Billy Stephens
Brouwer LLC – Lead Instructor
bstephens@brouwersolutions.com
US Army 2011 -2016
Airborne Qualified
Ranger Assessment and Selection Phase (RASP1) 2011
2nd Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment
SafeFire – Lead Instructor and Operations Manager
Nation Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (not current)
International Elite Power Lifter
Kägwerks – Lead Instructor/course manager
USPSA Member ID A155615-Limited Optics B Class
Billy Stephens is a husband, father, instructor, and forever student, with an overwhelming passion for teaching and self-development. Billy Stephens began his professional career in the US Army in 2011, where he quickly obtained his Airborne Qualification and graduated RASP. Proceeding to join the 2nd Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment.
It was RASP and the experience gained from two deployments to Afghanistan that Billy’s passion for team building and instruction was cultivated. Both deployments included direct action. However, the primary mission was to train the Kteh Khas, the Afghan Security Force, Special Unit. The objective was to develop the local forces as a forward element that was autonomous with the Ranger Regiment’s support and training. Working through language barriers, and rudimentary skill gaps, Billy observed firsthand the tangible and life-saving benefits of effective and efficient training and was hooked! While working with the Kteh Khas, Billy served as the Lead Squad Automatic Machine Gunner, as part of over 40 to kill or capture night raids. Utilizing the locally developed, and trained forces, these night raids resulted in over 30 captured HVT’s.
Following his experience in the Military, Billy continued his pursuit of training and instruction in the private sector. Billy developed the training curriculum and standard operating procedures for SafeFire Indoor Shooting Range and Retail. This opportunity presented a new challenge and corporate obstacles which helped develop and refine the training methodology and approach to a whole new type of student. Subsequently, Billy joined the Kägwerks training team as an Assistant Instructor and eventually took over the Training Program. It was here that Billy encountered another type of student, the working professional. This environment pushed both the expected skills demonstration and helped to hone the intellectual teaching methods to a broader audience, which included active Military and Law Enforcement, competition shooters, and civilians.
Billy draws from a robust and diversified student base, to help develop many different approaches to training, and understands that a good instructor needs to identify the way a student learns, not just how to instruct. This approach was expanded by gleaming techniques from his wife, a School Teacher. Her experience exposed Billy to a deeper understanding of new neuropathway development, and how to reach older students, that may be more set in their ways. Billy utilizes a wide blend of humor, technical knowledge, charisma, and sheer will to help others develop, and then continue to self-develop.
