acquainted with the missions 

and duties of their colleagues. This interaction provides the 

foundation for a more cooperative federal law enforcement 

effort. 

Integrated Instructional Staff: FLETC has assembled the finest 

professionals to serve on its faculty and staff. Approximately 

50 percent of the instructors are permanent FLETC employees. 

The remaining instructional staff are federal officers and 

investigators on assignment from their parent organizations 

or recently retired from the field. The mix provides a balance 

of instructional experience and fresh insight.

VOLUME 20 • Spring-Summer 2018
5 Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 FLETC J

On September 14th, with 

the still smoking ruins of the 

World Trade Center’s twin 

towers in the background, the 

President of the United States, 

bullhorn in hand, demonstrated 

what, for me at least, was an 

icon for superior situational 

leadership. At this most critical 

time in history, before a national 

audience in need of assurance 

and inspiration, a heckler in the 

crowd challenged the President 

of the United States. 

I cannot know the heckler’s intent, and I do not know 

if his act was accidental, if it was an attempt to steal from 

the President the opportunity to deliver his message, or 

if he simply misunderstood his place in the moment. The 

response of the President was not planned; it was not 

scripted; it was not staged; it was not rehearsed. But his 

response was effective; it was timely; it was unifying; it was 

inspirational; it was genuine; and it was just one example 

of total immersion leadership. 

You may recall that as the President began his address 

to the Nation with the local rescuers and the rubble as 

a backdrop, someone shouted out, "I can't hear you!” He 

interrupted the flow of the President’s speech, potentially 

reducing a positive national event to an embarrassing 

moment, a moment displaying to our nation and to the 

world a United States of America in such disarray that its 

leadership was unable to organize a simple speech.

I was literally shocked and sickened by the interruption. 

Perhaps it was genuine and the guy who launched that 

verbal missile thought it was important to interrupt the 

President of the United States to let him know that he just 

couldn't hear. But it doesn't really matter. Irrespective of 

the man's intent, the effect was potentially disastrous. 

George stole the moment back. Not by being clever, 

or vindictive, or aggressive, but by being genuine and fully 

immersed in his leadership role. To the rescue worker’s “I 

can’t hear you,” Bush provided his now-famous response:

I can hear you!

I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you!

And the people - and the people who knocked these 

buildings down will hear all of us soon!

And the crowd on hand began to chant, "USA! USA! 

USA!" I breathed out with a whistle, and after a few 

minutes' reflection, I filed that moment away as a lesson in 

leadership. If you are totally involved in your leadership role, 

if you invest heavily in time and energy, master the details, 

and understand the ideals, your ability to lead will shine 

through when it is most needed. In my view, leadership is as 

much about preparation as it is inspiration.

How did he do it? How did he fend off the attack and 

recapture the initiative? Part of the answer is that the 

President understood and embraced his role as the leader. 

He was totally immersed in all aspects of his leadership role. 

He was prepared, because he cared. 

As Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of 

Homeland Security Elaine Duke said to us at FLETCGlynco last year, “Make your career choices ... and then 

own your decisions." If you make the decision to take 

on a leadership position, you might do well to accept the 

responsibility to prepare that goes along with it. 

Now you can probably guess why I call it "total 

immersion" leadership. My Gramma O'Connor used to 

say, "Half a loaf is better than none." I’m sure you’ve heard 

that expression. Well, I believe that saying does not, I repeat, 

does not, apply to leadership. Half a loaf is not better than 

none. When you come to the realization that power and 

responsibility are united, that faith and fidelity are one, you 

come to understand that half a leader, unlike half a loaf, is 

not better than none. 

When you fail as a leader, the consequences can be 

profound. Know it, accept it, fear it. As a leader, you will 

and should know fear. At every moment, you should wonder 

if you understand all the issues sufficiently, if you are 

communicating effectively, if you are working hard enough, 

inspiring those you lead, delegating properly, mastering the 

details, considering all available information, prioritizing 

your time strategically, and developing the proper context 

Reflections on Leadership

THOMAS J. WALTERS

Director, 

Federal Law Enforcement 

Training Centers
6 Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 FLETC J

BEHIND THE SCENES

for decision making. 

Fear motivates preparation. Preparation builds 

confidence. So embrace the inevitable fear that is part of 

leadership. Use it to your advantage. The good news is that 

when you invest heavily in your leadership position, you will 

be ready for the predictably unpredictable situations that 

give you no time to prepare, no time to consult, no time to 

weigh the information. 

Here is an example from my own world. Let me set the 

scene. The phone call is from key appropriations staff, and 

it’s the last day before the annual budget goes to the Hill.

Me: Good Day, this is Tom Walters.

Caller: Isn't there someone over there who can tell me 

how the Border Patrol would spend $15 million in 

construction money? Please?

The answer was "yes," because I had led our budget 

formulation and execution team. I knew our staff had 

the details; I knew my leadership had already approved a 

prioritized list through the proper channels; I knew that 

the administration supported the projects; I knew whom 

to contact for final approval of this last-minute, out-ofchannels request. I was able to organize a response to the 

request, and we did indeed receive the funding for our top 

construction projects. 

So if you are the leader, make sure you are confident 

when you can say yes. Another day, another situation, 

another call comes in, this time from Headquarters.

Me: Good Day, this is Tom Walters.

Caller: We are getting ready to pull all of the trainees at 

the Academy out of training and send them to the border 

to assist with border security. What do you think?

In this case, I knew the details; we'd already gone through 

a similar situation before, with very negative results. I made 

the case that the negative impacts would far outweigh the 

positives. Our national leadership agreed with my view. 

As a leader, be prepared enough to inspire confidence in 

your leadership that your views are well thought out, even 

when your advice must be "no." 

In order to lead effectively, prepare effectively. Live it, 

love it, total immersion. George did it, and we can too.

President Abraham Lincoln speaks before a crowd of 15,000 on 

November 19, 1863, at the official dedication ceremony for Gettysburg 

National Cemetery. Although he was not the featured speaker at the 

event, President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address has stood the test of time 

as a unifying testament to the new birth of freedom born out of the 

sacrifices of those who gave their lives in the Civil War. (Lithograph by 

Sherwood Lithograph Co., c. 1905)

Thomas J. Walters serves as the Director of FLETC, overseeing operations across four domestic training sites, export locations, and outside 

the Nation’s borders through international training and capacity-building. Director Walters previously served nearly 30 years with U.S. Customs 

and Border Protection (CBP), beginning his career as a Border Patrol Agent and holding numerous leadership positions, including Chief of 

the U.S. Border Patrol Academy, Assistant Commissioner for the CBP Office of Training and Development, Director of the U.S. Border Patrol 

Communications Division, Acting CBP Assistant Commissioner for Public Affairs, and CBP Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Public Affairs. 

Director Walters was an original member of the U.S. Border Patrol Tactical Unit, and played a key role in shaping the Border Patrol’s first strategic 

plan. As Chief of the Border Patrol Academy, he led all aspects of Border Patrol basic and advanced training. He spearheaded the training portion 

of the agency’s effort to double the number of Border Patrol agents, including training hundreds of new instructors and thousands of trainees. 

Director Walters successfully integrated the training requirements for former Customs officers, Immigration officers, and Agriculture specialists 

into the CBP officer basic training program. He developed an intranet-based distance learning program, providing access to training for all 

60,000 CBP employees, and led the initiative to design and build Harpers Ferry Advanced Training Center to support CBP operations.

Director Walters is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo, and earned a master’s degree in national security strategy from the 

National Defense University, National War College.
7 Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 FLETC J

BEHIND THE SCENES

Since its inception in 1970, Federal Law 

Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) 

students and staff have engaged with instructors 

in front of fully-equipped classrooms, occupied state-ofthe-art training facilities, and held equipment in realistic 

scenarios, but many stakeholders might be surprised at the 

diversity of functions necessary to support the execution of 

this world-class training.

FLETC’s support offices create an environment 

conducive to learning essential law enforcement skills. 

The ever-changing law enforcement training landscape 

necessitates a responsive and agile team. These men and 

women work to provide needed resources and services such 

as maintaining facilities (see sidebar article), scheduling 

classes, purchasing training materials, and filming training 

videos, allowing the instructor cadre and the students to 

focus on the training itself.

FLETC Charleston Chief of Administrative Division 

Mark Boswell explained just how extensive this undertaking 

is to the organization. “We provide mission support from 

registration to graduation and everything in between. 

Without our talented team of federal and contract 

employees, students would not be able to arrive on Center, 

have a comfortable bed to rest in, eat delicious meals, train 

in the finest venues, or graduate from the world’s best law 

enforcement training.”

The scheduling of all of these activities is the 

responsibility of the Training Resources Coordination 

Division. The team manages the FLETC enterprise-wide 

master schedule of training classes, the quarterly scheduling 

of all training classes, the allocation of seats, and the 

management of registration requirements for those classes. 

They work closely with Training Management staff at all 

of the sites to manage the training and associated resources 

throughout. Unlike a standard university system, new classes 

can start weekly and range from a couple of days to several 

FLETC support

BY ALICIA GREGORY

Protocol and Communications Office

Executing the Mission Behind the Scenes

Emerson Floyd works on signage for FLETC. (Photo by David Tucker, FLETC)
8 Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 FLETC J

BEHIND THE SCENES

months long. 

“Incorrect management of the schedule or the training 

facilities, including the lack of available training space, can 

cause significant failure to meet the training objectives,” said 

Division Chief Tracy Bonner. “These professionals work 

through many scenarios to ensure the right training occurs 

at the right time and in the right place.”

FLETC has an entire division devoted to services for 

students. Services provided include lodging, food service, 

health services, transportation, uniforms, program support, 

logistics, role players, grounds, janitorial, library services, 

recreation, publishing services, and training equipment.

Finding out a training venue is unavailable can stop 

training, but not having the equipment needed for training 

can do the same. This is the role of the practical exercise 

equipment issue team. The team prepares and issues the 

necessary resources to students and instructors for practical 

exercises to include providing guidance on the use of 

radios, blank-fire weapons, and many types of audio-visual 

equipment. This includes maintaining more than 11,000 

pieces of law enforcement training equipment. 

