Force Options is a complete professional training service. We have assembled the finest training staff available. Each instructor is a master in their field and brings decades of experience to the table. Take a moment and meet the Force Options Staff.
Fred Mastison
The President and founder of Force Options Tactical Training Service is Fred Mastison.
Mr. Mastison is a professional firearms, defensive tactics, personal protection instructor. He has been training in CQB / CQD style combatives for over three decades and is recognized internationally as one of the top Defensive Tactics instructors in the world.
Mr. Mastison is currently a member of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association. He has produced several DVDs with topics ranging from advanced defensive tactics to advanced knife defense and firearms training. He is currently completing a book on the subject of Defensive Tactics training and instruction. His defensive tactics courses are recognized and certified by several state law enforcement POST agencies and officers receive professional credit for attendance.
In addition to defensive tactics training, Mr. Mastison is a professional firearms instructor. He is a distinguished graduate of Front Sight defensive handgun and holds an expert rating in rifle. He is nationally NRA certified instructor in multiple dicsiplines. He is a Master Instructor in light automatic weapons and is regularly in demand for automatic weapons courses. His certifications include:
Arizona Department of Public Safety Certified Firearms and CCW Instructor
NRA Certified Handgun Instructor
NRA Certified Shotgun Instructor
NRA Certified Rifle Instructor
NRA Certified Firearms Safety Instructor
NRA Certified Inside the Home Personal Protection Instructor
NRA Certified Outside the Home Personal Protection Instructor
Graduate - Special Advanced Tactical Handgun Course - American Small Arms Academy
Distinguished Graduate - Front Sight 4 day Defensive Handgun - 2x
Graduate - Front Sight Practical Rifle course
Certified Glock Armorer
Certified 1911 Armorer
Graduate - Blackwater Tactical Lifesaver Course
Certifed Kyusho Jitsu Instructor - Kyusho International
Graduate - Humane Pressure Point Control
Certified Monadnock expandable baton
5th degree Black Belt - Aikido
7th degree Black Belt - Aikijitsu
Over the last 15 years Mr. Mastison has work with hundreds of personnel from different agencies. His courses have been used to augment and modify defensive tactics courses and firearms training all over the United States. Below is a condensed list of agencies and individuals he has worked with:
- U.S. Army 1st Infantry Division
- 1st I.D. Long Range Surveillance Detachment
- U.S. Army Rangers
- U.S. Marine Corps MCAS Miramar PMO - Marine Security Detachment
- U.S. Marshals Service
- Jackson County Sheriffs Department - WY
- Athens Police Department -GA
- Maricopa County Sheriffs Office - AZ
- Nashville Metro Police Department -TN
- Sevier County Sheriffs Office - TN
- Tennessee Emergency Management Agency
- Tennessee Bail Enforcement Agency
- Killdeer Police Department - IL
- Galesburg Police Department - IL
- Jackson Police Department - WY
- Bureau of Land Management Law-Enforcement Division
- Department of the Interior
- Mesa SWAT - AZ
- Chandler Police Department - AZ
- Tempe Police Department - AZ
- Scottsdale Police Department - AZ
- North Palm Beach Police Department - FL
- Lyons Police Department - IL
- Northfield Police Department - IL
- Glencoe Police Department - IL
- Bellwood Police Department - IL
- City of Chandler, Arizona
- City of Glendale, Arizona
- City of Phoenix, Arizona
- City of Manhattan, Kansas
- Junction City, Kansas
- Matson Navigation - International Shipping
In 2002 Mr. Mastison was inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame for his achievement in the Martial Arts over 35 years (Aikido) and again in 2004 as the Defensive Tactics Instructor of the Year. Additionally, Mr. Mastison is an instructor and private contractor for executive & dignitary protection and private security consultant for U.S. and International Corporations.
Jim Corn
Jim Corn is the executive officer for Force Options and oversees operations abroad. Mr. Corn served both as a US Army paratrooper as well as a police officer. Additionally he is one of the highest ranking Kyusho Jitsu instructors in the world. He travels around the world teaching the practical use of pressure point techniques. He has been active in teaching pressure point work and combatives for almost four decades. He has been featured in numerous DVDs on the subject and is one of the best known experts in the world.
Mr. Corn is the founder and president of Copperhead Road Defensive Firearms Training. He is a master pistol shooter and considered to be a gifted gunfighter. His firearms experience adds a depth to Force Options that can not be matched by any civilian organization.
Tracy Smith
Deputy Tracy Smith is an experienced Law Enforcement Officer with over a decade and a half of active law-enforcement experience. She began her career in law enforcement in 1992 at a small agency in central Florida after graduating her academy with a distinguished service award. In 1996 she joined the Village of Royal Palm Beach Police Department where she was a department instructor in several high liability areas, including Advanced Expandable Baton, Handcuffing, Defensive Tactics, and Use of Force. In 2006 the Village of Royal Palm Beach Police Department merged with the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office. During her tenure with both agencies, Deputy Smith has spent several years assigned to the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office Organized Crime Bureau Task Force as well as the US DEA Task Force. She joined Force Options USA as an instructor in 2005 after completing the Defensive Tactics Instructor Course. She has completed the requirements and now holds the position of Master Defensive Tactics Instructor Trainer. Tracy is a vital member of our team and brings a solid skill set to the table. Tracys instructor certifications include:
- Master Defensive Tactics Instructor Trainer
- Redman Expandable Baton
- Redman Intermediate use of Force
- Redman Chemical Aerosol Projectors
- Practical & Tactical Handcuffing
- Monadnock Advanced Expandable Baton
- Department of Homeland Security WMD Programs (General WMD Instructor – Federal Level)
- Taser
Ms. Smith brings a solid background of policing skills and experience to the Force Options Team.
