Qualified firearm instructors
Meet The Sheepdog Project team providing expert firearms safety and tactical training. Find another rendering of their qualifications here.
Ron Gilkey
Owner / Chief Firearms Instructor
Ron is a U.S. Navy Veteran of the first Gulf War. While serving with the Reserve Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit Det. 409, he was activated and deployed with EODMU8 as a Basic Underwater Demolition First Class Navy Diver for Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001.
He worked for the PA Department of Corrections for 16 ½ years with the last 5 years being dedicated to the Hostage Rescue Team as a certified Law Enforcement Explosive Breacher. During that time, Ron attended Butler County Community College where he earned his degree in Criminal Justice. In 2009, he was hired as a PA State Parole Agent with the PA Board of Probation and Parole and was certified as a Firearms Instructor shortly thereafter. Ron retired from the Board in January of 2020 as a State Parole Supervisor / Firearms Instructor in order to devote his time to running TSP full-time.
Throughout the last 20 years of his employment with the State, Ron taught Basic Defensive Tactics, Advanced Defensive Tactics, Handgun and Shotgun classes in the PA Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole, and in the private sector as well. He has earned a degree in Criminal Justice. He has been certified by Red Cell International, Corp. as a Tactical Operator, NYPD for HIDTA I & II Dynamic Entry, NTOA for Basic SWAT, Tactical Security Network, Inc. for Law Enforcement Tactical Explosive Breaching, the PA HRT as an Operator/Explosive Breacher, the NRA as a Law Enforcement Handgun/Shotgun Instructor and the Pennsylvania State Police as a Firearms Instructor. He is a PSP certified Act 235 Agent, Lethal Weapons Instructor for Act 235, a MPOETC Firearms Instructor and Retired Law Enforcement Instructor for LEOSA recertification. He has also been certified as a Stop The Bleed instructor as well as an ASHI Certified EMR & EMT-B medical responder.
He is a Lifetime member of the VFW, American Legion, the NRA as well as being a 32nd degree Master Mason. He was recently honored as a Distinguished Graduate of the Front Sight Firearms Training Institute where he maintains a Founder membership.
Ron is very passionate about fighting Human Trafficking and Sex Slavery of our children around the world. He has been a part of rescue operations globally that has saved hundreds of children from a life of abuse and rape. He is the Assistant Director of Training for CRI and a member of the Mercer County Human Trafficking Collaborative.
Michael Skiba
Certified Firearms / Combat First Aid Instructor
Mike is a former Green Beret having served in the US Army 7th Special Forces Group. He was assigned to Operational Detachment A-Team 722 as a Special Operations Weapons Sergeant and Special Operations Communications Sergeant with 3 tours of duty. Mike worked his way through college as a Nationally Registered Paramedic on an Advanced Life Support Ambulance responding to emergencies in our community for 12 years. He also served as a Registered Nurse in an Emergency Department for 6 years. Continuing his dedication to protecting and serving our community, Mike has recently retired as Law Enforcement Agent with the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole where he served as a Parole Agent and a Parole Supervisor for the past 18 years.
Throughout his various career paths, Mike has been certified to instruct multiple disciplines in the medical field (i.e. EMT, BTLS, ACLS, PALS, Paramedic Instructor, and CPR/AED First Aid Instructor) as well as the Law Enforcement field (i.e. OC Spray Instructor, Taser Instructor, Defensive Tactics Instructor and Spontaneous Knife Defense Instructor through PPCT, Handgun/Shotgun Instructor by the PA DOC Hostage Rescue Team, Firearms Instructor by the PA Board of Probation and Parole, Municipal Police Firearms Instructor and LEOSA Firearms Recertification Instructor by the Pennsylvania State Police), and he’s a Certified Glock Armorer.