The Multi-Media Division produces quality multimedia 

products and services in support of law enforcement 

training and administrative support activities for FLETC 

and our partner organizations. The division works with 

agency and department heads, academy directors, training 

officers, and instructional staff to assist with the delivery of 

law enforcement training through the effective and costefficient use of visual information products. These include 

photography, graphic design for electronic files and hard copy 

products, brochures, instructional posters, exhibits, displays, 

high-definition video productions, podcasts, webcasts, and 

audio recordings. They also develop interactive video for 

web applications, use in classrooms, and use on intranet/

learning management systems. 

Much of these visual information products are available 

from the Glynco Multimedia Center. The multimedia 

center is a special law enforcement library and is a Learning 

Resources Center (LLC). The mission of the LLC is to 

support the training objectives, and as such, is an integral 

part of the FLETC learning environment. Students can 

use the facility not only for research and study, but also for 

assigned computer-based training. The library is walking 

distance from the dorm rooms, conveniently located for 

those who do not have readily available transportation. 

Instructors visit the library to check out law enforcement 

materials used to enhance their teaching. The library also 

provides a place after hours and on weekends for students 

to study individually or to collaborate in a group setting. 

The facility is open every day of the year including holidays, 

thanks to an innovative radio-frequency identification 

(RFID) system, which permits real-time check-in of items 

and immediate check-outs of new items, even if a librarian is 

not present. Because of the RFID system and the automatic 

lock/unlock system, the library is able to be open during all 

assigned hours of operation. 

Technology like the RFID system is researched, 

purchased and maintained by FLETC’s Chief Information 

Officer Directorate. A large part of their role is to support 

FLETC’s activities through innovative solutions for 

automating processes, exchanging and storing information, 

and creating new training delivery channels. The staff 

Jason Lefevre shelves some of the many materials available for students and staff. (Photo by David Tucker, FLETC)
9 Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 FLETC J

BEHIND THE SCENES

members integrate FLETC’s organizational goals to 

identify and prioritize specific information technology 

projects. Additionally, they identify products to meet the 

dynamic learning requirements of the professionals who 

protect our homeland. 

The Assets and Logistics Management Division uses 

technological tools, like the RFID system, and traditional 

methods to track what comes in and what goes out of the 

training center. “We support law enforcement training 

through the acquisition, receipt, control, protection, 

use, reutilization, recycling, and disposal of government 

property,” said John Youhas, deputy chief of the division. 

“That constitutes being responsible for about 34,000 pieces 

of property we inventory annually, the maintenance and 

repair of more than 900 vehicles, and recycling hundreds of 

tons of materials to divert them from landfills.” 

The Assets and Logistics Management Division works 

closely with the Office of Emergency Management and 

Continuity to set aside needed equipment in the event of 

an emergency for students, staff, and partner organizations. 

“Resources become a challenge because it is hard to 

predict what will happen and how much it will cost us,” 

explained Stacey Rogers, chief of the division. “No one wants 

to spend a lot of money on something they will not necessarily 

use. Risk-based mitigation strategies become important and 

help quantify justification for competing resources - what 

is most likely versus what is most dangerous. Similar to a 

car owner, we (the owner) are responsible for maintenance, 

upkeep, and all other functions related to keeping the car 

(FLETC) on the road. If we don’t buy new tires, it may keep 

running for a while, but eventually the car will lose grip on 

a wet surface or suffer a blowout. The ensuing damage will 

likely be far more expensive and disruptive than if we had 

simply put new tires on at the appropriate time.”

At FLETC, we are no strangers to being engaged and 

prepared. Whether it is through our continuity of operations 

exercises, hurricane plans or standard operating procedures, 

the men and women at FLETC practice the continuation 

and restoration of the training mission in the event of an 

emergency. This was especially important during the last 

two hurricane seasons, when both the Brunswick, Georgia, 

and Charleston, South Carolina, training delivery points 

were impacted by Hurricanes Matthew and Irma. 

FLETC support staff truly shined during the 

emergency impacts of the recent hurricanes. The 

employees in the Procurement Division quickly processed 

contracts for cleanup and assistance; the Chief Financial 

Officer Directorate made sure funding was available for 

reconstitution efforts; the Human Resources staff ensured 

we had a 100 percent accountability; the Protocol and 

Communications Office provided information during 

and after the events; and the Critical Incident and Stress 

Management counselors worked with individuals dealing 

with the crisis situations.

FLETC support team members are the unsung heroes 

who come to work each day knowing the importance of 

what they accomplish to support FLETC’s mission, vision, 

and strategic goals. Working together, these functions and 

the dedicated people in them allow us to train those who 

protect our homeland.

.

Alicia Gregory is the senior public affairs specialist 

in the Protocol and Communications Office (PCO). 

In this position since 2005, she works to promote 

employee and public understanding of and support 

for FLETC's policies and programs through a 

variety of venues such as tours, briefings, events 

and written materials. She has served as the 

acting PCO Chief, the 2016 CFC Loaned Executive, 

and member of the FLETC Journal Editorial Board since 2008.

Prior to her current position, Gregory was the public affairs officer 

for the Army Corps of Engineers in Charleston, South Carolina, 

responsible for the internal and external communication mission. 

Her primary focus was advising staff level personnel on media and 

community issues, from flood control and environmental restoration 

to military construction and national emergencies. Gregory oversaw 

a bi-weekly electronic newsletter and quarterly corporate magazine; 

and managed the redesign and web content of four different external 

and internal websites. 

Gregory has an extensive background in public affairs, communication 

techniques, and media relations. She earned a bachelor’s degree 

in marketing from South University and attended the Defense 

Information School at Fort Meade, Maryland.

Retired employee Shirley Cason uses a labor-intensive scheduling 

system. Affectionately called the “wailing wall,” the old system used in 

the 1980's consisted of updating hundreds of paper cards. The current 

system allows staff to perform a multitude of tasks to include scheduling 

programs and facilities, managing logistical information like housing, 

and registering students. (FLETC Archive Photo)
10 FLETC Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 J

BEHIND THE SCENES

The Facilities Management Division (FMD) 

comprises about 60 people who provide 

cradle-to-grave functional support for the 

physical infrastructure at FLETC Glynco. In addition, 

the staff members provide advice and assistance to facilities 

management staff at the other FLETC training delivery 

points at Artesia, New Mexico; Charleston, South Carolina; 

and Cheltenham, Maryland. 

FMD’s mission is to provide “state-of-the-art facilities 

that enhance FLETC’s ability to deliver training to those 

who protect our homeland.” In achieving that mission, the 

staff work in three branches -- Design and Construction, 

Facilities Operations, and Real Property -- to design, 

construct, operate, maintain, renovate, and demolish the 

buildings and structures that provide the backdrop for law 

enforcement training and training support at Glynco. The 

division performs functions that are critical to the delivery 

of training. For example, firearms ranges need to be cleaned, 

targets need to be properly positioned, skid pans need to 

have the correct amount of water, lights need to work to 

accommodate daytime and evening training, and classrooms 

need a comfortable climate year-round. 

Providing current and modern facilities while 

demonstrating responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars 

is an increasingly difficult challenge that forces the staff 

to develop innovative solutions to physical infrastructure 

problems. The team’s ingenuity is often the difference 

between “problem solved” and “awaiting funding.” In 

response to anticipated training workload increases, staff 

members identified venues that could be renovated and/

or repurposed at minimal cost to increase training capacity, 

including: 

BY DR. JANNETT BRADFORD

Facilities Management Division

FACILITIES 

MANAGEMENT 

DIVISION

• Nine of the 62 raid-houses slated for demolition were 

brought back online to meet increased training needs

• Three Partner Organization office buildings were converted 

to training venues

• Portions of a “virtual” firing range were converted to mat 

rooms

• An area of the dining hall was converted into a multiJames Winslett performs maintenance on an air conditioning unit. 

(Photo by David Tucker, FLETC)

functional use space for training, small assemblies, and 

graduations

• Converted a modular building for more than 350 new male 

student lockers

• A non-material design (i.e., no interior renovations) that 

yielded a 400 percent increase in a modular building’s 

instructor office spaces 
11 FLETC Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 J

BEHIND THE SCENES

Notable recent projects include the construction of the 

multi-functional auditorium at Artesia, which was the seed 

idea for the Building 912 multipurpose center at Glynco. 

The facility includes an auditorium, three conference spaces 

of varying sizes, and interior spaces that showcase Glynco 

history with exterior venues that honor the sacrifices of 

FLETC-trained law enforcement officers and agents as 

well as the memory of the victims of the 9/11 attacks. The 

team oversaw renovations, which enabled relocation and 

collocation of two FLETC divisions and four contractors. 

In addition, the renovated areas support the FLETC Print 

Shop and Uniform Issue spaces, which significantly enhance 

the FLETC new-student experience. Many projects are 

done using in-house design such as the Forensics Training 

Building bus loop; “big top shelters” for the Driver and 

Marine Division; the Interactive Cover Drills course; 

Child Care building renovation; heating, ventilation and 

air conditioning (HVAC) systems overhaul at the gym; and 

paving and drainage improvements.

FLETC also manages projects on behalf of our Partner 

Organizations, such as a new canopy at the Bureau of Alcohol, 

Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) explosives range. 

A recent success was the construction of the Transportation 

Security Administration (TSA) modular training complex 

that features multi-sectioned modular buildings designed to 

accommodate TSA-specialized training equipment, which 

has ushered in a new era of modular construction at Glynco. 

Additional modular structures are a new ATF modular 

training facility and another TSA office modular building. 

The Federal Protective Service has worked closely with staff 

to renovate its existing academy and expand its footprint 

with a new facility adjacent to it. 

Construction and renovated spaces must be operated 

and maintained, which is the purview of the maintenance 

mechanics and utility systems operators. The maintenance 

mechanics are as creative as their colleagues, generating 

seemingly limitless solutions to daily facilities management 

challenges. Following an ongoing problem with target 

holding malfunctions, mechanics on the range worked with 

the in-house welders to design and fabricate a solution to 

alleviate the malfunction, avoiding thousands of dollars in 

expenses and training downtime. Range mechanics have 

also worked with training staff to design and fabricate 

a solution to eliminate the vacuum stoppages caused by 

shotgun wadding. The in-house solution is a fraction of the 

cost of the multi-million-dollar solution proposed by the 

industry experts. On a daily basis, maintenance mechanics 

change air conditioning filters, change light bulbs, clear 

clogged bathrooms and sewage lines, move power outlets, 

and patch roof leaks, along with addressing innumerable 

other maintenance nuisances before they become major 

problems.

