Center for advanced security studies review: Rip off 20

I went to this school WAY back in 2003. During that period it was the best thing I could have done as I was just divorced & feeling sorry for myself & basically had my [censored] kicked for a month to shake me out of it. I spoke fluent Spanish & had a background in international biz travel & figured I could do some escort for those less comfortable traveling in Central & South America during that time. At the time it was located in Naples, FL. They ran our [censored] off on the beach on a regular basis, calisthenics, access & egress training, photograph, sleuthing, We learned how to fire a variety of different types of weapons, hours of target practice as single entities and in 2, 3 & 4 man formations. We practiced 'working' in crowded areas of Miami with one of our trainers acting as 'the client' and another following and taking images for critique later. In fact, during the training I decided to go out on the town one night by myself, had a bit too much to drink. Was busted with a DUI and the trainer bailed me out of jail and took me to an attorney to get the arrest expunged. So, we all have different experiences. I was never hired as they [rightly] decided I wasn't really the 'type', being 53 years old at the time. Students were given 'nick names'. 'Chemo' was a guy with a bald head, 'Buff' was an ex military guy in good shape...I was called 'Depends' (as in the adult diaper) due to my age. I had a concealed carry license after that. Great experience & training if not a job.

I love all the soppy [censored] here complaining about insurances etc.. After a prolonged absence from the industry I attended this course during the summer of 2009. I went on to work throughout South West Asia and boarder regions of the US for both federal and commercial entities. It worked out pretty well for me. Sorry it didn't for others but maybe you should put your big boy pants on and get to it if you really want to work. Or are you more at home behind the keyboard whining like a school girl?

There are a lot of BS reviews on this page. This is my generic review for the course. I use it to support the school on all websites talking down about the effectiveness and legitimacy of the course.

I have been a part of some good training and some bad training during my past experiences. This is some of the best training I have ever had. I am comparing this course to prior military training as an officer, oil industry training, and salesmanship training. You will learn a great deal of information here. There are a multitude of learning tools that the school naturally provides and I will share two of my favorite.

I definitely consider the immersion that this course offers a great learning tool that also weeds out people who will not make it on real operations. This is absolutely necessary to truly evaluate a person's willingness to keep pushing when times are hard.

Another great part of the course is that the instructors will give you the responsibility of making your own decisions in various areas. You can make good choices or bad choices but they will not tell you which is better until later when the situation is reviewed. This is a valuable learning tool for multiple reasons that I will not explain here.

The school is worth it. I could talk for hours about it but it would only ruin the experience for individuals researching it right now.

Getting accepted into the school is your first hurdle. Second is graduating with passing scores and evaluations. Third find a job with your newly acquired skills and resume. Lastly, carry on with your life wherever it may take you. The instructors do not guarantee a job at the end, but if you learned a majority of what they taught you then finding a job will not be hard.

My last piece of advice to be successful at the school is:
1. Discover and acknowledge your weaknesses.
2. Improve them every day.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2

AM Class of May2016

With all due respect, I disagree. I personally completed the course and found it to be a valuable life experience. The material covered was exactly as advertised and exceeded expectations. The level of integrity and commitment from all the instructors was to the highest standards. The course was absolutely challenging but that's exactly what I signed up for. The accommodations and practical exercises closely resembled real life operations. It was truly a great learning and growth experience both personally and professionally. If I had the chance, I would do it all over again as is!

I was also in the school many years ago, it's a scam

I agree with all the other negative reviews here. I found the drill sergeant routine to be very childish. They had listening devices in the classroom. The ghetto house that we stayed at was full of mold. The whole class was sick the whole time we were there. The surveillance class was "go outside, walk around with your camera and practice taking pictures without looking like you're doing it." We didn't receive tactical driving instruction because they had flipped too many vans already. The house and vehicles that we were using were registered in Shawn & his wife's name, which means no business insurance. He gave a discount if you paid cash - illegal. At the range, they offered to shoot at you with an AK-47 for training purposes. The guy behind the rifle had so many injuries, back problems, and body twitches that I can't believe no one has been shot during this "exercise'. only one person in our class volunteered to be shot at. They had already moved the school from one county to another because they ran into legal trouble at the first location. I had a personal life challenge after I left the course that prevented me from having the time to file a complaint with the Better Bussiness Bureau. So you literally risk your life, your health, and your financial future by spending time at this uninsured and expensive "school". Ask to see their business insurance, ask where their corporation is registered and verify it with the state public records, ask for their corporate tax ID for your tax records so you can deduct the school as a business expense on your taxes - and see what happens.

