Team Dead Drift

Jeff Chang, co/primary instructor

I’m Jeff. I’ve been a full time policeman for 30 years, in 3 different cities. From as big as Los Angeles to a mid-sized, Midwestern town named Ft Wayne to my current employment with the largest Southwestern city in the country, I’ve patrolled, worked undercover, and SWATed my way through an endless sea of society’s worst. Its been exhilarating and exhausting and sucked my soul dry for decades. It has been my everyday job and the one that has provided me with more opportunity, training, and experience than all other endeavors combined. Within SWAT I’ve primarily filled the role of sniper, which is my specialty and passion, and I held that position for a total of 12 years. I finished my SWAT career as the lead sniper instructor for my team. All of this has balanced well with and complimented my secondary career…

Multiple enlistments in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. This began waaay back in 1986; before the internet, cell phones, and accurate ballistic computers. My experience there has spanned the gamut from Artillery Operations Chief to Platoon Sergeant to Scout/Sniper. I’ve been deployed to 2 wars and went to Iraq in support of combat operations during OIF 2-2. Yes, I was there for that country’s very first election. No, I was not included in Operation Phantom Fury. Yes, I’m still pissed over that. Were it not for an incompetent 1 shop I’d have finished my 20 but as things stand, I’ve only got 15.

I’ve also played the security contracting game, working for a company that sent me to Iraq another 3 times protecting embassy personnel. I was hired for that gig as a sniper also and found my skills as a police sniper served me better in that role than any other.

Currently I am a firearms instructor at the largest police academy in the state and no longer have any obligation to the United States military. I co-chair the Sniper SME Committee for the Arizona Tactical Officers Assn. and am a sniper instructor for TacFlow Academy. I’ve developed and taught multiple courses through both entities. I am a primary instructor for Strategic Armory Corps and frequently teach civilian long range hunter courses for McMillan Firearms and Surgeon Rifle clients seeking to maximize the potential of their custom rifles.

And last but certainly not least, I’ve been a core staff member of Americansnipers.org, a non-profit organization in existence since 2003. Their sole mission has been to support and equip snipers called to service overseas and who’s supply systems have become entrenched in antiquated and ridiculously complicated processes that virtually guarantee the non-acquisition of critical equipment. I was the first sniper supported by that organization when I deployed to combat as the Plt Sgt for SSP 2/24 in 2004. Since that time the organization has supported over 1300 platoons in all branches of service, both active and reserve. The organization is 100% staffed by full time and retired policemen and active and retired military personnel who earn no salary from this endeavor and reap only the benefit of networking and the satisfaction of directly contributing to our nation’s defense. The fact that I’ve been a part of this org since its beginning is a particular source of pride for me.

Jeremy chang, Xo/web design

Jeremy

Instructor