If any additional life can be eked out of a facility, the 

real property branch members work closely with the other 

two branches in the division to identify opportunities for 

repurposing. However, when maintenance is no longer an 

option and the facility is marked for demolition, they work 

to dispose of those assets. They oversaw demolition of two 

older buildings at the end of their usefulness to pave the way 

for the TSA modular training complex as well as additional 

student parking. Demolition of dilapidated buildings 

created a green space that can be used to accommodate 

growth, such as instructor office space. The staff maintain 

the inventory of FLETC physical assets and work with 

the Finance Division to account for the value of FLETC 

investments in physical facilities.

Although few FMD staff have ever personally delivered 

training, each in his or her own way have made it possible 

for training to be delivered. These employees, whose 

collective creative genius resolves the day-to-day issues 

inherent in the operation of FLETC facilities, should be 

content in the knowledge that their efforts contribute to the 

physical environment that trains those officers and agents 

who defend our homeland!

Dr. Jannett Bradford has served as chief, Facilities 

Management Division, since January 2014. 

Shortly after her retirement from the U.S. Air Force 

in July 2000, as the director of strategic policy and 

planning for Joint Interagency Task Force West, 

Alameda, California, Bradford joined Federal Law 

Enforcement Training Centers’ (FLETC) staff as a 

program manager for strategic planning. Among 

her prior FLETC assignments are loaned executive at the College of 

Coastal Georgia, FLETC budget officer, and chief of the Strategic 

Planning and Analysis Division.

Bradford completed a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics 

from Baylor University, a master’s degree in business administration 

from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and a doctorate in 

industrial engineering from Northwestern University. Her research 

interests include global business management, operations 

management, change management, and the impact of historical 

cultural and economic practices on current behavior. Bradford is a 

graduate of the Federal Executive Institute and the Department of 

Homeland Security’s Senior Executive Service Candidate Development 

Program. 

Bradford is active in several non-profit organizations in Glynn 

and Camden counties, including the Association of Government 

Accountants, Camden House, and the American Legion. In addition, 

she serves on the national board of directors of the Gang Resistance 

Education and Training Foundation, Inc. 
12 FLETC Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 J

BEHIND THE SCENES

All too often in many 

industries, strategic 

planning is an arduous 

exercise resulting in forward-leaning 

ideas that organizations only partially 

address or do not implement at all. 

To realize the full value of strategic 

planning, organizations must not 

only think through their environment 

and develop strategies to reach a 

future vision, but must also institute 

disciplined processes to execute their 

strategic plans.

During Fiscal Year 2017, 

the Federal Law Enforcement 

Training Centers (FLETC) 

implemented a quarterly process to 

manage implementation of and track 

progress on its strategic plan, and to 

advance performance accountability 

through quarterly review of internal 

and external performance measures 

and budget execution. The Quarterly 

Execution Review (QER) process 

ensures organizational commitment 

to implementation of its strategic 

priorities, cross-organizational 

collaboration and dialogue on 

implementing goals and objectives, 

and accountability for performance 

across the organization. 

FLETC’s executive cadre 

is responsible for ensuring 

implementation of the strategies in 

its 2016-2018 Strategic Plan. The 

QER process provides each FLETC 

directorate an opportunity to brief 

the Director 

on progress toward 

meeting their assigned 

strategies during the previous 

quarter. Additionally, they 

report on internal and external 

performance measures and discuss 

current resource needs. During 

each QER, personnel from other 

directorates have an opportunity 

to ask questions and engage in 

dialogue about risks, challenges, and 

opportunities, creating an avenue 

for cross-enterprise collaboration to 

accomplish FLETC’s organizational 

goals and objectives. The QER 

process serves as a strategic tool 

for FLETC to identify resource 

requirements based on organizational 

priorities, and to make effective riskbased human capital and financial 

management decisions.

FLETC’s implementation of the 

QER process has ensured its Strategic 

Plan is a dynamic organizational tool 

for advancing strategic priorities. 

It is also strengthening FLETC’s 

commitment to performance 

accountability and cross-organization 

collaboration toward meeting goals 

and objectives.

STRATEGIC

PLANNING 

EXECUTION

BY JENNIFER TOCCO

Director's Office

Jennifer Tocco began her 

civil service career in 

2008, and currently 

serves as a strategic 

planning program 

Manager in the Director’s 

Office. She previously 

held positions in the 

Office of State and Local Training and the 

Rural Policing Institute. Prior to moving to 

Georgia, Tocco worked in the nonprofit and 

academic sectors. 

While completing her graduate studies, 

Tocco served as a research fellow at the 

Rutgers Graduate School of Education’s 

Center for Educational Policy Analysis. 

She holds a Bachelor of Arts with a 

double major in political science and 

history from Drew University, a Master 

of Education degree with a focus on 

educational policy and qualitative research 

methods from Rutgers University, and a 

Master of Public Administration degree 

from Valdosta State University. She also 

completed all doctoral coursework in 

educational policy while at Rutgers.
13 FLETC Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 J

BEHIND THE SCENES

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14 FLETC Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 J

BEHIND THE SCENES

DETAILEES

to SUCCESS

BY ALICIA GREGORY

Protocol and Communications Office

Approximately one third of the FLETC instructor cadre 

is madeup of instructors from our partner organizations. 

These “detailees” serve three-to-five-year terms as 

instructors at FLETC. They complete FLETC’s instructor 

certification program prior to being assigned to train students. 

We asked a few of these individuals about their experiences 

working as a FLETC instructor. 

The detailed instructors who volunteered to discuss their 

experiences at FLETC were: 

CONTRIBUTE

Henry C. Causey Jr., police captain, Bureau of Engraving and 

Printing, Police Operations Division, assigned to FLETCGlynco, Enforcement Operations Division 

Marcus Anderson, sergeant, Central Intelligence Agency Police, 

assigned to FLETC-Glynco, Physical Techniques Division

Ron Ehlers, probation officer, Eastern District of Virginia, 

U.S. Courts, assigned to FLETC-Charleston, Firearms and 

Physical Techniques Branch

Mark Mansfield, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, 

assigned to FLETC-Glynco, Investigative Operations Division

Mike Matthies, supervisory marine interdiction agent, U.S. 

Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, assigned to 

FLETC-Glynco, Driver and Marine Division

William (Bill) R. Cody Jr., program manager, Air Force Office 

of Special Investigations, Air Force Special Investigations 

Academy, Basic Training Division, assigned to FLETCGlynco, Investigative Operations Division
15 FLETC Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 J

BEHIND THE SCENES

What talents do you bring to FLETC?

Anderson: I have been very fortunate in my career to have 

gained experience in training and instructing students from 

all walks of life. As a noncommissioned officer in the military, 

I had the opportunity to serve as an instructor teaching 

combat operations and survival skills to soldiers preparing 

for deployments. I served as a field training officer with 

my current agency training and evaluating new officers, and 

eventually took over the Field Training Officer program as a 

sergeant. Since I have always enjoyed teaching, training, and 

physical fitness, I knew that a position teaching new officers 

would be an outstanding opportunity and experience.

Causey: I have been in the law enforcement career field 

for over 36 years and law enforcement management for 

the last 25 years. My background in law enforcement, 

including uniform patrol training and field experience, 

along with my background in investigations working 

property crimes, homicides, narcotics, and police 

intelligence has helped me with understanding the 

theory of supervising and managing law enforcement 

officers through training and personal experiences.

Cody: I arrived at FLETC in August of 2016 after 

spending five years at Headquarters Air Force Office of 

Special Investigations (AFOSI), Quantico, Virginia, as a 

program manager in the Counterintelligence Division. As 

a program manager for counterintelligence support to force 

protection, I ran the following programs: Joint Terrorism 

Task Force, Nuclear Convoy Support, Protective Service 

Operations (PSO), Armored Vehicles, and eGuardian. As 

an AFOSI officer, I had various assignments throughout 

my 20 plus years of active duty. I was a unit commander 

three times and a HQ AFOSI staff officer twice. I worked 

criminal, fraud, and counterintelligence cases in the 

United States, as well as in Germany. I worked PSOs in 

Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, all of Western Europe, and 

in the United States. I finished my active duty career 

as the deputy chief of staff at Headquarters Air Force 

Special Operations Command (AFSOC). I believe I 

bring the ability to view an investigation from different 

levels to include field, supervisory, and headquarters. 

Ehlers: As a U.S. Courts firearms instructor, I am familiar 

with our lesson plans, procedures, and regulations. That 

familiarity has been a great benefit during my time as an 

instructor here, because it has allowed me to assist the 

FLETC-Charleston firearms staff and to help ensure their 

instruction fits with the needs of the U.S. Courts. U.S. 

Probation and Pretrial Services Officers are unique in 

that we have many roles to play professionally. We have 

a traditional law enforcement role and also somewhat 

of a social worker role. My experience as a police officer 

and U.S. probation officer has helped bridge those two 

roles. My military experience has been an additional 

benefit, because we conduct firearms training for the U.S. 

Coast Guard Maritime Law Enforcement A School. 

My military experience enables me to understand and 

speak in terms that the USCG students understand. 

Mansfield: I think the primary experience I bring to 

FLETC is enthusiasm for conducting procurement fraud 

investigations. Prior to my arrival I had the opportunity 

to work on some very talented investigative teams. The 

experiences and investigative results I received are invaluable 

in the classroom for facilitating learning and providing 

substantive examples.

Matthies: I have more than 23 years of combined military, 

local, and federal experience. This combined experience 

helps me daily in the classroom. 

How are you making a difference?

Anderson: I bring a tremendous amount of dedication to 

the classroom. The core values I learned from the military such 

as integrity, service before self, and excellence in everything we 

do are values that I pass on to my students each day. Students 

are faced with many challenging avenues while training at 

FLETC. Depending on experience, some students find 

the requirements easy while some find it very demanding. 

No matter the case, it is always my duty to be there for my 

students, to guide them and act as a role model. My job as a 

FLETC instructor is to produce the best, most professional, 

and most dedicated officer that I can possibly create. 

Causey: I would like to acknowledge that within my 

division there is a strong level of experience and knowledge 

that is shared among instructors. I think I make a difference 

by utilizing my law enforcement skill set and interacting 

with my fellow instructors and the students. When I 

demonstrate learned knowledge and ideals to apply in the 

law enforcement environment, it helps the students better 

understand what their future holds. When I am standing in 

front of a classroom filled with uniformed police students 

and see the amazed expressions on their faces, it energizes 

my drive to help these students focus on learning.

