[ To recruit and train members of a civilian military force under
his control, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration has hired a company
that specializes in combat training and lists as one of its
instructors a former U.S. Navy SEAL accused of war crimes.]
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DESANTIS’ STATE GUARD PARTNERS WITH COMBAT-TRAINING COMPANY TO
RECRUIT, TRAIN MEMBERS  
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Ana Ceballos, Miami Herald and Lawrence Mower, Tampa Bay Times
November 17, 2023
Orlando Sentinel
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_ To recruit and train members of a civilian military force under his
control, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration has hired a company that
specializes in combat training and lists as one of its instructors a
former U.S. Navy SEAL accused of war crimes. _

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stands with the Florida State Guard on Aug.
30, 2023, after speaking to reporters about the impact of Hurricane
Idalia on Florida’s West Coast during a press conference in Perry,
Florida., Photo: Miami Herald // Orlando Sentinel

 

Previously unreported records reviewed by the Herald/Times
Tallahassee Bureau show the state has agreed to pay Stronghold SOF
Solutions up to $1.2 million to recruit, vet and train volunteer
members of the Florida State Guard, the World War II-era force that
DeSantis revived last year to respond to emergencies.

The Florida company trains police and military members on tactical
shooting, explosives and urban combat and is owned by a former Army
green beret who supports the Republican governor’s presidential
campaign. The governor, the State Guard and the Florida Department of
Military Affairs, which oversees the agreement, didn’t respond to
questions about the training services.

The state’s civilian force was initially sold as a unit that would
help Florida’s overworked National Guard respond to emergencies
within the state. Since then, its scope has been expanded to allow the
state guard to respond to emergencies anywhere in the country, and
some members have been granted the ability to make arrests and carry
weapons.

The mission statement of Stronghold SOF Solutions evokes a
wide-ranging militaristic purpose.

“We preserve the warrior culture by honoring its traditions, we
prepare the future warfighter by delivering innovative training
solutions, so we protect those who cannot do it themselves,” the
mission statement reads.

In promotional videos, Stronghold SOF Solutions highlights training
that teaches individuals how to use drones, explosives and precision
shooting. The company, based in Destin with a training facility
in Defuniak Springs, touts having trained various special forces
units, including Army Rangers, and police officers. Its facilities
include a shoot house, various firing ranges, an airfield and a
targetry.

A state database shows the agreement with Stronghold was approved this
year during a state of emergency issued by DeSantis, a move that could
have allowed the state to waive procurement and vetting requirements
for vendors. The company has also done work with the U.S. Department
of Defense this year, records show.

It is unclear how many State Guard members have been recruited, vetted
and trained by the company, if any, but a state database shows a
payment of $300,000 last month for work related to the State Guard.

Records show the state has also authorized spending more than
$217,000 on ammunition for the State Guard.

Who are the trainers?

After announcing the revival of the State Guard two years ago,
DeSantis dismissed critics who warned he’d use the group as his own
“secret police.” Members of the State Guard were activated for the
first time after Hurricane Idalia this year, distributing supplies and
cleaning debris from the storm.

But during its first training at Florida National Guard headquarters
in June, military veterans quit over its militia-like focus.

While that training did not include how to handle weapons, Stronghold
SOF Solutions specializes in training for “the warfighter and law
enforcement officer.”

The company says all of its staff have served in special operations.

One of Stronghold’s trainers is Eddie Gallagher, the former Navy
SEAL who was charged with war crimes — including murder — and was
embraced by former President Donald Trump.

Fellow SEALs reported that Gallagher, their platoon leader, shot
civilians and killed a captive Islamic State fighter with a knife
during a 2017 deployment to Iraq. Gallagher was also charged with
contempt of court for allegedly threatening those who reported him.

In 2019, he was found not guilty in a military court of all charges
but one: posing for a photo with the dead Islamic State fighter.
Trump relished Gallagher’s notoriety and overturned his demotion by
the Navy.

It’s not clear whether Gallagher has a role in training State Guard
members. Neither a company representative nor DeSantis’ office would
answer questions about his involvement.

But Stronghold’s website advertises, “train with Eddie.” Last
year, he attended a training of several Tallahassee police
officers at Stronghold’s Defuniak Springs training facility, a
decision the city’s police chief defended amid criticism from
members of the city commission.

The CEO of Stronghold SOF Solutions — Calvin B. Graves, also known
as Brandon Graves — is a supporter of the governor’s
presidential campaign. On social media, Graves repeatedly shows
support for DeSantis’ stances on social issues, like banning female
transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.

He has also praised DeSantis for how he says he would treat potential
looters: “You loot, we shoot.”

“Leadership: reminding would-be criminals that we do not play the
looting game in Florida,” Graves posted on X.

A specialized unit in the making

The partnership with Stronghold marks a shift in how Florida is
finding and training volunteers for the State Guard, which has
struggled to get off the ground since its launch.

Last month, DeSantis announced the organization’s third director in
the last year, U.S. Marine Corps veteran Mark Thieme. The previous
director quit halfway through its first training class, in June.
Several military veterans who went through the training told the
Herald/Times that their Florida National Guard instructors
were incompetent and the training slapdash. One volunteer, a Marine
Corps. veteran, called the local sheriff’s office and reported he
was battered by the instructors when they forcibly shoved him into a
van after he questioned the program and its leadership.

Originally pitched as a 400-member organization, it’s been expanded
to 1,500, but the organization has failed to find and train volunteers
to meet its goals. Its training class graduated 120 recruits, who are
now referred to as soldiers. Its next training class isn’t expected
until next year.

The June training class consisted of people who applied through an
online portal or who were asked to apply by other volunteers. Members
who attended the training have told the Herald/Times that the State
Guard did little vetting.

Stronghold is required to recruit and vet the candidates, records
show.

DeSantis’ Department of Military Affairs, which oversees the
agreement, would not clarify whether the training Stronghold is
offering State Guard members is geared toward a specialized unit that
under Florida law has the ability to make arrests and carry weapons.

Those who are in that unit — added a year after DeSantis revived the
State Guard — must be certified law enforcement officers and
meet certain employment requirements that include being
a U.S. citizen without felony convictions.

Not much is known about how DeSantis intends to use the unit, a
component that few — if any — state guards in the country have.
But the governor’s office has indicated it could help “law
enforcement with riots and illegal immigration,” among other
emergencies.

The State Guard’s training in June was overseen by the state’s
adjutant general, James Haas, who was appointed by DeSantis. When
asked about the agreement with Stronghold, Haas referred the
Herald/Times to Thieme, the new director.

“I really am not involved with that,” Haas said this week. “We
provide services, but he actually reports directly to the governor’s
office.”

* Ron DeSantis
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* Florida
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* Private military police
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* Navy Seals
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* GOP
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* Republican Party
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* MAGA
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* Fascism
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* Private police
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* Hired Gun Thugs
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* war criminals
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* civilian military police
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* Jan. 06
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* Jan. 06 Capitol Insurrection
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* Capitol coup
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