For any questions regarding the Hostage Rescue Symposium contact Marco Lopez at [email protected]. Students must pay at the time of registration. If your agency will be paying for the training and there will be a delay in payment, contact Marco Lopez immediately upon registering. If your agency will be signing you up for the class. Make sure the person registering you for the class provides us with the students email and personal phone number (not agency or dispatch number). 

The Texas Tactical Police Officers Association (TTPOA) is proud to host the 2026 Hostage Rescue Symposium, bringing together a select group of SWAT operators from across Texas and beyond for an advanced week of training dedicated exclusively to hostage rescue operations. This symposium will be broken down into two tracks, assaulter and sniper. Towards the end of the week, the sniper and assaulter cells will be combined in a full mission profile scenario.

TTPOA 2026 SNIPER HOSTAGE RESCUE SYMPOSIUM

The TTPOA is proud to present the Sniper Hostage Rescue Symposium, an advanced training opportunity designed for tactical snipers responsible for one of the most critical and demanding missions in law enforcement.

This symposium will be led by Obsidian Spear Group Sniper Cadre instructors Paul Frantz and Grove Scarborough, who bring decades of operational and instructional experience in precision marksmanship, sniper operations, special reconnaissance, special activities, and hostage rescue.

The symposium will focus on three primary areas: precision marksmanship and sniper team shooting skills, tactical sniper employment before and during hostage rescue operations, and integration with the assault force during Full Mission Profile (FMP) exercises. Instruction will emphasize the skills, considerations, and decision making processes necessary to effectively support hostage rescue missions in complex operational environments.

Precision Marksmanship and Team Shooting Skills

• Individual precision marksmanship
• Team based sniper operations: responsibilities and task management
• Shooter/observer coordination

Tactical Employment During Hostage Rescue Operations

• Deployment considerations
• Pre-assault employment: evaluating risk, opportunity, and operational contribution
• Sniper support to assault forces during execution
• Communication and reporting, synchronization, and execution

Integration with Assault Forces During Full Mission Profile (FMP) Exercises

• Coordination between sniper and assault elements
• Planning, rehearsals, and contingency development
• Communication, timing, and synchronization considerations
• Roles and responsibilities throughout the operation

Designed for experienced tactical snipers, this symposium goes beyond marksmanship to address the broader tactical and operational contributions sniper teams make to hostage rescue operations. Participants will leave with practical tools and experiences that will enhance their performance in high risk, high consequence environments.

This is not an entry level sniper course. It is intended for currently assigned law enforcement tactical snipers seeking to refine their capabilities and expand their understanding of hostage rescue operations.

 November 2–6, 2026
El Dorado Training Grounds
El Dorado, Texas

Seats are extremely limited.

Attendance is limited to vetted SWAT personnel. Seats are extremely limited and will be limited to TWO (2) per department. 

This class will not have a traditional schedule. There may be some nighttime training involved and tentative schedules will be pushed out.

November 2–6, 2026

El Dorado Training Grounds
El Dorado, Texas

Lodging/Price Points:

We are proud to announce that 5.11 has partnered with the TTPOA as a supporting sponsor of this event by contributing $200 toward each student registration. Through their commitment to training and professional development, the cost of attendance has been reduced to $1,800 per student, making this premier training opportunity more accessible to operators from across the country. This price includes lodging and food for the entire training period. Operators will stay on the training site for the duration of the class. More details to follow

We sincerely appreciate 5.11’s investment in advancing the capabilities, preparedness, and success of the law enforcement professionals attending this symposium. El Dorado Training grounds physical address will be pushed out when you signed up and PAY for the class. The nearest airport is San Angelo (SJT airport) 

*******Gear list and round counts will be sent out to students upon registration*******

 Registration/Payment Instructions:

1.     You must register as a member for any TTPOA course ($30 for one year individual membership)

2.     Credit card payment is strongly recommended.  This class is extremely limited and proof of payment or payment is going to be required immediately upon signing up, due to the demand of this class. 

Mail checks to:

TTPOA

Att: Hostage Rescue Symposium (Sniper)

PO Box 304

Burnet, TX 78611

*Please make checks payable to "TTPOA"

Sniper Questions, contact TTPOA 

[email protected]

TTPOA believes in bringing in some of the best instructors in the country to share their knowledge and experience. If you have requests for a specific instructor or course, contact your Regional Director.