I am Groper. Check the wall. Spend $7k somewhere else.

Here is my review of CASS and their month long immersion program.

On day one when I arrived at the Ranch, I was both excited and nervous. After reading all the information available to me and speaking to the half a dozen people I was put in contact with, I knew exactly what I was getting into. This would be hard. I would be tired. I would be expected to pull not only my own weight, but sometimes pick up the slack within my team now, because they would do the same for me later. I knew I was getting into something special, and if I graduated, I also knew my life was going to make a dramatic change.

I walked through those doors with no military or police experience. I had fired a few pistols at the range, but barley made it past 50 rounds and because I listened to the instructors I turned out to be one of the top shooters in the course. The training scenarios were amazing (They know what they are talking about)

What I do have is a lot of post-secondary education and I thought that would be a big help. Sometimes I had an advantage and sometimes I felt like I was sinking. If you have a good team, everyone shares their strengths and weaknesses.

I knew I would have a LOT of ground to cover from my pervious career in education if I was going to move in the security sector. The curriculum here helped me shorten that gap. It is painful, but very effective because there really isn’t time for the regular school system approach that most of us are used to. Thick skin helps here. Also the unique live in element here means that you are always in training, even when you don’t realize it.

Having successfully completed the immersion course I can confidently and truthfully say that I received exactly what they told me I would get. There was not a hint of being misled, deceived or lied to. There were only speedy and truthful answers to all of my questions.

The instructors have all “been there” and are currently “doing that” when not teaching. They talk the talk and walk the walk. On more than one occasion we were given the opportunity to meet past instructors and former graduates who were kind enough to tell us their story and pass along their wisdom. All of these people have worked in the industry and graduated this course. When I asked my questions about the industry (the same questions I asked during my initial research) I received the same answers. Nobody lies; everyone helps each other so everyone succeeds. All you have to do is give all you can for your team, listen to the people who have done it before and learn from your mistakes.

“Failure is your friend.” This is something I read a lot and I am truly amazed at how helpful and accurate that phrase is. I have a whole new understanding of this principle. Do yourself a favor and embrace it with everything you have and you will succeed.

By now if you don’t see the pattern in these reviews, if you don’t see the obvious themes described here by the people who actually have the integrity to do what they say they will do, to pull others along even though they are tired and to work until the job is completed then you are from this moment on wasting your time and have no place at this here. You will not only waist your time, money and effort, but you will also do the same to the people who deserve to be there. It really does only take one idiot to change the entire game for the team. I was one of the luckiest candidates in a long time because I was a member of a great team. NOBODY complained, EVERYONE worked HARD and because of that, we all succeeded and I hope to see them all again very soon.

Master the basics + determination to succeed = shotgun smile. Every time!

Kimono

CASS – Center for Advanced Security Studies: I attended and graduated from September 2013 course. Best 30 days of my life. Definitely not the easiest. It was the most mentally and physically challenging thing I have ever done and also the most rewarding. That being said, I have not sat back and let life go by. I own multiple businesses, one is based internationally, raise 3 kids, and have succeeded in business and personal aspects of my life. This class is not for the weak and I don’t mean that in a derogatory manor. There will be blood, sweat, and tears if you are doing it correct and at the end of the day (or 30 in this case) it will be the most rewarding thing you have ever done.

A couple notes to the negative reviews. I feel that the course was a great value for the money. No, not cheap, but worth every dollar. Value is perceived worth which can be subjective but in my case, well worth it. The food was outstanding and plentiful. We never went hungry. The accommodations are modest, not fancy, but absolutely satisfactory and it is part of the training so if you attend, you will understand why.

The instructors were great. Shawn, Olga, and Sean are a diverse group who each bring a different and specialized perspective to the training. It was well balanced between the three and a great teaching technique. Their expectations are high of the students and no one is allowed a free pass.

Guaranteed work? This was never promised and I would not expect it. You have to earn it. No grey area, it is black and white. If you perform to standard, you will most likely be working with CASS again. If you do not, you will not get a call. Bring your A game.

I would be happy to answer any questions on a personal basis too. I will not put my email on this but if you call Shawn, ask to speak with DeBruce and he will connect us.

