Daryl Holland Joins Alias Training & Security Services

Alias Training & Security Services recently announced the addition of Daryl Holland, SGM US Army (Ret) to their “stable” of instructors. I first met Daryl in his capacity as the Event Coordinator at the International Warrior Competition when Q and I were at KASOTC this summer. He was keeping things squared away and running smoothly, which was no mean task given the size of the installation and the number of nationalities and languages involved. Now when he’s not ramrodding things for MissionX he’s teaching firearms for Alias.

Holland retired after 20+ years of military service, over ¾ of it in SOF units like 1st SFG(A) Ft. Lewis, WA and 1ST SFOD-Delta. As the newest Alias instructor Holland will be in formidable company; their lineup is comprised such instructor heavyweights as Ken Hackathorn, Mike Pannone, Frank Proctor, Pat McNamara, Kyle Defoor and Larry Vickers.

Alias advises as follows:

He has conducted several hundred combat missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, Philippines, and the Mexican Border. In particular, he is a veteran of combat missions in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush Mountains as a Sniper and experienced Mountaineer and on the streets of Baghdad as an Assault Team Leader.

He has a strong instructor background starting as an OTC instructor and since retirement training law abiding civilians, Law Enforcement, U.S. Military, and foreign U.S. allied Special Operations personnel from around the world.

That description is adequate, but as with any CV doesn’t really reflect the true nature of the man. Holland spent many years in SOF units as a sniper and a team leader, before which he was an assaulter. In addition to his operational experience on the ground, he was an instructor at OTC (Operator Training Course), the many-months-long training evolution new members of the Unit attend after successfully completing Selection.

As you might expect from a unit that comprises just a tiny fraction of the Army, there are only a handful of OTC instructors out there (you would probably recognize the names of other men rumored to have “previously stood on the catwalk” – Lamb, Howe, McNamara and Vickers may well have been some of those).

Holland grew up in Bentonville, AR, “swimming in ditches, hunting squirrels and shooting shotguns from horseback.” He graduated high school there in 1983. He went to Parsons, Kansas on a baseball scholarship (he was hitting .460 as a sophomore) and was later offered a chance at a scholarship by Arkansas University. Unfortunately that did not work out because, as he describes it, “I couldn’t hit the slider, bro.”

He enlisted in 1986 and went straight into the 82ND Airborne. There a Scout Platoon’s Platoon Sergeant liked what he saw and sent him to some schools early on.

“I was over in a line company carrying a SAW,” Holland advises. “I’d been top gun in basic training, so he sent me to the US Army Sniper School [where he earned top gun], then to SOTIC [Special Operations Target Interdiction Course] and Ranger School. They just schooled me up, and I did everything I could.”

Holland had 2 formal sniper schools and his Ranger tab as an E-4 Specialist. He sounds at least a little regretful about not being involved in the invasion of Panama (Operation Just Cause).

“I missed my first opportunity to go to war. At the time I was 23, not that squared away of a soldier yet, didn’t really understand the significance of what I missed out on. Not only did I miss out on Panama, I missed out on getting that gold star on my wings. Instead, in December of ’89 I was in SFQC [Special Forces Qualification Course], then I went to First Group. I learned to speak some Thai and went to a SCUBA team…that’s hard diving out there in the Puget Sound man, that’s cold water diving. I went to Selection in ’93, then went on to my Squadron.”

During his career Holland has deployed to many places; Bosnia, hunting PIFWCs [Persons Indicted for War Crimes], the Philippines, Afghanistan, Iraq and other places. After retiring from the Army, Holland worked as a contractor with an emphasis on technology, went to KASOTC [King Abullah Special Operations Training Center] as an SME, then to MissionX and now to Alias Training & Security Services.

You can read Holland’s profile here and enroll in his classes online. He has several courses coming up in Arkansas (including a 1-day handgun and 1-day carbine course in Centerton and a 2-day long gun course each in Little Rock, AR and College Station, TX) and will soon be scheduling additional courses throughout the Midwest.

Contact Alias Training to host Holland or any of their other instructors. Their master calendar is on the website; you can track new developments here.