Edgar
Owner / Primary Instructor
- Robert "Edgar" Mills is retired out of 10th Special Forces Group. He served in the United States Army for 25 years, nine years as an Infantryman with the 82nd Airborne Division and from 2003 to 2020 with Special Forces as a Candidate, Weapons Sergeant, Intelligence Sergeant and Operations Sergeant. He, like his Infantry and SF brethren, has multiple combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as well as multiple non-combat deployments to several African and European partner nations. While stationed in Tampa, Edgar was the program lead for the SOCOM Marksmanship Program. There he led the development and execution of weekly and quarterly Combat Marksmanship courses tailored to suit a wide range of skill and experience levels. Under masterful mentorship he was able to sharpen his own marksmanship skill as well as his instruction methods helping to make the SOCOM Marksmanship Program highly respected within the Command. He and the team also organized and executed two notable annual events; the “D-Day Shootout” and the “Mogadishu Mile 5K Run and Shoot” to honor the fallen comrades of those two harrowing and heroic events in our nation’s history. Edgar has trained tactical and practical applications of marksmanship at all skill levels, from civilians with little to no firearms experience to special operators and police SWAT officers. His understanding of nuances and significant differences in shooting disciplines makes his method of instruction applicable to all shooters. Edgar uses training methodology that is safe, effective, relevant and encourages a continuous thought process. This methodology teaches how to maintain safety without sacrificing realistic and practical training as well as how to choose scoring, drills and scenarios that force accountability. He defines the differences between principles and techniques and emphasizes the importance of knowing those differences. Edgar provides courses covering several disciplines ranging from new shooter safety to collective team tasks for military and law enforcement with emphasis on individual accountability and mastery the fundamentals. Like many of his contemporaries, Edgar is passionate about sharing his experience. Through quality training he seeks to promote confidence and competence as well as individual responsibility and accountability. It’s his belief that all gun owners should be as safe and effective in their own defense as the most seasoned military and law enforcement operators.
Zeke
Partner / Instructor / SRM
- Ezekiel “Zeke” Mills acquired a passion for shooting and training at the age of 13 while volunteering with the SOCOM Marksmanship Program in Tampa, Florida. There Zeke assisted in training a broad range of students from civilians with no firearms experience to local law enforcement. Through the marksmanship program Zeke worked behind the scenes on events such as the “Mogadishu Mile 5k Run and Shoot” and “D-Day Shootout.” He trained closely with the Saint Petersburg SWAT team, not only on marksmanship but also assisted with a variety of training tasks, from reacting to a mass shooter to close quarter battle. Being involved in the SOCOM Marksmanship Program allowed Zeke to meet prominent members of the local shooting community and SOF community who introduced him to the competitive world of USPSA. Between training and school Zeke began competing in local USPSA matches and making connections in the Tampa shooting community. Following his family’s move to Colorado, Zeke graduated high school and enlisted in the Colorado National Guard. Before shipping off to Basic Combat Training he spent a summer in Florida on an internship with the Wyoming Antelope Club and Universal Shooting Academy. During this internship Zeke became a certified USPSA Range Officer, this allowed him to work sanctioned USPSA matches. Throughout the summer he had the chance to work behind the scenes and shoot several major matches such as the Doc Welt Memorial Match, 2017 IPSC Nationals and the 2017 ProAm National Championship. Over that summer he worked closely under the mentorship of Shannon Smith, a grand master of the sport. Because of this mentorship Zeke was able to finish up that summer winning 1st place in C class at the ProAm National Championship. Zeke returned to Colorado to begin his National Guard military career as a HUMINT Collector with 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne). Through the Guard he was able to compete in The Adjutant General Match (TAG) at Fort Carson, this was the first step in his ongoing pursuit of a spot on the Colorado National Guard Action Shooting Team. In the meantime, Zeke conducts private sessions in the COS area.
Kirt
Instructor
- Kirt is an engineer with U.S. Special Forces. He is a Rome, Georgia native and true renaissance man of interesting talents. Kirt is a two-time regional Tactical Games winner and now a National champion in the tactical division. Kirt is a dedicted shooter, he played college football for Ole Miss, he spent years as a professional chef, he is a CrossFit competitor and personal trainer, and he hand makes knives for his small business, 7 Hills Blade. Kirt is a perfect fit for OSS, he has a passion for shooting and he loves to share that passion. His military and cross-fit experience will help OSS build a challenging fitness focused shooting competition program for southeastern gun owners with a desire to push their limits. Kirt believes in the OSS ethos that all gun owners should be as safe and effective in their own defense as the most seasoned military and law enforcement operators.
Tim
Instructor
- Timothy (Tim) Haines is recently retired out of 10th Special Forces Group after 20 years of dedicated service to the United States. He served 3 years as a Communicator with the 18th Airborne Corps and 17 years with Special Forces as a Candidate, Engineer Sergeant, Intelligence Sergeant, and Operations Sergeant. Tim has served in some of the world's most complex combat zones such as Iraq and Syria as well as multiple non-combat deployments to several African and European partner nations. His specialty within the SOF community allowed him to develop his skill and understanding of human behavior, individual defense, deep firearm concealment and personal survival mind-set. Tim has trained tactical and practical applications of marksmanship to all skill levels and across many nations. Like Edgar, he has a profound understanding of nuances and significant differences in shooting disciplines, this makes his style of instruction applicable to a broad range of shooters. Tim uses a training approach that is friendly, safe, effective, self-defense relevant and encourages individual responsibility. This approach teaches students to always be safe without sacrificing realistic and practical training value. He defines the differences between principles and techniques and emphasizes the importance of knowing those differences. Tim instructs courses covering several disciplines ranging from new shooter safety to collective team tasks for military and law enforcement with emphasis on individual accountability and mastery the fundamentals. Like his teammates, Tim is passionate about sharing his experience. He wholeheartedly subscribes to the OSS ethos that all gun owners should be as safe and effective in their own defense as the most seasoned military and law enforcement operators.