Student’s Comments
Feel free to browse through our student’s testimonials and student updates below. If you would like to submit
your own testimonial, we welcome you to send us an email at
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Staff, students and friends from all over the world!
" Hey Bill, This is J.G. from SEAL Team 5. I wanted to thank you for allowing Lance and Jesse to train me at GPS defense. They were extremely professional, knowledgeable, and willing to help me in every regard. They made me much more proficient in sniping and spotting than I expected, while also helping me to shoot expert in the Navy Qual which is a pre-req for sniper school. I am greatly indebted to them and you're school for what I have learned." SO2 J.G. 2011
“Nearly all techniques taught over the past week will be incorporated into our platoon training. It all correlates directly with what we experienced in Iraq in a variety of scenarios” Sgt M.M. – USMC Scout/Sniper, Afghanistan & Iraq war veteran, Dec 04
“Everyone heading overseas should go through this course. All the tactics taught can save your life and the life of your team.” Sgt J.C. - Canadian Army Sniper, Bosnia & Syria combat veteran, prior to deploying to Afghanistan, April 05
“…you guys are the embodiment of professionalism at its best, you are clearly subject matter experts… You provided an interactive learning environment in which the material was passed in an interesting/informative manner. Not only do we plan to pass it on to others, we plan on incorporating into our workup.” M.S. – Officer SEAL Team 3, former USMC Scout/Sniper, Feb 05
“it looks like I will be activated in a few weeks (for OIF) I will be taking a lot of skills and lessons I learned from the course and last year’s competition with me. Thanks.” M.J. - Columbus, Ohio PD, NSWG-2 USNR, Feb 05
“I just recently attended the basic, advanced, and instructor development course with GPS Defense. I have to say that I have attended a few other sniper courses who were considered to be good classes and instructors. Without a doubt, GPS Defense puts on the best sniper courses I have ever been through. The application to real world is absolutely amazing. I thought I knew a lot and had a good handle on being a sniper, but GPS Defense was able to take our sniper team to a whole other level! Ryan Cleckner is hands down the best firearms (of any kind) instructor that I have been taught by. William Graves puts on an excellent school. Now that we have been through it, we will definitely be sending the rest of our team to the GPS Defense sniper courses. Thank you for your service.” Deputy M. P. Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office
The Instructors were “Absolutely professional & very open to new ideas & techniques…This facility is exactly what SOF units need. I.E. snipers. Getting off the base and doing what needs to be done for defeating the enemy is here. Thank you & we hope to get our platoon snipers here for the 2 week course!!” SSgt G.C. – USMC Scout/Sniper, Afghanistan & Iraq war veteran, Dec 04
In Memorial to Cpl. Cory L. Palmer, 2nd Recon Battalion, USMC Scout Sniper
Cory was a memorable student of ours in Jan 2006, shortly before deploying to Iraq for the second time. The first picture of Cory, in his ghillie suit, was taken by me while attending our course during a break in between exercises. Cory was a hard working and great guy to work with, as you can see from his big smile that he usually displayed.Cory’s funeral in Delaware and final resting in Arlington was well attended by loving family, friends, fellow Marines and residents of Seaford, DE while being protected by the Patriot Guard Riders.
Note: The following is an unsolicited letter from a Navy SEAL sniper graciously responding to a March 04 inquiry about their attendance at our course in Spring 2001:
“I happen to be the operator that is quoted on Mr. Graves’ web site. I reply … in defense of what I know to be a sound, professional, and reputable training aid to the military and law enforcement, respectively.”"I attended the GPS sniper/counter-sniper COI, and the material presented did, actually, change our SOP’s. An example would be the escape from our traditional “stealth mode” where we slowly withdrew the bolt, as not to extract brilliantly colored brass from our carefully constructed hide sites. Mr. Graves imparted to us that the days of hunting man and the “one shot, one kill” mission were over, and it was much more important to have your magazine fully jammed (another practice we neglected, always loading from the breech) and cycle the bolt, get back on target, and be prepared for a follow-up shot. Another SOP that was altered was the needless transition to a cumbersome secondary weapon system, or the feeling of defenselessness felt if you had an inattentive spotter, while changing positions - we shot close quarters, off-hand, over the scope with .300 WinMags, something entirely unheard of in the SPECWAR community, but so simple it would seem inherent. I attended the course with the lead sniper instructor for SEAL Team 4, at the time, and his after actions report became a point paper on the dormant inclination of sniper tactics in our community. To this day, I still teach my new guys the lessons learned from the COI, and still recommend it to anyone that can attend.”"It is very easy to discredit many businesses that claim endorsements by SEALs, because there are just so many out there, and if you just played the odds, you would probably be right 90% of the time. The fact of the matter is, I learned a great deal at Mr. Graves COI.” M.C. - SEAL Team 2 Scout/Sniper, Iraq war veteran, March 04