Cody: My goal, given my background, is to get the 
16 FLETC Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 J

BEHIND THE SCENES

the U.S. Courts Basic Handgun Instruction Lesson Plan. It 

was because of the training and experience I have had here 

that I was able to recommend changes to the lesson plan.

Mansfield: I hope my partners in my branch and I are 

successfully training a new generation of procurement fraud 

investigators and providing them with the tools, insights, 

and enthusiasm to successfully investigate these challenging 

and complex cases.

Matthies: A hard work ethic and always leading from the 

front have served me well over the years. I try to be familiar 

with every aspect of the Marine Training Branch and be 

involved in as much as possible to be a more well-rounded 

instructor.

What will you take back to your agency?

Anderson: After my FLETC assignment is complete, I 

plan on continuing training and sharing my knowledge as an 

agency instructor, instructing new and experienced officers 

on a variety of law enforcement subject areas. The Fitness 

Coordinator Training Program has allowed us to develop 

a very successful cadet physical training program. This has 

given us the ability to successfully prepare our cadets for the 

physical requirements they are required to perform while at 

FLETC. This has been a very helpful attribute to our agency 

since our cadets are required to score certain percentages on 

the Physical Efficiency Battery. We have also had several 

distinguished fitness award recipients from classes that have 

participated in our fitness program.

Causey: I will provide the agency with new ideas and 

innovations within the law enforcement training community, 

and will explain the diversity in the training among the 

FLETC divisions.

Cody: I will share with AFOSI what is being taught in 

the Ciminal Investigator Training Program and to what 

degree it is being taught. This allows for AFOSI to change 

their follow-on training to increase the learning without 

duplicating what is currently being taught. A good example 

is surveillance. In our CITP instruction we are teaching a 

fairly healthy block on surveillance techniques, which the 

students get to practice. In the follow-on training, AFOSI 

can then brush up on what is taught in CITP, but then 

focus on counter-surveillance and surveillance detection 

techniques, which will also make the students better agents 

when they get to the field, working surveillance in their 

investigations. I work with an incredible group of seasoned 

agents from many difference federal agencies who only care 

students to think critically about their investigations. If I am 

successful in getting them to think critically, then that skill 

can be used throughout their careers and make them not 

only better investigators, but hopefully better supervisors. I 

discuss with the students about living a code of integrity and 

that we should not give an opening for attack. Bottom line: 

Their integrity is everything, so don’t do anything to mess 

it up. 

Ehlers: I feel that I make a difference by being an example 

to students of what it is means to be a professional. This is 

accomplished by showing up early, being prepared for class, 

and being a subject matter expert on the topics of instruction. 

I also demonstrate this by dressing professionally, and 

by displaying a “can-do” attitude every day. I remember 

when I was a recruit at Parris Island, I thought the drill 

instructors were exceptionally squared away. In addition, 

the experiences I have had at FLETC-Charleston help my 

agency. Recently, I was honored to be part of the review of 

MARINE

TRAINING

FLETC trainees practice simulated firing while under tactical boat 

maneuvers. (Photo by Brandon Spragins, FLETC)
17 FLETC Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 J

BEHIND THE SCENES

experience, and purpose. The personnel I work with are 

extremely knowledgeable about their agencies’ policy and 

tactics, and none of them are looking for anything other than 

providing quality training for the students. Additionally, 

every agency that sends personnel through basic training 

should want to be a part of the program as it can only have a 

positive impact on their agency follow-on training.

Ehlers: Serving as a detailed instructor at FLETCCharleston has shown me that even though we may come 

from different agencies and backgrounds, we all are part of 

one team. Our mission is not about us, but about the student. 

I encourage every instructor, whether FLETC employee or 

detailed instructor, to take every opportunity presented to 

them to improve their craft and pass on their knowledge to 

the students who pass through our doors.

Mansfield: The detailee program is invaluable to FLETC, 

the agency sending their employee, and the employee 

themselves. FLETC gets the benefit of an experienced 

investigator with relevant knowledge and field experience. 

The agency gets an employee with a broadened knowledge 

base and understanding of the discipline, and the employee 

benefits by becoming a better investigator.

Matthies: A detailee program is super important at 

FLETC because it brings real operators in from the field 

who are up to speed on current situations and tactics.

about the students and the students’ safety when they get 

to the field. Our discussions of different agencies’ policies 

and techniques have been invaluable. I plan on taking these 

back to AFOSI and initiating discussions about what is best 

for our agency. 

Ehlers: The FLETC Charleston Firearms Staff is made 

up of the finest firearms instructors I have had the pleasure 

to know. My experience with them has taught me to be a 

better instructor, and has instilled the drive to continue to 

strive to be a master of my craft. I have learned that being 

a member of a team of people who love their job creates 

an environment that allows individuals to grow better 

professionally. I will take these experiences (teamwork and 

love of job) back to my agency and use them to continue my 

professional and personal development.

Mansfield: The time here preparing for classes and writing 

material have broadened my knowledge of investigative 

techniques, tools, and methods, and the most important 

benefit is probably the people I’ve met along the way. The 

investigators in this field are the government’s most valuable 

asset in successfully investigating these types of crimes.

Matthies: I will bring back to my agency some of the 

teaching practices used by FLETC and incorporate some of 

the training evolutions we use in the real world environment.

Why is the detailee program important?

Anderson: The detailed instructor program is truly an 

outstanding program and experience, because it allows 

agencies to be directly involved in the training of their officers. 

The networking abilities, partnerships, and friendships that 

one can create at FLETC as a detailed instructor are priceless. 

I have had the outstanding opportunity to instruct officers 

and agents from more than 90 different law enforcement 

agencies. It is truly amazing when you think about it. I have 

been truly honored to hold this position.

Causey: The detailee program gives the agencies 

the opportunity to be a voice. Detailees can provide 

administrative and training support to their employees and 

students who are attending FLETC training. Detailees 

receive valuable FLETC training, as well as the opportunity 

to work within another agency, and to understand its policies 

and procedures.

Much like a joint training experience where you work with 

personnel from different federal agencies, I have found 

this experience to be even better in gaining knowledge, 

PHYSICAL 

TECHNIQUES

FLETC trainees practice proper techniques in handcuffing perpetrators. 

(FLETC Archive Photo)
18 FLETC Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 J

BEHIND THE SCENES

The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers 

(FLETC) communicates with a unique 

demographic that includes students, FLETC 

staff, contractors, partner agency representatives, and the 

public across FLETC’s four domestic sites. The FLETC 

mobile app is available for FLETC training sites at Glynco, 

Cheltenham, Artesia, and Charleston. 

Many of the individuals FLETC communicates with 

are participating in training activities and do not have access 

to their computers most of the day. Many FLETC and 

partner organization instructors only have time to check 

their email twice a day, once before the training day begins 

and after the training day concludes. Another challenge 

FLETC faces is our information technology platforms are 

not always compatible with others. Therefore, due to the 

matchless demographic at FLETC, communication has 

been a challenge.

In early 2014, the FLETC Protocol and 

Communications Office (PCO) began creatively thinking of 

communication options for our students and stakeholders. 

It’s important for FLETC to get information to our 

partners in a timely and effective manner. Therefore, PCO 

began working closely with staff members from the Chief 

Information Officer Directorate (CIO) and the Training 

Research and Innovation Directorate (TRID) to develop 

a communication tool. Jointly, we began development of 

the FLETC mobile application. The FLETC mobile app 

would be accessible from anywhere at any time on various 

devices and it would be free for the user.

To ensure the app would meet our customers’ needs, 

TRID surveyed and gathered feedback from FLETC staff 

and the student population to determine what information 

would be most helpful to be housed in the app. As a 

result, the app currently contains several modules for staff, 

students, and the public such as campus maps, current 

news, dining hall menus, local information, the FLETC 

Journal, and recreation calendars.

With the assistance of the Project Management 

Office, it was determined that the contractor would be 

the best platform to host the app. After three years of 

brainstorming, market research, design, and development, 

the FLETC mobile app was piloted to staff and then 

launched to students and the public. FLETC PCO 

manages the content of the app with support from TRID, 

CIO, and the contractor. 

All information is approved by the FLETC Office of 

Security and Professional Responsibility before going live 

on the app. During onboarding, both students and staff are 

made aware of the communication method and encouraged 

to download and refer to it. 

Recently, the app was used for emergency management 

communication during Hurricane Irma and during a 

government shutdown to relay important information to 

staff and students in a timely manner. The FLETC app 

has been so successful that FLETC is researching the best 

manner by which to expand it to make it more useful to 

students and staff. 

FLETC MOBILE APP

BY CHRISTA THOMPSON

Protocol and Communications Office

Christa Crawford Thompson is the 

Communications Officer for the Federal Law 

Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC). Thompson 

began her civil service career in 1999 in the 

United States Department of Justice, Executive 

Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA), in 

Washington, D.C. While at EOUSA, Thompson 

served as an Executive Assistant to the Attorney 

General’s Advisory Committee.

After working at the EOUSA, Thompson accepted a position on 

Capitol Hill in the Executive Office of the Sergeant at Arms. During 

this time, she assisted in the Periodical Press Gallery where she 

kept the press up-to-date on the procedures and happenings of the 

Senate floor and participated in the planning and coordination of 

President Ronald Reagan’s funeral and the second Inauguration of 

George W. Bush. 

In 2005, Thompson began serving as a Professional Staff Member 

for the United States Senate Appropriations Committee. In this 

capacity, she handled all appropriations issues related to the FLETC 

and the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector 

General (DHS OIG). She drafted Congressional testimony, prepared 

Congressmen for Congressional hearings, and played a key role in 

establishing the FLETC’s Rural Policing Institute. 

Thompson served as a Congressional Liaison for the DHS OIG, 

preparing the Inspector General to testify before Congress and to 

brief Congressional Members on DHS OIG audits and investigations. 

Thompson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and 

English from Christopher Newport University in Virginia.

as of April 2018

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BEHIND THE SCENES

An architect utilizes a blueprint to plan an approach 

in creating a new building or the restoration of 

an existing structure. Quality and efficiency is 

the end goal. At the Federal Law Enforcement Training 

Centers (FLETC), the Centralized Training Management 

Directorate (CTMD) and Evaluation & Analysis Branch 

(EAB) use the Instructional Systems Design (ISD) process 

as a blueprint to continuously plan, develop and revise law 

enforcement training programs. 

