Five elite members of the Protective Force Special Response Team represented the Nevada National Security Sites (NNSS) at the PrairieFire National SWAT [Special Weapons and Tactics] Competition October 9-12 in Pahrump, Nevada.
Testing more than 40 premier SWAT teams spanning the nation, the inaugural PrairieFire National SWAT Competition featured high-accountability pistol and rifle marksmanship in addition to physically demanding tests of the mission-relevant skills that SWAT operators rely on during real-world operations. The event was the first of its kind for the NNSS Protective Force in more than a decade, leading NNSS Protective Force Training Manager Bill Knipper to organize tryouts for a coveted spot with the team at the NNSS Protective Force Training Academy.
In coordination with the NNSS Protective Force Training team, four intricate live-fire course components were specially designed, featuring rifle and pistol marksmanship, downed officer response drills, and timed fire-and-movement courses. Competitors also were tasked with a KIMS Game, used to exercise memory of specific objects and details, and a two-mile run. Team selections were based on a combined completion time and accuracy over the five events.
“It’s putting the applicants through something they’ve never seen before,” said Knipper. “There’s a great deal of movement, a lot of marksmanship, speed drills and other intense, high-stress activities, so they’re all coming into this with the same level of mystique and training preparedness.”
In addition to demonstrating the NNSS Protective Force’s excellence, PrairieFire – formerly known as Front Sight – was an opportunity to further collaborate with regional and national Special Response Team and SWAT counterparts, all who have completed the highest degrees of training in their field.
“These are all highly proficient shooters, expert marksmen, and expert tactical operators,” added Knipper. “Representing the NNSS at PrairieFire means that you had the will to try out. This isn’t part of your normal duties. You don’t have to do this, but it tells me you enjoy the work, you enjoy the competition — especially with operators at this level. It’s all about training and making each other better. It tells me you’re the type of person who wants to do more and wants to be the best you can be in that job.”
