Brandon Cox, president and CEO of Threat Management Group, established the foundations necessary to create Threat Management Group through a combination of his service in multiple combat zones and the experience gained from his career with Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD).
After his time in EOD, he worked for a private military contracting firm in various locations where he acquired a deep understanding of his clients and their needs for security, management and training.
During his time deployed, his duties included performing personnel security detail work as the agent-in-charge and protecting members of various intelligence agencies, US military and numerous diplomats. Cox accompanied the clients to all locations of interest and acted as their personal bodyguard. Additionally, he was directly responsible for coordinating the offensive and defensive posturing of ground and air assets to ensure their safety in hostile environments.
Cox has trained at the U.S. Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal (NAVSCOLEOD), U.S. Navy Dive School, and at various military and civilian training venues. In addition to holding specialized training within EOD and the State Department, he has conducted operations in support of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. He is a member of the National Rifle Association and is on the Board of Advisors for the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce. He contributes to the Wounded EOD Warrior Foundation, the EOD Memorial and a variety of local charities.
Jimmy Wood, the Executive Vice President of TMG, brings a wealth of experience from a career that spans both military service and civilian contracting.
As a military officer, Mr. Wood currently serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force Reserves where he commands Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams, Fire Departments, and Emergency Management professionals actively engaged in the execution of global contingency operations.
From his beginning in EOD on active duty to the present, Mr. Wood has spent 14 years commanding EOD detachments around the world; a career that culminated included in a command position of EOD forces in Baghdad, Iraq. In this role, Mr. Wood was exposed to the most current IED employment tactics, techniques, and procedures being used by terrorists and insurgents.
In his civilian career, Mr. Wood has worked extensively as a contractor supporting the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC, Fort Bragg, NC) and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) in the interagency program management of technology development initiatives; federal, state and local exercise development and execution; and as industry liaison for specialized product development.
Derek Singleton, Vice President of EOD Operations, brings three decades of combined Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Unexploded Ordnance (UXO), and civilian EOD support experience to Threat Management Group. As a master EOD technician, Singleton completed a distinguished 22 year military career, including five years as the Flight Chief of EOD at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska. Highlights of his career include direct support of various nuclear weapon systems, aircraft crash recoveries, range clearance operations, presidential protection details, missing in action (MIA) recovery operations in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia and numerous responses ranging from military ordnance to commercial explosives. The culmination of Singleton's military career as a senior non-commissioned officer involved direct support of the Global War on Terrorism combating the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) threat in Operations Desert Storm, Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. He played a major role in the development and testing of the first procedures used to defeat large vehicle IEDs after the bombing of Khobar Towers with his research efforts to procure large vehicle x-ray equipment. Singleton's contribution to IED defeat tactics extends well beyond the Air Force community. He has also participated in multi-service and civilian bomb squad training, such as Operation America, the largest Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) exercise and new technology demonstration to train military and civilian bomb technicians. In his civilian career, Singleton has been involved in environmental remediation projects ranging from drum recovery at old dumping sites to sub-surface clearance of military impact sites designated for cleanup. In 2006, Singleton was selected as the first civilian contractor at the operations level to manage an EOD training program to prepare deploying teams to combat the IED threat in Iraq and Afghanistan. The success of this trial program led to more than 60 contractors currently in the Joint Service EOD units worldwide. Singleton currently serves as the program manager for over one third of these positions throughout the continental US, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and Europe as part of Threat Management Group's executive staff. He possesses specialized military training in EOD and has received Arctic Survival Training in Alaska and Jungle Survival Training in the Philippines. Singleton, who is a certified federal Explosives Specialist by the Department of Homeland Security, holds an Alaska Blaster's License and is also certified in Hazardous Waste Operations Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) and Confined Space Entry and Rescue.
After completing 10 years of distinguished service in the United States Marine Corps as a Staff Sergeant, Brandon Erhardt transitioned his tactical and security expertise into the private sector. In this role, his varied assignments culminated in training the security personnel responsible for Diplomatic Security Services of the State Department, U.S. Embassy, Iraq. As a recognized expert in his field, he ensured the safety and personal security of diplomats, congressional delegations and embassy staff in one
of the most hostile war zones of the
Global War on Terror.
Pervis King retired following 21 faithful years in the United States Air Force as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Operator ending his distinguished career as a Master EOD technician. Highlights of operations he led during his career include: direct support of various nuclear weapon systems, disposal of chemical ordnance, aircraft crash recoveries and incidents, range clearance operations, presidential and State Department protection details, weapons intelligence team leader, flight superintendent (during combat and stateside), Battalion S-3 Senior Noncommissioned Officer and numerous responses ranging from insurgent IEDs to military ordnance to commercial explosives. He has operated in over 22 countries to include two direct combat tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.
Mr. Johnson brings a wealth of experience from a career that spanned over 22 years as a United States Marine. Early in his career Mr. Johnson served as a Crew Chief / Plane Captain. Following several deployments in support of Combat Operations he volunteered for, and completed a successful tour as a Drill Instructor at Parris Island S.C. Mr. Johnson returned to the Fleet Marine Forces and participated in three deployments prior to volunteering for Marine Security Guard Duty. He served as a Detachment Commander for three American Embassies before returning to the fleet. Mr. Johnson was assigned to a training command upon his return to CONUS. He was selected to assume the position as the Operations Chief at the Group level, until he was subsequently selected as the COMSEC Manager. Mr. Johnson's final assignment was as a First Sergeant during a deployment to OEF. Mr. Johnson has retired from Military service and is currently the Director of Training with Threat Management Group.
Leah Collier served as an Intelligence Officer in the US Air Force, and currently works as the lead intelligence analyst at Threat Management Group. As a C-IED analyst, Leah served as the Chief of Intelligence for a Security Forces unit in Baghdad, Iraq, providing threat analysis (specifically IEDs), trend analysis and force protection issues. She also coordinated with HUMINT and ISR assets to support the counter-insurgency and Attack the Network efforts within the local Baghdad police department. In her time at TMG, Leah has developed curriculum and student study guides for AFSC-awarding courses, acted as subject matter expert for scenario developers and other support staff, and offered personalized C-IED instruction to cadre. She also teaches a mobile Attack the Network course for active duty military which includes basic analysis and COIN concepts. Leah has also served as the Wing Staff briefer for the 49th Fighter Wing, created, taught and managed advanced weaponeering and targeting curriculum in a Joint environment, managed unit-level training programs in both the current intelligence and targeting specialties, and created target lists & weaponeering solutions for both real-world and exercise scenarios for 49th Fighter Wing air-to-ground assets.