The ISD is a systematic process that enables the FLETC 

to increase the authenticity of instruction, improve time 

efficiency, and maintain cost effectiveness by identifying the 

audience (who), the type of training (what), the training 

venues (where), a reason for students to attend the training 

(why), and an efficient delivery of instruction (how). 

Furthermore, the ISD identifies the responsibilities of the 

stakeholders: the partner organizations (POs) [customer], 

the training divisions [the subject matter experts], the 

training management divisions [the program designers], 

and the evaluation and analysis branch [evaluators]. 

It requires a cadre of conscientious and skilled instructors, 

a reliable means to measure learning outcomes, and an 

organizational model that offers a concerted and collaborative 

effort from all stakeholders. The FLETC utilizes the 

ADDIE-R model enterprise-wide to manage the process.

ADDIE-R Model

The ADDIE-R model is an acronym representing six 

phases of the ISD process used during the FLETC program 

development life cycle: Analysis, Design, Development, 

Implementation, Evaluation, and Revision. The ADDIE-R 

is used as a road map to navigate the decision-making process 

and ensures the FLETC consistently produces effective law 

enforcement training curriculum. The development of a new 

program will be used in this article as a guide for explaining 

how the ADDIE-R is used to create and evaluate training 

programs at FLETC. 

Analysis Phase

In the analysis phase, a training need is determined from 

ideas introduced as a result of a new law, mandate, national 

event, or a developing trend in law enforcement. Critical 

performance requirements will be identified from the 

collaboration between the POs and subject matter experts. 

The requirements will be used to implement a needs 

assessment survey, which will be sent out to identify essential 

job tasks to be trained and skill/knowledge requirements to 

ensure students are successful in their particular jobs. 

Analysis is derived from feedback surveys, training needs 

assessments, job task analysis, working groups, or validation 

studies, which is collected and analyzed in a report. 

Cumulative report data are used by managers and instructors 

to monitor and detect trends and changes in feedback data 

during ongoing training. The analysis phase for an existing 

training program differs in that a continuous validation 

survey, instead of a training needs assessment survey, is used 

to validate the effectiveness of an existing training program. 

The program specialist will facilitate working groups with all 

stakeholders to discuss the results of the survey and create a 

training strategy that outlines the curriculum contents for a 

new training program. 

Design Phase

In the design phase, the training strategy is refined into a 

training plan based on the data provided by the working 

group(s) participants and surveys. The training plan will 

include training objectives for identified essential job tasks, 

evaluation methods to show mastery of training objectives, 

sequencing of learning events to create the model schedule, 

and prerequisites for training. 

HOW TRAINING PROGRAMS ARE CREATED

BY DR. JERRY COLLINS, Evaluation and Analysis Branch

ERICK ROSARIO, Training Managment Division
20 FLETC Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 J

BEHIND THE SCENES

The first order of business is to identify the major training 

topics and draft terminal performance objectives (TPO) 

and enabling performance objectives (EPO) for the 

courses of instruction. A TPO will contain a condition, an 

observable performance, and a standard of a task a student 

will be expected to do at the conclusion of a course. EPOs 

are a series of steps that are required to accomplish a TPO. 

Design is led by a team of subject matter experts (SME) and 

practitioners who come together to determine the required 

learning outcomes as they link to job tasks identified in the 

analysis phase. The team is careful to adhere to the Federal 

Law Enforcement Training Accreditation standards for 

curriculum development to maintain FLETC’s current 

status as an accredited academy. The program specialist 

will document training design decisions and proposed 

curriculum in a working group summary to prepare for a 

Curriculum Development Conference (CDC). 

The design phase for an existing training program differs in 

that existing curriculum is revised, not necessarily created, 

using working groups and a Curriculum Review Conference 

(CRC) to ensure the content continues to meet the training 

Analyze

Design

Develop

Implement Evaluate

Revise

Revise

Revise

Revise

ADDIE-R

Instructional Systems Design

ment

"The ADDIE-R model is an acronym representing six phases of the ISD process 

used during the FLETC program development life cycle: Analysis, Design, 

Development, Implementation, Evaluation, and Revision. The ADDIE-R is used 

as a roadmap to navigate the decision-making process and ensures the FLETC 

consistently produces effective law enforcement training curriculum."
21 FLETC Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 J

BEHIND THE SCENES

needs of the stakeholders. In either case, objectives are 

reviewed and validated by the EAB and a final report is 

created to outline the details and responsibilities for the 

creation or revision of the training curriculum.

Development Phase

The development phase is where instructional material for 

both students and instructors in support of the new training 

curriculum is created. This phase involves the production 

of the lesson plans, student texts, tests/practical exercises, 

learning resources and course materials required for the 

program. Desired outcomes of the training will dictate the 

appropriate training methodologies, training tools, and 

support requirements necessary for students to achieve the 

desired levels of proficiency. 

The FLETC lesson plan format provides specific directions 

for instructors during each training session to ensure 

consistency in the intended learning outcomes. SMEs will 

specify the student-centered learning activities used during 

the delivery of instruction (lecture, laboratories, and roleplaying scenarios) and assessment tools (written exams or 

practical exercise) to measure the student’s knowledge and 

skills. Another major consideration is the availability and 

use of equipment, resources, and safe venues at all FLETC 

training delivery points or export locations. 

The team will work to create a model schedule and validate 

the completion of program content in preparation for a pilot 

class of the new curriculum. The pilot class will be scheduled 

accordingly to ensure adequate time for preparation of 

support and resources. 

At FLETC, the annual training schedule is divided into four 

quarters: 1st Quarter (October – December), 2nd Quarter 

( January – March), 3rd Quarter (April – June), and 4th 

Quarter ( July – September). To conclude the development 

phase, the EAB will create a customized student feedback 

form(s) which will measure the effectiveness of the pilot 

class during the implementation phase.

Implementation Phase

In the implementation phase, the pilot for a new or 

revised program is conducted using a diverse audience of 

stakeholders who can validate the program material and 

instructional delivery. 

The results from a pilot feedback report and inputs will 

determine if additional changes to the curriculum and 

another pilot is necessary to ensure training objectives can be 

consistently achieved by the students. Once the curriculum 

is validated, the program specialist will create the program’s 

implementation package and obtain final approval from 

FLETC senior management. Continuous improvement to 

training programs will be in response to feedback during the 

evaluation phase.

Evaluation Phase

In the evaluation phase, the quality of the instruction is 

assessed before and after each iteration of the program. 

Formal assessment is accomplished using student feedback, 

student exams/skill demonstrations, and graduate/supervisor 

feedback. Evaluations actually occur in all phases of the 

ADDIE-R model. Formative and summative feedback is 

used to maintain the integrity of an approved program. 

FLETC utilizes three levels of evaluation from the 

Kirkpatrick Model: Level I student reaction to training 

(summative), Level II student’s achievement of objectives 

(formative), and Level III applicability of training at the 

workplace (summative). 

Level I feedback is a student critique, which does not 

measure what was learned, but instead gauges the attention, 

motivation and interest of the student upon completing 

the training. Over time, survey results are compiled from 

multiple classes to conduct in-depth Level I analysis and 

reporting, which can be used to inform pilot studies, 

working groups, and CRC on course updates/revisions.

Level II feedback involves the measurement of improvement 

in knowledge and skills by a student. Level II data is usually 

obtained from results in written exams and practical exercise 

performances. EAB manages a bank of more than 6,500 test 

questions, creates student exams, and develops test booklets 

and instructor review materials for each scheduled classroom 

test. Once tests are administered and collected, they are 

processed and uploaded into the Student Administration 

and Scheduling System. Instructors can then review tests 

with students, identify those needing remediation/retesting 

and analysing the test data.

Lastly, the Level III survey is administered to past graduates 

and their supervisors to assess improvements in job 

performance as a result of attending FLETC training. EAB 

creates the “validation” surveys, which are sent by email to 

graduates/supervisors after spending time in the field. This 

survey compiles feedback on the perceptions of training, 

preparation for the job, and identification of any potential 

training gaps. Response rates historically exceed 30 percent, 
22 FLETC Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 J

BEHIND THE SCENES

which enhances the data reliability. Results are compiled by 

the EAB, and analyzed and reported to the training entities 

to inform curriculum updates/revisions.

Level IV feedback, which analyzes large volumes of data 

from all potential sources to determine overall institutional 

performance, is not currently being conducted by FLETC. 

Revision Phase

In the revision phase, changes to curriculum can occur 

from feedback gathered during the implementation and 

evaluation phases. The Curricula Advisory Committee, 

comprising representatives from FLETC and partner 

organizations, also proposes revisions to curriculum. 

There are two types of revisions, minor and major. Minor 

revisions are modifications related to FLETC program 

administration, which do not change the main contents 

of the curriculum (i.e., model sequencing, facility 

requirements, class size, instructor contact hours, etc.) and 

typically are approved by a training management chief. 

Major revisions are significant modifications to curriculum 

content, increased length of program, or change in cost. 

Major program revisions require the involvement of all 

stakeholders, along with data collected during the analysis 

and evaluation phases, or by identified changes in policy 

or practice, the law, technology, or strategies. The CTMD 

program specialist will create a modification package for 

minor revisions or make the appropriate preparation for a 

CRC for major revisions. 

Revisions to a course or training program can occur on 

a cyclic, ongoing, or as-needed basis. The cycle for basic 

programs is every three years and for FLETC advanced 

programs is every five years from the full implementation 

date. An out-of-cycle CRC may be approved if justification 

exist for changes to the program prior to the next scheduled 

date. 

The collaborative actions of stakeholders during the revision 

phase starts the ISD process once again for a training 

program at FLETC.

Summary

As you can see, the ISD process provides FLETC with a 

flexible approach towards providing current and relevant law 

enforcement training to over 90 POs. The success of this 

process would not be possible without the communication 

and cooperation between the POs and FLETC to 

continuously improve the training provided to students.

Dr. Jerry Collins is the chief of the Evaluation and 

Analysis Branch at the Federal Law Enforcement 

Training Centers. Collins retired from the U.S. Army 

in 1994 as an intelligence analyst/military linguist, 

to include Russian, Czech and Slovak. He served a 

majority of his military career as an instructional 

designer, curriculum developer, platform instructor 

and training manager for the U.S. Army Signal 

School, the U.S. Army Intelligence School and the Defense Language 

Institute.

