John Kirkland has worked for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for 18 years and currently holds the rank of Sergeant. His past assignments have included: Uniform Patrol, Gang and Violent Crime Unit, Task force Officer with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Supervisor in the Sex Crimes Unit. During these assignments, he served in a part-time capacity for approximately 14 years. Currently John is assigned as a Team Leader and Sergeant on the agency’s full-time SWAT Team. 
John established the SWAT Teams combatives program under the guidance of Greg Thompson through the Special Operations Combatives Program. John remains the SWAT Teams Combatives cadre lead and continues to instruct the SOCP curriculum in a condensed format for law enforcement professionals through the Florida SWAT Association, under the guidance of Greg Thompson. During John’s SWAT tenure, he established the SWAT Team’s explosive breaching program and served in the lead breacher capacity for approximately eight years, developing team SOP’s/TTPs. 
John Kirkland has been an instructor for Greg Thompson since 2017 and continues instruction with him in various capacities. 
John is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Wade Rome (lineage to Ricardo Liborio) and trains in Muay Thai recreationally. 
Combatives Certifications: SOCP Level 1, SOCP Level 2 Instructor, SOCP SOSD (low viz combatives), Gracie Survival Tactics Level 1, Gracie Survival Tacitcs Level 2, Florida Department of Law enforcement Defensive Tactics Instructor, Shivworks ECQC, Paradox Solutions Shivworks ECQC Skillbuilder.