About
What differentiates CMS and Erick Gelhaus from the other competent, talented instructors out there? Why take a class from CMS? Good questions. Quite simply, Gelhaus brings real experience from both the academic and practical application worlds to the classroom.
In addition to lengthy careers in both the military and law enforcement, Erick's grad school coursework focused on communicating about Use of Force issues. He is a well-published author, with articles appearing in numerous print magazines and several online publications.
Gelhaus has taught the defensive use of firearms and tactics in the private sector – for Gunsite, Aimpoint, and others – to vetted citizens, peace officers, and service members since for more than 20 years.
Erick Gelhaus
Founder & Lead Instructor
In addition to owning Cougar Mountain Solutions, Erick has been teaching at Gunsite since 2001 and is a lead instructor (rangemaster) there.
He has a Master of Public Administration degree from Norwich University. Over the last twenty years, he has written for several publications in print and online. He has presented at numerous training conferences and symposiums.
From the Cold War into the GWOT, Erick served in all three components of the US Army. The significant part was as a heavy weapons squad leader in ground combat.
His law enforcement career was nearly thirty years long. During that time, he worked or supervised assignments in patrol, gang suppression, investigations, and field training. Before retiring from a large California sheriff’s office as a patrol sergeant, Erick supervised the use of force/firearms program. Previously, he had been the lead instructor for several years.
Erick’s path as a student started in 1991. Since then, he has trained with numerous significant names and entities. He also shoots competitively.
*Erick’s complete CV is available upon request to fulfill any contractual requirements.