Upon his military retirement, he began his civilian career in higher 

education administration as the coordinator of adult education, 

scholarship management, and veteran student services at the 

University of South Florida in Tampa. He advanced at the university 

from 1994 to 2012 to become the director of undergraduate studies, 

overseeing baccalaureate programs, serving as liaison to the 

university’s ROTC programs, and teaching for more than 10 years as 

the professor and academic chair of a nationally recognized leadership 

studies program. 

In 2012, he assumed the associate vice president position at Florida 

State College at Jacksonville. This position encompassed a broad 

and diverse set of executive duties and oversight of all educational 

programs, workforce training, technical certificate programs, 

curriculum development, articulation, data analysis, and reporting. 

Collins received his Bachelor of Science in liberal studies from the 

University of the State of New York, a Master of Arts in international 

relations from the University of South Florida, and a doctorate 

in curriculum and instruction with a cognate in organizational 

communication from the University of South Florida.

Erick Rosario is a Law Enforcement Program 

Administrator assigned to the Centralized Training 

Management Directorate. He began his career at 

FLETC in 2008, as an instructor at the Physical 

Techniques Division. Prior to joining FLETC, Rosario 

retired from the U.S. Air Force as a supervisory 

special agent and academy instructor with the Air 

Force Office of Special Investigations. He is a 

native of Brooklyn, New York, and earned a Bachelor of Science in 

criminal justice from Park University, Missouri, and a master’s degree 

in adult education from American Intercontinental University, Illinois.
23 FLETC Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 J

BEHIND THE SCENES

two-week programs immediately 

after the conclusion of this 

CRC. The remarkable aspect 

was an additional day was 

added for a needs assessment 

working group, which started 

the analysis phase for the new 

program. 

A proposed realignment of 

network training resulted in the old CNITP program 

being retired and the creation of the replacement program, 

the DECEE. From there, its follow-on course for two 

additional weeks was titled Cyber Incident Response and 

Analysis (CIRA). 

A second working group was scheduled to confirm 

what the changes looked like after being approved 

through the design phase of ADDIE-R once again. This 

working group was conducted in fiscal year 2017 and upon 

completion of that meeting the curriculum was created 

during the development phase. 

The pilot program for CIRA was conducted in 

the second quarter of fiscal year 2018. This is the 

implementation phase of the ADDIE-R model. Upon 

completion of the pilot, the evaluation and revision phases 

begin, almost simultaneously. Diaz obtained immediate 

feedback from the students and, while the information was 

fresh in his mind, he began tentative revision of the course, 

as required. Once these revisions have been approved, 

CIRA should begin to appear as a regularly scheduled 

course in FY19 and beyond. 

The following is a vignette of the ADDIE-R 

theoretical model in practice in a recently 

developed pilot program shepherded by Senior 

Instructor Mark Diaz of FLETC’s Cyber Division (CYD). 

The senior instructor has a career’s worth of recent experience 

in the corporate and the Department of Defense enterprise 

networks. The following is the genesis of the new network 

forensic program recently added to the division’s offerings. 

In the early part of fiscal year 2016, a fortuitous event 

occurred that helped spur the development of a new network 

course. This event was the curriculum review conference 

(CRC) for the Computer Network Investigation Training 

Program (CNITP). The primary stakeholders participating 

in the program’s review were also the primary target 

audience for any new network program, so as the review 

commenced it rapidly became apparent that the world of 

network forensics had matured enough that it needed to be 

updated and possibly segmented. 

Once the partner organization representatives realized 

a new, deeper-level network forensic course was required, 

it dramatically changed the character and paradigm of the 

CNITP CRC. At the conclusion of the planned CRC, they 

were asked to vote on a “next-level” course. It was agreed 

that CNITP would be rebranded, reconfigured and become 

part one of a two-part network forensics program. The 

“new” CNITP would be called Digital Evidence Collection 

in an Enterprise Environment or DECEE. 

Diaz’s next task was to create from scratch a new 

curriculum that would pick up where CNITP left off and 

take digital forensically-trained, network savvy investigators 

to the next level in forensic network incident response. He 

quickly provided an overview of the topics required within 

the proposed curriculum, which became the “skeleton” of 

the proposed training and was used for the next event, the 

design phase. 

Essentially, the POs were given a unique opportunity to 

draft four weeks of network training, divided between two 

ADDIE-R

AN INSTRUCTOR'S 

PERSPECTIVE

BY PRESTON FARLEY

Cyber Division

Preston L. Farley is a senior instructor for the 

Cyber Division at the Federal Law Enforcement 

Training Centers (FLETC), where he has been an 

instructor since 2004. In 2006, he became the 

program coordinator for the Seized Computer 

Evidence Recovery Specialist Training Program, 

which is the introductory digital forensic analysis 

class open to all law enforcement officers/agents 

at both the local and federal level. His law enforcement career 

includes 20 years as a United States military member in both the 

active duty U.S. Air Force and the active duty U.S. Army culminating in 

nearly a decade of investigative experience with the U. S. Army 

Criminal Investigation Division Command as a special agent and 

cyber agent.
24 FLETC Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 J

BEHIND THE SCENES

*With contributions from Scott Wright, 

Investigative Operations Division; John 

Palmer, Behavioral Science Division; 

and Bill Macy, Enforcement 

Operations Division

Malcom S. Knowles, best known 

for his work in revolutionizing 

our understanding of 

the art and science of 

adult learning, outlined 

several requirements for 

instruction to be effective 

for the adult learner. 

Among those were 

the assertions that 

for adults, 

experience 

provides 

the basis for 

learning, and 

the products of the 

lesson must have clear 

relevance and impact on 

the adult learner’s life or 

profession. Said another way, 

adults learn by participating 

in training scenarios that 

realistically portray situations they 

can expect to encounter in the future. 

The Federal Law Enforcement 

Training Centers (FLETC) 

has long recognized that 

participatory scenarios are more 

effective strategies to achieve 

proficiency in hands-on tasks, 

and that the more realistic those 

scenarios are, the more effective the 

training product becomes. A quick 

inventory of FLETC’s many training 

venues illustrates just how seriously 

FLETC takes these requirements; 

FLETC boasts some of the most 

current, engaging, and realistic mock 

crime scenes, residences, storefronts, 

and professional buildings available 

in a law enforcement training 

environment. There is, however, so 

much more that contributes to the 

realism of a scenario than just the 

venue in which it is held. The scenario 

itself must also be feasible, and when 

“true to life” is what is needed, the 

best place to look is life. 

Realism in Investigative Operations 

Division Training

The Criminal Investigator Training 

TRUTH

FICTION

IS STANGER THAN

BY LAUREN WARE

Investigative Operations Division
25 FLETC Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 J

BEHIND THE SCENES

Program is FLETC’s flagship 

basic training program for special 

agents from more than 50 federal 

law enforcement agencies. The 

Continuing Case Investigation is a 

critical component of the program. 

This mock investigation essentially 

serves as the vehicle that carries 

students through the investigative 

process, from the initial receipt of an 

allegation all the way to courtroom 

testimony for that case. Because 

this investigation must create 

opportunities to learn and apply every 

standard investigative step in a typical 

federal case, it must be carefully 

and deliberately orchestrated so it 

includes all that it is required while 

still maintaining its believability. 

To accomplish the goal of realism, 

and to ensure relevancy to all major 

contributing partner organization 

agencies, instructors from the 

Investigative Operations Division 

reached out to both current and 

former agents to transfer their real 

world experiences to the training case. 

The continuing case kicks off with 

a military intelligence bulletin 

documenting the assault of a U.S. Air 

Force airman stationed overseas. To 

ensure a realistic report, instructors 

referenced real Air Force Office 

of Special Investigations reports 

of similar incidents and modeled 

their scenario off them. Instructors 

developed key components of the 

continuing case from their own 

investigative experiences with their 

former agencies, such as participation 

in terrorism financing cases with the 

U.S. Secret Service. Material from 

this, and other relevant high-profile 

national cases, went into building a 

training scenario in which a terrorist 

organization counterfeits U.S. 

currency, uses it to purchase firearms, 

and then ships those firearms overseas 

in support of the organization’s goals. 

The counterfeit currency aspect was 

made realistic by inclusion of the 

methods, forms, and administrative 

paths of Secret Service investigations. 

Likewise, the firearms aspect of 

the case was vetted through former 

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms 

and Explosives agents to maintain 

the same realism. Instructors with 

background experience in customs 

and border protection had frequent 

encounters with fraudulent identity 

documents; they used these realworld experiences to construct the 

identity document props used in 

the case. Agents with experience 

in homeland security investigations 

were invaluable in the creation of 

those aspects of the case related to 

immigration violations and foreign 

nationals. In addition, there was 

significant input from former 

prosecutors and Assistant United 

States Attorneys to make the legal 

aspects of the investigation coincide 

with the realities of the field. 

The personal investigative experiences 

of a quite a few agents, deputies, 

technicians, and attorneys were 

needed in order to create this 

simulated investigation. This was all 

done with an eye toward maintaining 

a level of realism, often based on 

case experience, that would make 

it effective in training the rising 

generation of criminal investigators.

Realism in Behavioral 

Science Training

The Behavioral Science Division 

(BSD) is tasked with teaching 

students to use different interviewing 

techniques and apply their 

understanding of human behavior to 

solicit as much material from human 

sources as possible; they then examine 

and analyze this information to 

direct and progress the investigation. 

The challenge with essentially every 

aspect of criminal investigation is 

that pieces of a story are acquired 

in non-chronological order, and the 

investigator must sift through the 

relevant and irrelevant and organize 

this information in an understandable 

manner. Through a process of 

deductive reasoning, the investigator 

must start at the end of the story 

and work his or her way backwards 

to paint a full picture of just what 

happened. BSD relies on real-world 

inspired characters and events to help 

illustrate this concept to students. 

In what has come to be known as 

the “Farina Lab” in the Criminal 

Investigator Training Program, 

students engage in a series of 

interviews based on real people 

and real situations that help them 

construct a timeline of events for 

their investigation. The scenario 

requires students to piece together 

small bits of information to track 

the journey of the stolen firearm and 

identify the individual ultimately 

responsible, which is based on 

numerous stolen firearms cases 

investigated by the former U.S. 