C/S J.B
D.O.B 15/04/1987
Nationality New Zealand
Course start date: 20th Sept.-22nd oct. 2013
Short, sharp and straight to the point, these are my contact details, email: gunbty161@hotmail.com, if you wish to find out more on what the course is all about, then please do not hesitate to contact me and we can have an intellectual conversation like civilised human beings, this course is not for everyone, the high tempo and intensity of the material you will be taking in is exponential. Its not so much a question of whether you pass the course, its whether you have the grit and mental toughness to survive the course. For myself its the toughest challenge ive ever had to do in my life, and I say that with complete confidence and im only 26 years old, the course encourages you to be an independent thinker and enables you to make informed decisions based on the tools and the skill set that the rigirous cirriculum offers. A wise man(Shawn Engbrecht) once told me "If you dont know what kind of man you are now, by the end of this course you sure as hell will".

Hello, this thread was of interest so I thought I would throw my two cents in for fun.
CASS is a two story house in the ghetto of Deland Florida. That's it
I attended the course and found it to be marginal and the instructors all mentioned above to be about as mentioned. I had dinner with the people mentioned and the comments about Jon Tripp and Steve Round were bogus and probably made by Shawn Engbrecht himself as he is the published author most likely. Jon worked for Shawn because he was injured on active duty. Albeit Jon has been quite the poser in saying his retirement was from injuries on active duty while in combat, he was medically retired from active duty and was injured in Iraq on the contractor side. The sexual misconduct side is another one of Shawn's fictions to try to undercut people who have made comments or have been screwed over by him over and over again. The other guy Steve Round, knew Shawn back in the army days and was doing proposals for getting government contracts that never happened. One reason was Shawn had a domestic violence charge which precludes CASS from doing any type of work in the field of security services. Shawn spoke highly of Steve throughout the course and had him observe operations orders at the school but that was it. I think Jon and Steve walked away from Shawn and spoke up about what the real deal was and so the smear campaign was the other way around.
As far as the way the article above is written, Shawn's style of writing comes thru again and again. Now both himself and his super model wife ( laughing my butt off) are instructing people to be body guards from their little house in Florida. Gitto give him credit though, he did fool quite a few of us.

Hello Everybody,
I would like to comment in regards the two complaints as I was actually there at the time. But first a bit of background. I attended the course in 2004, and was placed by CASS in both Europe and the Middle East. I know work for an extremely affluent family based upon what I learned overseas. First of all, the comments placed by other graduates, which are positive, are far closer to the truth. Yes, the course is challenging, yes, they do place people, and they are extremely professional. Sadly, the same can not always be said of the student body.
CASS tries very hard to assist in the training and placement of disabled veterans. In between assignments, after a number of years in teh field, I was given the opportunity to help teach a class to develop professionally and know both of the two complainers personally. The first one has a real name of Steve Round, who was dropped for embezzlement. That would make him a thief. When confronted, he ran away and 2 weeks later a fairly extensive smear campaign appeared on the internet, to include this site. The second individual was DIShonorably discharged from the United States Special Forces for gross lapses in judgement. Sexual misconduct. Having said that, CASS provided him an opportunity to teach part time (he was an excellent instructor) when nobody else would touch him due to a dishonorable. He QUIT halfway through a class, due to, (you guessed it), girlfriend issues. This was AFTER he had been paid in full, in advance, as he stated he needed the money.
CASS, (Shawn, Sean, Randy, Dave, Olga and the rest) decided not lower themselves to a smear campaign on bulletin boards. Additionally, they felt it would not behoove legitimate disabled veterans by going after these two idiots.
So the truth is that a first class program, and training facility, gets drug through the mud of the internet when two losers are dropped for stealing and showing up drunk for duty.
I don't have much else to say save for that I feel better for telling the truth as opposed to all the bogus stuff that appears on the internet. They have been on a documentary by NBC and the Military Channel, place grads all over the world, have been published, and have trained foreign governments. I am absolutely delighted to be a part of the team and look forward to working with them for years to come.
Thanks CASS, for changing my life.