Rudy Ayala
Mr. Ayala is a strong asset to the Force Options team with over 20 years of law-enforcement experience. Mr. Ayala spent a great deal of time in the United States Border Patrol where he served in many capacities including Intelligence Officer. He has been active in the development and utilization of the BORTAC tactical unit and has spent a great deal of time in Central America. He soon came to be the BORTAC team leader. Mr. Ayala has been awarded some of the countries most distinguished law-enforcement awards including the International Narcotics Enforcement Officers Association Medal of Valor, the Newton - Azrak Award, and recognition for a heroism by being featured on the CBS series "Top Cops". Mr. Ayala now works with BLM as an investigator and tactics instructor. Mr. Ayala is a Federal Law-Enforcement Training Center certified Defensive Tactics Instructor as well as an accomplished martial artist. He has taught classes around the world on subjects ranging from Tactical Tracking and Surviving a Gun Fight, to Weapon Retention and Temporary Border Development. Mr. Ayala is an extremely valuable member of the Force Options team and serves primarily in a consultation role at this time. We look forward to the future when he can be a full time member of our team.
Mike Chicas
Officer Chicas has been in law enforcement since 1996. He worked for four years as a Community Service Officer with the Redwood City PD until the year 2000, when he was hired by the Belmont PD as a sworn peace officer. Officer Chicas has been a student of mixed martial arts since 1994. He has been a Defensive Tactics Instructor with the Belmont PD since 2003.
He currently has two California POST Defensive Tactics Instructor certifications, as well as Nevada and Missouri POST Defensive Tactics Certifications. Officer Chicas has been a Defensive Tactics Instructor for three years with the South Bay Regional Public Safety Training Consortium in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he teaches at the local Police Academies. Officer Chicas is also a certified Master Instructor Trainer through Force Options.
Daniel Horn
Force Options Handgun Instructor
Mr. Horn serves as a handgun instructor and range safety officer for Force Options training events. Mr. Horn is an accomplished shooter and excellent instructor. He has been a personal range assistant to Mr. Mastison on numerous training events including automatic weapons courses and handgun training. He brings a great deal to every course he is involved with and we are fortunate to have him on staff.
Allen Nichols
Allen Nichols is a NRA Certified Firearms Instructor with many years of experience. His love and passion for training has made him a patent instructor for new shooters as well as seasoned veterans. His career began in the USAF during the First Gulf War. He was a professional instructor for the FTO training division and was the lead instructor for the Emergency Medical Training for flight line personnel. Allen has almost 2 decades of experience in the Emergency Medical Field, both in the trenches as well as an instructor. As a firearms instructor, he has taught countless firearm courses for Concealed Weapons Licensing as well as Tactical Rifle and Pistol. He also instructs edged weapons defense classes including EDC and Karambit. Allen has appeared several times on local news channels as a subject matter expert on Women’s Self Defense and Safety in the Urban Environment.
Taylor Bolton
Taylor is currently a Sergeant in the US Army Military Police Corps, where he trains both in firearms and combatives. He was a machine gunner for 4 years, with a 13 month combat tour to Iraq in 2005-2006. He is currently a Police Officer in Bolivar, MO and an instructor in Defensive Tactics (Force Options), Handgun, Rifle, Shotgun, SMG, and Taser. All for Law Enforcement. He was an amateur boxer for several years and a member of the Springfield Fight Club of Springfield, MO.
His current certifications include:
- Advanced Rifle and handgun for SWAT (Bear Creek)
- Instructor Rifle, Handgun, Shotgun, and SMG (Force Options)
- User/Special Response Team Level on all 4 gun (Bolivar PD)
- Top Gun Spring 2007 (Best Shot, Drury Law Enforcement Academy)
- M2, M249, M240B, MK19, M16A2, M9 (US Army - Expert in all 6 guns)
- Range Safety (US Army)
Michael Magill
I am pleased to announce that we have added another member of the Force Options team Officer Michael Magill has spent an extensive amount of time in Force Options courses ranging from our DT to LEO firearms instructors courses. I am very picky about who we bring into our organization and that has served us well. Mike reflects the highest qualities that we look for in an instructor and warrior.
In addition Ofc. Magill is the owner and lead trainer for World's Finest K9 Services and Security. A company dedicated to providing the highest quality working dogs to law enforcement and the safety minded homeowner. Specializing in narcotic detection, patrol dogs, personal protection dogs, and tracking. We can customize a high quality K9 partner to fit your needs. We are excited to have Mike aboard!