Customs Service. Students initially 

receive information that a fellow law 

enforcement officer’s backup weapon 

was missing from her suitcase after 

she left it unattended in her hotel 

room. Students must interview the 

hotel manager, which leads to an 

interview of a disgruntled former 

employee, and then to additional 

interviews of a couple currently 

working at the hotel. Later, the 

firearm is recovered from a suspect 

arrested in an unrelated incident. 

Upon interview, that individual 

redirects students to interviews of the 

owners of the pawn shop where the 

suspect claims to have legitimately 

bought the stolen firearm. Each 

interview reveals one more piece of 

the puzzle and introduces yet another 

person who must be interviewed for 

information about this incident. This 
26 FLETC Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 J

BEHIND THE SCENES

Lauren Ware serves as 

the chief of the 

Forensics and Special 

Investigative Skills 

Branch of the Federal 

Law Enforcement 

Training Centers. In this 

position, Ware leads a 

staff of 18 professional forensic instructors 

who are responsible for researching, 

designing and delivering the most current, 

relevant, and accurate forensics and 

specialized investigative techniques 

available to federal law enforcement 

officers. Her branch provides basic and 

advanced training to more than 90 federal 

law enforcement partner agencies, as well 

as state and local counterparts, out of a 

newly constructed 40,000-square-foot 

facility dedicated to execution of FLETC’s 

forensic training mission. 

Ware maintains professional affiliation 

with the American Academy of Forensic 

Sciences and serves as the Vice Chair of 

the Peace Corps Sexual Assault Advisory 

Council. She is an advocate for community 

service, working on the Feds Feeds Families 

Food Drive, the annual CASA program, and 

by providing presentations to local school 

children in an effort to inspire them to 

pursue careers in science. 

Ware was awarded FLETC's leadership 

award for 2014 and is the recipient of 

the Women in Federal Law Enforcement’s 

2016 Outstanding Law Enforcement 

Employee Award.

scenario illustrates how effectively a 

case can be built upon circumstantial 

evidence when a carefully constructed 

timeline is obtained. 

Realism in Enforcement 

Operations Training

The Enforcement Operations 

Division is responsible for training 

the technical and operational aspects 

of law enforcement, including patrol 

skills and use of force. To contend 

with the highly dynamic environment 

in which enforcement operations 

routinely occur, instructors must 

maintain familiarity with changes 

in law, social considerations, and 

technological advancements. As 

such, they look frequently to 

current events to identify 

relevant situations they 

can use to prepare 

their students for 

the reality of the 

environment 

they are about 

to enter. One 

of the many 

topics garnering 

attention 

today is law 

enforcement’s 

interaction with 

individuals with mental 

health concerns. 

In the Land Management Police 

Training Program, instructors subject 

students to a use-of-force scenario 

involving an individual with known 

mental health issues. This scenario 

was inspired from a real-world event 

in which two officers responded to 

the home of an individual they knew 

to have mental health problems. 

That individual met officers in the 

doorway of his home with a sharp 

tool in his hand. In the real world 

encounter, the situation ultimately 

ended in the individual being shot. 

While a subsequent use-of-force 

investigation demonstrated the 

officers’ actions were lawful, there 

were several instances during the 

encounter where the opportunity 

existed to potentially deescalate the 

situation and produce a different 

outcome. 

In this scenario, students similarly 

respond to a location where an 

individual known to have mental 

health problems when not properly 

medicated, played by a trained role 

player, is behaving in an abnormal 

manner. When the two-student 

team arrives, they 

find themselves 

approximately 

45-yards away 

from the 

individual. The 

role player has 

a sharp tool in 

his hand, which 

could be used as a 

weapon. 

Instructors hope the 

students recognize 

the advantage they have 

with the distance and use the 

communication skills they have 

learned to speak moderately and 

calmly with the individual and 

establish rapport. If the students fail 

to consider the information provided 

and the positional advantage they 

are given, they may choose to shout 

orders at the role player or close the 

distance between them abruptly. 

This course of action serves to 

escalate the situation and can even 

end in a shooting scenario. However, 

the students who consider the 

totality of the circumstances and 

are mindful of their actions and the 

role they play in the role player’s 

responses successfully deescalate the 

scenario, resulting in the peaceful 

apprehension of the suspect. 

Conclusion

The training scenarios used in 

FLETC’s laboratories and practical 

exercises are not works of fiction; 

these events and activities are 

not the product of instructor 

imaginations. Instead, FLETC 

instructors capitalize on their 

extensive previous experience as 

sworn law enforcement officers and 

investigators to identify real life 

events as the inspiration for realistic 

and relevant training scenarios that 

best reach FLETC’s adult learners. 
27 FLETC Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 J

BEHIND THE SCENES

EVALUATING 

REALISM IN 

POLICE DRIVING

BY DR. RICK GIOVENGO, Training Innovation Division

TROY ROWELL, Driver & Marine Division

The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers 

(FLETC) employs a methodical process to 

validate and support the use of new technologies 

to achieve critical training objectives. One of the areas 

where new technologies have been evaluated and found to 

be effective in training students are the driving simulators 

administered by the Driver and Marine Division (DMD). 

Recently, DMD explored the utilization of a newer 

choice of driver simulators to determine if an upgrade to 

more advanced simulators would improve the quality of 

training.

There are many schools of thought on what constitutes 

an effective simulated experience. Typically, effectiveness 

of a driving simulator depends on its ability to accurately 

reproduce realism, sometimes called fidelity. The combined 

realism of an experience results from a number of factors 

such as visual representation, auditory stimulation, and 

physical motion. Of course, as each of these areas becomes 

more refined, so too does the cost of a simulator system 

capable of producing each realistic sensation. The question 

then becomes, which of these areas must be realistic to 

achieve the most effective learning experience, and is it 

worth an additional expense? 

An increasing number of simulation manufacturers in 

this field have asserted that motion in a driving simulator 

plays a significant role in a driver’s behavior and consequent 

training experience. Simulators with motion, they would 

argue, provide the driver physical feedback such as feeling 

acceleration by tilting the seat back, just like driving a real 

car. However, these motion platform simulators can easily 

cost more than a real vehicle. Additionally, the maintenance 

requirements of the motion platform can be significant. In 

light of the volume of students expected to train on these 

simulators day after day, the potential of having training 

interrupted due to overuse and maintenance needs is a very 

real consideration. For these reasons, the upgrade to a more 

realistic motion-enabled driver simulator would have to 

result in a significant increase in learning and performance 

to justify the additional expense. 

Thus, a partnership was born and a collaborative study 

developed by DMD and the Training Innovation Division 

to determine the most important aspect of a driving 

simulator, that is, physical realism, auditory realism, visual 

realism, or graphic realism in regards to a motion versus 

non-motion platform. 

For the past decade, FLETC has used mid-fidelity 

simulators. A mid-fidelity simulator has advanced graphics, 

large projector screens, a realistic configuration, and a simple 

motion base. A high-fidelity simulator provides close to a 

360-degree view and an extensive moving base. FLETC 

Driving simulators are tested to determine the benefits in use of this 

type of training technology. (FLETC Archive Photo)
28 FLETC Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 J

BEHIND THE SCENES

simulators currently support absolute realism for decisionmaking skills, such as route choice behavior, and relative 

realism for velocity and lateral control measures. However, 

because driving simulators have progressed over the last 10 

years, DMD wanted to explore the newer choices of driver 

simulators. This would determine whether an upgrade to a 

more advanced motion-base simulator would truly improve 

the quality of the training product. 

The study lasted two weeks, and 105 volunteers 

were recruited from FLETC staff and FLETC partner 

organizations. All volunteers were 18 years or older and 

possessed a valid driver’s license. Each volunteer was allowed 

to drive in the simulator to compare driving performance; 

some experienced the simulator with motion turned on 

and others with motion turned off. Participants were not 

informed about the exact reason for the experiment, and 

instructions were kept to a minimum. 

While using the more advanced motion base simulator, 

participants first drove on a bumpy dirt road, then turned 

left onto a flattop highway that took them into a city-type 

environment. The city environment had several street 

lights that changed color, along with some erratic drivers, 

pedestrians, and animals walking into the intersections. 

Participants were told a green vehicle was going to pull out 

in front of them, and they would pursue that vehicle with 

lights and sirens. The green vehicle would drive out of town 

onto the back roads. There were some stop signs and turns 

that participants were expected to safely negotiate. The 

green vehicle would take the participants on an interstate 

where it would eventually pull over, thus ending the exercise.

After each participant completed driving in the 

simulator, with either the motion enabled or disabled, they 

were asked to fill out a questionnaire asking them to rate 

the realism and functions of the simulator on a five-point 

scale from very good to very poor. The fidelities rated on 

a scale included physical realism (motion), visual realism, 

audio realism, and graphic realism. 

The results indicated that while visual and graphic 

realism were found to be significant factors in the 

participants’ training experience, motion (physical realism) 

scored only marginally better than non-motion simulators. 

Audio realism was found to be insignificant. As a result of 

the study, this team of researchers were able to conclude that 

the quality of the training experience between non-motion 

and motion simulators was not demonstrably different. 

Therefore, it would be difficult to justify the substantial 

increase in cost for a simulator that did not measurably 

improve the overall training experience. 

The construction, administration, and results of this 

study illustrate FLETC’s commitment to balance the desire 

for cutting-edge technology with the requirement that 

technology ultimately augment the training objective. In this 

way, FLETC ensures its partner organizations receive the 

most valuable training experience with the most responsible 

expenditure of resources. 

For more information on this study or DMD training, 

visit the FLETC website at www.FLETC.gov.

Troy Rowell began his law enforcement career in 

1998 in Georgia, where he served in the traffic 

unit as a traffic officer, DUI task force officer, 

commander of the Traffic Enforcement Team, 

commander of the Special Operations Unit, and 

Watch Commander. Rowell was also assigned to 

the Criminal Investigations Division, where he 

served as assistant division commander. He 

completed his career as the departmental training coordinator 

assigned to the Support Services Division. He also served as 

assistant division commander and acting division commander in 

addition to his training responsibilities.

Rowell began his career at FLETC in May 2016. He is currently 

assigned to the Driver Marine Division, Simulator Instructor Branch 

in Glynco, Georgia, where he has helped to establish new curriculum 

in several areas.

