Founder and Lead Instructor: Personal Survival Solutions
Background: Retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Primary areas: Firearms, precision marksmanship, tactical medicine, personal defense, and preparedness
Professional Biography
Shane M. “Doc K” Kerwin is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces senior noncommissioned officer and the founder and lead instructor of Personal Survival Solutions. His professional background combines Special Forces medicine, sniper and precision-marksmanship instruction, operational leadership, and civilian defensive training.
Kerwin entered the Army in 1993. His early assignments included service at the Joint Security Area along the Korean Demilitarized Zone and with the 82nd Airborne Division, where he worked in reconnaissance and sniper operations. He was selected for Special Forces training in 1999, completed the Special Forces Medical Sergeant Course in 2002, and joined 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
During approximately 16 years with 5th Special Forces Group, Kerwin served in roles including Special Forces Medical Sergeant, Company Senior Medical Sergeant, Special Operations Target Interdiction Course instructor, and Detachment Operations Sergeant, commonly known as a team sergeant. His current official biography documents seven deployments in support of the Global War on Terror, work with Naval Special Operations in the Middle East, and missions in Asia and Central America.
His military education includes the Special Operations Combat Medic Course, Special Forces Medical Sergeant Course, Ranger School, SERE-C, Special Forces sniper training, the Special Operations Target Interdiction Course, advanced urban-combat training, and jumpmaster qualification. That experience gives his instruction an uncommon combination of medical knowledge, small-unit leadership, and precision-fire expertise.
After retiring from the Army, Kerwin and his wife, Calley, established Personal Survival Solutions. The company provides training for individuals, families, and communities in defensive pistol, rifle and carbine, shotgun, precision marksmanship, medical response, situational awareness, and preparedness. Its curriculum emphasizes practical decision-making and the development of relevant personal capabilities rather than the simple imitation of military methods.
A central theme in Kerwin’s work is the idea of an individual protective system. Within that framework, a firearm is one component of a larger capability that also includes awareness, judgment, equipment, medical skills, and continued preparation. His courses are designed to help students identify their actual needs and build useful skills around them.
Kerwin’s medical and marksmanship backgrounds also inform his work in tactical anatomy. He has trained in the Shooting With X-Ray Vision program and has appeared as an instructor or presenter with the Tactical Anatomy Summit and Tactical Anatomy Systems. His recent professional activity also includes the Combatives Association Summit, A Girl & A Gun National Conference, and Rifle Renaissance.
Despite a long military résumé, Kerwin has continued his education in the private training community. His documented coursework includes instruction with Rangemaster, ShivWorks, Modern Samurai Project, Agile Training and other established programs. This continued development helps him adapt institutional experience to the legal, practical, and personal concerns of armed citizens.
P&S Connection
Kerwin’s place in the Extended P&S Network reflects the multidisciplinary approach valued by Primary & Secondary. His experience connects firearms performance with medicine, anatomy, judgment, preparedness, and realistic problem-solving. He represents the principle that technical skill is most useful when it is placed within a broader system of sound decisions and personal responsibility.
Selected Sources
- Personal Survival Solutions — official biography, mission, training history, and course information
- Personal Survival Solutions — current leadership and contact information
- Tactical Anatomy Summit — Shane M. Kerwin instructor biography
- American Warrior Show — Shane Kerwin and Personal Survival Solutions
Profile last reviewed: September 10, 2026.
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Shane M. Kerwin; Shane Kerwin; Doc K; Personal Survival Solutions; retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant; Green Beret; 5th Special Forces Group Airborne; 5th SFG(A); 3rd Battalion 5th Special Forces Group; Special Forces Medical Sergeant; 18D; Special Operations Combat Medic; SOTIC instructor; Special Operations Target Interdiction Course; Special Forces sniper instructor; Detachment Operations Sergeant; team sergeant; tactical medicine; precision marksmanship; defensive firearms instruction; tactical anatomy; Shooting With X-Ray Vision; Tactical Anatomy Summit; armed-citizen training; individual protective system; personal preparedness; rifle; carbine; pistol; shotgun; medical training; decision-making; Primary & Secondary; Extended P&S Network.