“Before becoming a military sniper, I was a competitive shooter as a member of the Philippine Army Rifle Team. Our main assets as snipers are our training background as guerilla fighters and as former competitive shooters. However, when I experienced the training program provided by McMillan Sniper School, I realized that we still have so much to learn! First and foremost, I give credit to Bill Graves for removing my “bull’s eye mentality” which I unknowingly developed through the years of joining shooting competitions. Shooting target papers that do not shoot back is simply too easy but as a sniper I learned that rapid bolt manipulation is very important to ensure that “follow-up” shots can be delivered once needed. During the instructor’s course, I also learned the most effective way of molding another group of future snipers. With the additional TTPs (techniques, tactics, procedures) that I learned from the training, I recommended to my higher-ups the needed changes in our various standard operating procedures. I will start my efforts of introducing these changes by conducting a Sniper Instructors Course to improve the capabilities of the cadres in our sniper training program.” H.M.C ‘94-Scout Sniper, First Scout Ranger Regiment
“About a week after coming home from your school, our tactical was deployed to a barricaded suspect who fired a shotgun after officers attempted to serve a warrant. I can say without a doubt that the courses prepared me fully for these real life incidents.” P.H. – Oklahoma Police Sniper
“Thanks to the instruction we received, we have moved from a planning and training phase to an operationally functioning unit.” D.J. – Dallas Co Pct 4 SRT Sniper Team
“Thank you again for your support during this process. Your flexibility, responsiveness, and ability to deliver a quality product has gone a long way in ensuring our Marines go to war with the required skills to kill the enemy. Semper Fi.” D.M. - Major, 4th Recon Marines
“My partner and I just won 1st place at the OTOA (Oregon) SWAT competition for Sniper Observer team. We utilized the drill (you taught) and it helped in our unsupported shoot thank you so much.” S.D. – Gresham, Oregon Police Sniper
“I just want to thank you for your training course. The training was a Keep it simple stupid approach to tactical training. It is a long time coming to have live fire training (train how you fight mentality), where the officers/operators are responsible for their own safety without being hand fed or coddled around the range like children. This course was filled to the hilt with various experience to include present operators currently assigned to OIF (operation Iraqi freedom) and state and local police snipers. The training I received was top notch and was a nonstop learning as you go course…” T.H. - Federal Officer, Dept. Of Homeland Security
“Well, I took my first AZ deer at 420yds in one shot. Your class, instruction, and help in picking our the right rifle, scope, and accessories has made it easy! Thanks for all your help!!!” K.K. – Civilian Sniper School Student
“Mr. Graves, I can’t wait to attend another course of yours. The training I received through your sniper school was outstanding, and my experiences from it will be proudly shared with others…Thanks” B.A. - Nuclear Security Team
“Thanks for your help and support w/our guys prior to deployment. You additional effort is not unnoticed and we (56th SFS) appreciate your assistance. After talking w/our guys, they stated it was remarkable training which greatly enhanced their abilities and technical skills.” -W. B., 1LT USAF
“Hey Bill, I did compete in an all weapons competition a few weekends ago during a two day match. It was the AZ Guard who put it on and had 100 competitors. I ended up placing First in overall points for the two days of matches, First in Rifle (M-16), Second in Pistol (Beretta), First in Rifle Team and First in Pistol Team and being the top shooter for the state I received the Governors Dozen Marksmanship Award. I do have to say I applied all the principles taught at the school into the matches I competed in and it paid of with the placing first and second in all the events I entered. I even rolled my thumb around to the right side of my M-16 while shooting at the 300m, 400m, and 500m targets. This provided more stability and control shooting at those distances. I passed the info on shooting that way to my team and they applied the same technique during their long distance shots. -Phoenix Police (Army SF)
“After completing the course and returning back to Ft. Bragg, 2 weeks later my unit was deployed to Afghanistan for 15 months. All the valuable skills I learned, were put immediatly to the test. Needless to say I came out on top. Thank you for everything you did and continue to do.” -R.G. 2/508, 82 ABN
“If I did not tell you this in person after the class, you run an incredible school - with some tough but outstanding training. I was beat up when I finished, but my brain was bigger.
I took a class a year before your school - but thinking back I was disappointed after I saw what you guys covered. They spent very little time on optics - never even mentioned scope shadow. I went back and adjusted my scope based on what I learned in your class and used your shooting fundamentals to shrink my group size by 75%. No surprise.
I felt their class was more like grade school compared to yours which was more like graduate school.” - BLW
I just wanted to drop a line to you at GPS to say how elated I am to have such great service from you! I ordered a Mark 4 from you not even 20 hours ago and here it is in my hands! I will be sure to refer and spread good word of your great business! Thanks again!!! -J
I had one of the school shirts on two weeks ago at the range, and another shooter saw it said…I bet that was fun. I replied “It sure was, but even better was the amazing amount I learned!” I still talk about how great the school was to my friends. Your operation is as professional as they come, and I feel privileged to have attended. The learning curve was phenomenal, but that first shot hit on the 920 yd. target at the end of the day was priceless. The country needs the training of the quality you provide. - E.S. (NASA SR71 Pilot, Ret)
I just wanted to send you an email to say thanks for allowing us to attend your course. I found the training to be excellent and I can honestly say I learned more about what my rifle can do in five days than I had in the previous 6 months. If money becomes available to do so, I would really like the opportunity to return and do your Advanced and Instructor courses as well. Thanks again. - S.H. CA-ERT