I disagree. I attended the program years ago when my sole qualification was bouncer at a club. And I wasn't a very good one to boot. I was not placed by CASS after graduation. I did that myself, though I candidly admit I was thoroughly mentored by all staff (and especially Shawn) over the last 12 plus years. Well, to make a long story short, I now hold a highly prestigious position with the UN nations in Africa. And 70% of the groundwork came from my experience with CASS. The part that gets people cranky is that as students they are :A) held accountable for their choices and B) CASS doesn't tolerate BS. So it doesn't take much to sling mud on the internet with criminal records and other such crud. Internet complaint boards are essentially meaningless...it is where the weak go to complain. The BBB has no record of complaints, and other government agencies (I get access being in the UN) have given the place extremely high ratings. As W said, a very challenging course, highly worthwhile. Don't attend if you whine a lot or are a loser.
JJ

To all concerned,

This is certainly a challenging course. The 30 day atmosphere of the training accurately depicts the overseas living/stifling crowded team environment. It was obviously, for me, a strenuous training regimen. Your ability to get along in this possible human conflagration is/was obviously a judging/evaluation criteria for possible future deployment. Crowded, sweaty, intense conditions are what you will encounter currently with High Risk deployments.

CASS emphasis on articulate operations planning/report development will certainly get you noticed once on a gig. The ability to detail the Advance and place in clear concise language the Operation parameters, while in presentation to the Client, is a rare ability and CASS will get you there. As to Field exercises, they wore me out. No slacking and 12 and 14 hour days were the normal. But, I did not want for great food and its serving portions. They prepared excellent cuisine, and the evening meal time was a great stress reliever at the end of a difficult and challenging day.

The Firearms training while at the Naples, Florida location [ they are in new company digs now, I understand ] was professional and involved close CQB scenarios. Live Fire while moving in Tandem and as a Team requires dedicated oversight. CASS took this very seriously during my training schedule.

Hope all who chose to attend will have as wonderful experience as I had. But remember, our deserving troops currently serving, who have an intense understanding of the difficulties of Body Guarding/Security/Close Protection/PSD and the required disciplines necessary to succeed...will be returning and seeking some of the same opportunities that we now enjoy in this exciting professional endeavor. Our challenge is to remain personally relevant and employable. It will depend on maintaining professionalism, the ongoing requisite of in service training, and the personal skills in social interactions of making professional contacts. The Quiet Professional will most certainly prevail.

Since graduation, I have performed High Risk Force Protection [Bosnia], International Witness Protection duties as a Team Leader [Balkans], High Risk PSD [Iraq], PPO and Driver [ General's Staff Iraq ], Security Consultant [UAE].

All the Best,
W

Let's start off by: "You heard about that place"... Why don't you try attending the course and then make your statement?
It's clear on the website they don't guarantee employment.
I'm a former Marine and it provided me with excellent training that I put to use the 1st week into my job.
I passed up a lot of armchair operators (like yourself) on the way that don't want to put in the sweat and hard work to make it in the industry.
I wish you good luck.

If you have a complaint about CASS, then why don't you make a formal complaint with the Better Business Bureau? I see people complain about CASS, but there is not one complaint on the BBB for Central Florida website. My husband want to attend the CASS course and I don't want to lose $7K, but complaints that are not backed up by something official are unreliable. Thanks for nothing with your whiny complaint. If WE are ripped off by CASS, I sure as heck will be filing a formal complaint and do a favor to others considering CASS or anyone else by letting them know about our experience in an authoritative, documented way where CASS has an obligation to respond. As ar as the battery, it's a record. We don't know the circumstances of this and what does the owner having a Russian internet wife have anything to do with his business? I doubt you're even telling the truth, Rockyz, sounds like you are just a disgruntled student who didn't graduate.

*Criminal Record*
* Name Shawn James Engbrecht
* Birthdate 03/05/1962
* Offense: MISDEMEANOR - BATTERY
* Offense Code: 0784.03
* Case Number119804913M

FL Department of Law Enforcement (AOC) Court Collier.

Shawn Engbrecht the owner has a criminal record - domestic violence and has has no licence
The school is not licensed nor are the instructors.in the State of Florida
The school is not accredited
It has no insurance.
It is not registered with DHS which it should be as it teaches aliens firearms
It teaches aliens on visitors visa firearms which is illegal.
He boasts about teaching felons
His students are not vetted

As well I'm a graduated student of CASS and a federal police officer. Best training have ever had so far! Even before the beginning you're aware that you're not buying a certificate when attending this course...You have to earn it! You want to cut corner, than go somewhere else... Buy the way Rockyz, what you're saying here is very different from the excellent review you wrote on the CASS website!? http://www.bodyguardschool.com/InstructorRocky.html . Talking about credibility here...

I have a very different point of view. I have actually taken the course, the instruction is excellent (albeit tough)...and am now enjoying a very successful career. I can see how those who failed the course my see things differently.