Gregory M. Vecchi, Ph.D.

Instructor Bio

Principal and Chief Trainer


Gregory M. Vecchi, Ph.D., is the principal and chief trainer of VGI Tactics. He is a retired FBI agent, Unit Chief of the legendary FBI Behavioral Science Unit, and career hostage negotiator. He is also a veteran of the U.S. Army, where he served as a U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) agent. Dr. Vecchi has over 30 years of law enforcement experience and is a licensed peace officer in Missouri.

Dr. Vecchi has over 40 years of experience as a practitioner and instructor in martial arts and firearms. He holds instructor certifications in Contemporary Jeet Kune Do/Kali, Wing Tsung, Modern Reflex Arnis, and Latosa Escrima. He is also an NRA law enforcement firearms instructor, NRA counselor/Instructor for all pistol disciplines, and NRA chief range safety officer. Dr. Vecchi is also a qualified gunfighting instructor in Suarez Tactics and the Center Axis Relock (CAR) System.

Dr. Vecchi earned a doctorate in conflict analysis and resolution from Nova Southeastern University and a master's degree in criminal justice from the University of Alabama. He is also a DHS-certified trainer in threat evaluation and reporting and a published author in firearms tactics through the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors.

Dr. Vecchi’s vision for VGI Tactics is to offer practical, life-saving training in a professional and supportive environment. VGI Tactics blends time-tested best practices and empirical research with knowledge of offender behavior and human physiology to ensure that students are well-prepared to deal with real-world physical threats of violence.

President, Founder

Gregory Vecchi, president of VGI Tactics, is a distinguished veteran of the US Marine Corps. From 1999 to 2003, he served as an 0351 anti-tank assaultman, rising to the position of assault section leader within his weapons platoon. Gregory also served with the Marine Corps Security Forces Company at King’s Bay Naval Submarine Base, where he was responsible for safeguarding special weapons assets for the US Navy. In addition, he earned an instructor rating in the Marine Corps Martial Arts program and served as a Designated Marksman Instructor for the M-14 rifle. Gregory achieved expert ratings in both pistol (2nd award) and rifle (4th award) and was honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant.

Gregory’s professional experience extends to law enforcement, where he focused on patrol and undercover operations. He was among 100 officers selected from 1,000 applicants to join Task Force Illinois, which was deployed to New Orleans in response to Hurricane Katrina in August/September 2005.

In 2010, Gregory earned a Master of Science in History from Illinois State University and was named Teacher of the Year in 2012 at Houston County High School in Tennessee. He also served as an adjunct professor at Nashville State Community College, teaching American history courses.

Since 2013, Gregory has been a full-time firearms instructor, drawing on his extensive training from various commercial, military, and law enforcement shooting and tactical schools. He is certified by the National Rifle Association, the US Marine Corps, and the state of Tennessee to teach firearms. Gregory is also the author of two books: Pistolcraft, a #1 bestseller on Amazon, and The American Rifleman, released in 2019.

Over the years, Gregory has trained thousands of students, overseeing the safe firing of millions of rounds. His students range from first-time shooters to seasoned professionals in law enforcement and the US Armed Forces, all of whom receive the same level of dedicated instruction.

Gregory’s vision for VGI Tactics is to offer practical, life-saving training in a professional and supportive environment. VGI Tactics blends time-tested fundamentals and historical lessons with modern techniques to ensure students are well-prepared for real-world scenarios.