ANOTHER GREAT INSTRUCTOR PASSES

Word reached me today that Pat Rogers had passed away.  Many in our field are grieving for a man they knew, appreciated, and even loved. I and others are feeling the pain of not being able to meet someone we always wanted to train with.

Pat Rogers was on my short list of great instructors I hadn’t met yet. We shared many students, and Pat was one of the very few in the industry that no one ever seemed to have a bad word about.  His focus was on fighting with a gun, not recreational shooting, and by all accounts he did it spectacularly well. I regularly read his articles in SWAT magazine, and always found him to have a practical reason for every position he took.  He was known for being gruff but caring, and was famous for his sense of humor. He understood what many in that business do not: that judiciously applied humor alleviates the grimness of some of the subject matter, and prevents the learning circuits from shutting down. Being able to laugh – including at yourself – also makes the hard work of training seem less hard.

He leaves a legacy of several excellent training films done for Panteao.  I hope our mutual friend Denny Hansen, editor of SWAT, can get with Rogers’ survivors and see about creating a book of his collected articles encompassing “the best of Pat Rogers.”

I understand Pat spent full careers with the US Marine Corps, retiring as a Chief Warrant Officer, and the New York City Police Department, retiring as Sergeant – experiencing and winning mortal combat in both – before he set out on his third career as a private trainer. Damn shame he didn’t get a longer run in the last. His collective life experience (and his trademark practicality and logic) made him a strong advocate of armed citizens’ rights.

Rest in peace, sir, and thank you for your service.

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