This past weekend I had the opportunity to visit Signal 0's training facility in Aucilla, FL due to a very gracious invitation extended to me by Bob Capps, who runs the facility, and I wanted to publicly thank and acknowledge him for the kind gesture.  Bob was running his two day AR-15/Carbine course and I was there to observe his operation and also provided assistance with setting up the range, etc.  I wanted to write this post to let you guys know that if you are considering seeking professional, organized firearms training we are fortunate to have a professional, credentialed, affordable, quality individual who appears to truly enjoy doing what he does up there in Aucilla.  Most importantly, my perception is that he does it for the right reasons and seems willing to freely share all the information and experience he has amassed during his law enforcement career.  

I've been here on ARFCOM for many years and have seen Bob's posts over the course of that time, was aware that he runs a training outfit, but we had never met in person up until this weekend.  I will admit that up front I wasn't sure what to expect about the whole deal.  During all of our correspondence and phone calls before meeting up in person, I could tell that Bob was a solid guy- don't get me wrong.  However, linking up with someone you've never met before and committing to spending the entire weekend with them could easily go south if personalities don't jive or if you aren't on the same page or if someone has a big ego, etc.  Take a look at Bob's website and you'll see the guy's got some impressive things on his resume.  Being that I'm simply a civilian who enjoys the shooting sports and hunting, I wondered if there'd be such a disparity in experience or the fact that he's L.E. and I'm not that I wouldn't be able to relate to him or would be uncomfortable in that environment.  I can tell you that five minutes into our meeting all that went out the window.  I take the time to mention this in case anyone reading this is worried about feeling out of place or inadequate, as making the decision to attend training and potentially be surrounded by people with skills more advanced than your own can be intimidating and possibly rob you of benefitting from the training material.  Anyone not willing to acknowledge that fact is simply not being truthful to themselves.  Other than some of the fun we had teasing each other after hours over drinks, at no time did I see any grandstanding or bravado displayed by Bob that would potentially make a student feel intimidated or inadequate.

I'm not here to advertise for Bob or his training business, but as someone who has been aware of what he does for quite awhile I just thought that maybe someone out there who's been eyeing Signal 0 but has had reservations about pursuing the training for either personal skill level concerns or due to suspicion of the low cost could maybe benefit from my experience.  Don't give any of that another thought- there were people in the class that covered the entire spectrum from a few seasoned guys to people who literally showed up with brand new kit and little experience and they all did a fantastic job.  Although I was primarily there to observe, I certainly picked up a few things as well.  It was also fun when Bob and I were able to do some long range work after setting up for the weekend on Friday afternoon, and we even got to get out in the dark with our NV gear and dial in some IR lasers and share our hunting experiences.  He's a great, down to earth guy and although he's L.E. he's "one of us" and is very willing to share his knowledge with the recreational shooter.

Bob, thank you very much for the hospitality and experience this weekend- it's much appreciated.  We've got to get together and run through some PVS-14 and IR laser batteries soon!

Thanks for the kinds words... was great meeting yet another like-minded person who "gets it". Stay in touch... yes, we will drain some batteries soon.

Thanks for the write up.  Been wanting to get up there for some training.  But between family events, land hunting and getting ready to go back to school I just have not been able to fit anything into my schedule.  May have to force it in there!

I have taken his Advanced Carbine class (last year) and have nothing but praise about the entire weekend and learned a lot during the class.

No problem- make the effort to get up there and you'll be very pleased.  Bob's a solid guy and very good at communicating the material in a way that you can pick it up.

I hope he holds some training in Wildwood, Tallahassee is a bit far for me, but I could convince the wife to do Disney and a shooting weekend :-)

Well said. I've attended all of Bob's courses and have nothing but positive things to say.