Cerberus Training Group

Our training facility is located on 40 acres just outside of Goldendale Washington, which lies about 15 miles North of the scenic Columbia River Gorge, along highway 97.
We are a well-rounded group of instructors with extensive Law Enforcement and Military backgrounds, that offer a commitment to the student and their training needs.
Our experience driven curriculum provides unique skill sets that are useful well past the range, nothing watered down. With a student to instructor ratio of 5/1, instructors are consistently engaged with the students throughout the training experience to build for future success.
We don’t have any fancy names for what we do here. We instruct with importance of earnest and persistent quality, along with a firmly held belief based on actual experience, not theory. We teach how to be successful in a hostile environment, by learning the capability of yourself and your chosen firearm.
What sets us apart is our core belief; There are no advanced skills. There are no such things as advanced gunfights. There are only lessons to be learned and skills to be developed.
We not only offer date selected classes, but if you have a group that likes to train together we will tailor make a class that fits your groups needs with a date of your choice at no extra charge…we are student driven.

Steve Shields – Owner/Operator
“Steve is hands-down the most practical, no-nonsense instructor I’ve ever trained with!” --Curtis Bingham, CEO, Adventure Protection
Steve Shields is a no-BS firearms instructor to more than 1000 law enforcement, SWAT team members, and civilians with 28 years in law enforcement and 25+ years of LE instruction. What sets him apart is his foundation of efficient, practical, street-tested, “save your life” methods. He is adamant that you need to understand WHY you take every action; only by knowing WHY can you simplify, streamline, or replace methods.
He stresses efficiency and practicality in every move. He believes that you should always train as you fight and train for the real world beyond the drill. He eschews gimmicky gear and gadgets. He focuses on using the gear available when you’re the least prepared—and drilling hard to focus on the threat without being distracted by the platform.
“I have over 5,000 hours of formal weapons training. Steve is an outstanding instructor with the rare ability to tailor a class to the level of each student. I highly recommend Cerberus Training Group.” –Larry S
Steve began his law enforcement career in 1987, becoming a forensic detective and sergeant. One of his officer-involved shootings was the basis for the 1991 made-for-TV movie “Captive.” As an instructor at the Washington State Law Enforcement Academy, Steve helped a team rewrite the academy and post-academy firearms curriculum and subsequently certified numerous other LE instructors. Steve’s teaching experience centers around his passion for identifying how instructors and curriculum are failing their students, sometimes leading to undesirable outcomes. He has participated in numerous after-action reports and debriefings which lead to creating new and more effective ways of teaching to ensure performance under pressure. He has also conducted numerous reconnaissance and raids of marijuana grow operations in partnership with state and federal agencies including FBI, DEA and BIA.
He is a 28-year active member of WSLEFIA (Washington State Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors Assoc.). Passionate about learning, he has participated in instruction by Clint Smith, Chuck Taylor, John Farnam, Todd Jarrett, Ray Chapman, Louis Awerbuck, Dennis Tueller, Kyle Lamb, Brian Hoffner, Massad Ayoob, Col Jeff Cooper, ballistic expert Dr. Gary Roberts and more. He has also trained with groups such as Safariland, S&W, Sigarms Academy Shooting Schools, LMS Defense, Redback One and Magpul training.
“You will not find a more well-rounded group of instructors that have “been there and done that” than at Cerberus.” –Mike P
Steve has been the department armorer and maintains his certification with many manufacturers including S&W, Glock, Remington, SIG, Colt, Springfield, and H&K. He trained under Larry Vickers and pistolsmith Richard Niemer of Detonics and Safari-Arms fame, a widely industry respected 1911 gunsmith before his passing.
Post-retirement, in addition to teaching civilian courses full-time, Steve continues to teach in law enforcement circles and remains actively involved in bringing new curricula to law enforcement personnel and their instructors.
“Steve’s mix of practical experience and technical knowledge is phenomenal. Overall, I'd highly recommend any of the courses that Steve offers. I'll definitely be back for more.” -Andrew H


Troy Rockelman – Firearms and Team/Group Instructor
Troy is a former Navy SEAL, having spent 6 years in the US Navy with a medical discharge due to wounds received in combat. During the course of his career he was a member of SEAL Team 6 who was chosen by Richard Marcinko of Red Cell fame.
Specializing in instruction for Advanced Firearms, CQB Tactics, and Team Combat Tactics. His background spanning over 20 years stems from Military, Law Enforcement, Fugitive Recovery and Executive Protection fields. Troy shares his knowledge and experience in a positive learning environment, that you’ll find easily retained and relevant to your training regimen.
 
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