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About CIE
How it Began
It all began during OIF-7 (Operation Iraqi Freedom), Thai Starkovich and Steve Martinez both found themselves operating out of a small Patrol Base in Yusifiyah, Iraq. Thai, a Sniper and Weapons Specialist assigned to the 101st Airborne on his second tour of combat. Steve, a seasoned Chicago Police Organized Crime Investigator assigned to the Joint IED Defeat Organization, working for the Department of Defense. Both men found they had something in common, the love for a good cigar. After a long hard day of patrolling the many villages in their Area of Operation, the only escape from it all, was though a good cigar. Each night, as they smoked their cigars, they would discuss how important good training was and how they both knew many professionals who owed their lives to good solid training. It was obvious to them, that the survival rate in both combat and law enforcement was directly related to the understanding of Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTP's). TTP's that have been tested in both combat and the urban environments of American cities. They began to list all the professionals they knew and each of their highly specialized skills. The list was overwhelming. It was at that moment, they knew this wealth of knowledge had to be shared, thus was born, CIE.
Biography
(Photo 05/08) Sniper/Weapons Specialist SSGT Thai Starkovich (Foreground) and Law Enforcement Officer Steve Martinez (background), patrol the streets of Yusifiyah, Iraq with 3BCT, 101st Airborne (Air Assault), 3/187th Choppin' Charlie Company