Dr. Rick D. Giovengo is an organizational 

psychologist with 30 years of law enforcement 

experience as both a state law enforcement officer 

and a federal agent. His specialized skills include 

undercover investigations, criminal investigations, 

personnel development, leadership coaching, and 

training. He is the author of the book Training Law 

Enforcement Officers. Giovengo designed the 

Covert Operator Selection School, which was considered a premier 

undercover school in federal law enforcement training. He was an 

adjunct instructor for the Federal Law Enforcement Leadership 

Institute from 2004 to 2009. He has trained law enforcement officers 

in Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Cambodia and South Africa. He proudly 

served as a platoon sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Driving simulators allow trainees to practice varied scenarios. (Photo 

by David Tucker, FLETC)
29 FLETC Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 J

BEHIND THE SCENES

DOI Law Enforcement Community Service in

BY ROBERT LACHANCE

Department of Interior

Communities in the United States suffered 

major loss during the 2017 hurricane 

season. The affected areas of Hurricanes 

Harvey, Irma and Maria were declared national 

disasters. In response, the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency activated Emergency Support 

Functions to include ESF-13 for Public Safety and 

Security. The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) 

was among the federal agencies providing support, 

deploying over 380 law enforcement officers to these 

disaster areas. DOI officers engaged in community 

policing on these deployments, an important concept 

in today’s law enforcement basic training at the Federal 

Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC).

DISASTER AREAS

Fish and Wildlife Service-Refuge Officers William Bullock and James Casey rescue and comfort a woman in Puerto Rico. Her dog 

“Aqua” led the officers to her. (Photo Courtesy of the Department of the Interior)
30 FLETC Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 J

BEHIND THE SCENES

The DOI Office of Law Enforcement and Security 

coordinated the DOI law enforcement response. Upon 

request, DOI bureaus responded and Quick Reaction Teams 

were dispatched to Houston, Texas, for Hurricane Harvey; 

Seminole Tribe Reservation in Florida for Hurricane Irma; 

and San Juan, Puerto Rico, for Hurricane Maria. 

The multi-agency teams interacted with the community, 

while providing security support for Urban Search and 

Rescue and Disaster Medical Assistance Teams and 

providing Direct Federal Assistance.

DOI dispatched teams to Houston following Hurricane 

Harvey to provide federal assistance. Fish and Wildlife 

Officer Daniel Shamhart and U.S. Park Police Officer 

Rebekah Spedaliere were among those deployed. 

While it may be easy to overlook local first responders 

when considering community needs, it is important to 

remember that they live and work in the affected areas and 

have needs as well. Shamhart spoke about his experience 

with this segment of the Houston community. "During 

my deployment in the Houston area following Hurricane 

Harvey, I had the opportunity to engage with the local law 

enforcement and firefighter communities. It was amazing to 

experience their hospitality and it was a pleasure to see federal 

law enforcement coming to assist in their hometowns. It 

reinforced that community service for us includes the local 

first responders."

Spedaliere noted the diverse communities the 

encountered, providing her with a unique experience to each 

community where she engaged. She found her presence to 

the community positively contributed to their morale as 

they came together to recover, an experience she will never 

forget.

Hurricane Irma came on the tail of Hurricane Harvey, 

causing major damage to Florida. DOI teams dispatched to 

the Seminole Tribe Reservation in Florida provided relief to 

the local tribal police working around the clock and dealing 

with the personal impact from the hurricane.

DOI officers patrolled neighborhoods, going into 

homes checking on residents. These personal contacts with 

residents allowed officers to ensure the residents had needed 

supplies and support. 

U.S. Park Police Officer Julio Valega shared the 

welcoming feel of the community and rewarding experience 

during the door-to-door welfare checks stating, “Overall 

we felt good that we were helping the community as law 

enforcement officers.”

Many DOI teams deployed to Hurricane Irma became 

part of the response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. 

While some team members pre-deployed to the impending 

disaster area, others followed shortly after the hurricane 

passed. 

Bureau of Land Management Ranger Stephanie Cox 

was among the first DOI team members to touch down in 

Puerto Rico. Her team pre-deployed ahead of Hurricane 

Maria to be ready to go as soon as the hurricane passed. 

After riding out the category four hurricane in San Juan 

September 20, 2017, Cox and her teammates discovered 

an injured man, who had suffered a deep laceration on his 

leg, and they immediately provided medical care. Her team 

later provided security and support to the Urban Search and 

Rescue teams traveling across the island to conduct welfare 

checks on affected communities. 

The team left a positive impact through their numerous 

community interactions. Cox expressed the deep effect the 

Puerto Rico deployment had on her, stating, "It was a life 

changing event for me and changed my whole perspective 

on community policing. It opened my eyes to what we as 

law enforcement can do for communities. To actually reach 

out and help this devastated community was an incredible 

experience."

Robert Mathis, assistant Agent in Charge with Bureau 

of Indian Affairs (BIA), deployed to the Irma and Maria 

disaster areas with a team of tribal and BIA officers. His 

team provided security to temporary medical sites at local 

hospitals in Puerto Rico that had lost power and to medical 

assistance teams pushing out from San Juan to reach isolated 

parts of the island. 

Mathias related that he experienced a rewarding feeling 

in helping to ensure medical care reached the community. 

“The positive community interactions and the satisfaction 

of helping people in a time of need is what law enforcement 

is all about.” 

While providing security to a medical assistance team 

in Puerto Rico, Fish and Wildlife Service Reserve Officers 

James Casey, William Bullock, and Colby Clevenger 

observed a little dog wearing a sweater alone in the area 

running up and down a hill. Eventually the officers followed 

the dog, leading them to the dog’s owner, a woman trapped 

under her medical scooter. The officers freed the woman, 

comforted her, and called a fellow officer, Daniel Huckel, 

to bring medical assistance. They remarked that “Agua” the 

dog was the hero. The positive impression they left on the 

woman in need is a testament to the important work when 

helping a disaster-torn community.

National Park Service Special Agent Clay Anderson’s 

many interactions with the community left an impact on him. 

During a security mission in San Juan, a woman carrying her 

young daughter approached him and asked for information 

about where to get food and assistance. The displaced 

mother traveled to Puerto Rico from the U.S. Virgin Islands 

to escape the hurricane and found she was trapped with no 

resources or ability to get home. Anderson helped her as he 
31 FLETC Spring-Summer 2018 volume 20 J

BEHIND THE SCENES

could and shared his own food and water with them in their 

time of need. While he remarked that it was a small gesture 

in the grand scheme of the FEMA response, he stated, "We 

made a positive impact on the community and showed that 

people can walk up to a uniformed officer without fear and 

know they will be helped."

While returning to their home locations, DOI officers 

deployed to Puerto Rico and met a mother and her two 

young sons who lost everything in the hurricane. En route to 

Florida to stay with extended family, this young family had 

only the clothes they were wearing yet they were positive 

about their new start. The 50 federal officers decided to take 

up a collection among themselves and raised over $1,100 

for the family.

FLETC has a strong commitment to providing high 

quality, relevant training to DOI law enforcement officers, 

so they are well prepared to serve with a community service 

mindset. The BIA Indian Country Police Officer Training 

Program, the Land Management Police Training Program 

(LMPT program), and the U.S. Park Police Agency Specific 

Basic program are among training programs that include 

community service training.

“The Indian Country Police Officer Training Program 

is steeped in developing communication skills as applied 

in the tenets of community policing and the nobility of 

policing,” said Steven Juneau, academy director. In 2017, 

Juneau implemented new curriculum to strengthen officer 

communication skills and lab exercises in courses such as 

de-escalation. Officers graduate with a comprehensive 

understanding of applying community policing concepts 

in both day-to-day community relations and during crisis 

incidents. 

LMPT’s purpose as outlined in the course syllabus 

states, “In today's changing world, land management 

officers are faced with a variety of situations that, in addition 

to traditional law enforcement skills, require an awareness 

of and expertise in human behavior, cultural sensitivity, 

and other interdisciplinary approaches to effective law 

enforcement.” Christine Hewitt, training specialist with 

Fish and Wildlife Service Reserve, sets a high standard of 

respect for LMPT students stating, “The public expects 

and deserves to be treated with kindness and respect by law 

enforcement. During their academy experience, respect is 

instilled into our federal wildlife officers, and they in turn 

portray this trait to the public, making them approachable 

and more effective in their duties.”

U.S. Park Police Sergeant Kim Walker has taken the 

community policing model beyond the classroom. “It is 

paramount for the public to trust and respect the police 

community. Using the 21st Century Community Policing 

concept, I began a community outreach program at the 

recruit level to grasp the attention of our youth most 

susceptible to crime. Our recruits and the youth they engage 

with find these opportunities rewarding as they build lasting 

impressions, trust, and legitimacy.”

The community service DOI provided to the hurricane 

victims left a lasting impression on those involved. It begins 

with training at FLETC and continues throughout their 

careers. 

Bureau of Land Management Ranger Jason Marsoobian 

provides medical care to a man injured by Hurricane Maria 

in Puerto Rico. Photo Courtesy of the Department of the 

Interior. (Photo Courtesy of Department of Interior)

Robert Lachance is the Department of the Interior, 

Office of Law Enforcement and Security National 

Training coordinator, located at the Federal Law 

Enforcement Training Centers since February of 

2017. In this position, Robert coordinates with 

FLETC and the DOI bureaus on training 

requirements and related policy, coordinating the 

FLETA accredited DOI Investigator Training 

Program, as well as serving as a FLETA board member. 

His prior experience was with the U.S. Park Police (USPP) for 18 

years, serving in a variety of assignments. His last position was as 

the USPP partner representative to the FLETC and commanding the 

USPP Training Academy located at Glynco, Georgia. His previous 

assignments included firearms custodian, commander of the SWAT, 

K9, and Honor Guard units and the public information officer. While 

the commander of the SWAT unit, he served as the program director 

for the CONTOMS (Counter Narcotics & Terrorism Operational Medical 

Support) tactical medical program that trains medical assets working 

with tactical police operations. 

Robert is a U.S. Army veteran and holds a master's degree in 

emergency management and a Bachelor of Science degree in 

behavioral science from the University of Maryland, University College. 
WE TRAIN THOSE WHO PROTECT OUR HOMELAND

Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers

1131 Chapel Crossing Road

Glynco, GA 31524

Trainees practice the Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT), which is used to 

reduce risk during motor vehicle persuits. (Photo by David Tucker, FLETC)