About Tactical Action Group (TAG)

John Jorgensen, Owner & Founder, Tactical Action Group

John Jorgensen is the owner and operator of Tactical Action Group, LLC (TAG) and has been peace officer in the Twin Cities / Metro area of Minnesota for the last twenty-eight years. John is currently assigned to a state-wide task force and routinely performs over 300 missions a year.

TAG provides instruction and consulting in the area of Law Enforcement tactics, mission planning, leadership, K9 operations and peer support.

John is also a paid contractor and Senior Instructor for the Grey Group Security mobile training team (formerly 88 Tactical) and has directly developed curriculum in the area of Hostage Rescue, Vehicle Suppression, K9 Operations, Basic and Advanced Swat and UC Rescue for Grey Group /88 Tactical.  John is the lead instructor for K9 Operations, Hostage Rescue, Basic SWAT and Vehicle Suppression.

John has been a SWAT team member for over 25 years and currently serves as a Senior Team Leader for a large, multi-jurisdictional SWAT team in the metro area.  John has held many roles on the team and is heavily involved in training, mission planning and operations.  John previously served as the Vice President for the Special Operations Training Association of the Upper Midwest (SOTA) and has developed curriculum in the areas of Vehicle Suppression, Hostage Rescue, Warrant Service and Tactical Leadership.  

John has worked two, dual-purpose Police K-9’s while assigned to his agency’s K-9 Unit for more than 15 years.  John and his K-9 partners have been recognized by their home agency, the State of Minnesota and the United States Police K9 Association (USPCA) for their efforts.  John is a certified regional judge and has previously served on the Executive Board for Region 12 of the USPCA.

John has 18 years of instruction at the State run Police Academy and Skills program in the State of Minnesota and 22 years as a Field Training Officer (FTO) with his home agency.  Throughout John’s two – plus decades of SWAT experience he has earned numerous instructor certificates and applies his real-world tactical experience to his passion for teaching.  John has been the recipient of numerous awards and commendations from his agency and the State of Minnesota for Honor, Valor and Meritorious Service. 

John holds a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Saint Mary’s University (MN).

CONTACT JOHN

My Approach

Tactics evolve, and so do the threats we face. At TAG, we approach training with humility and a commitment to continuous improvement. Our instruction is grounded in real-world experience, informed by lessons learned during actual missions, and refined through constant evaluation. We adapt our curriculum to reflect emerging trends, validated lessons, and defendable best practices. If a better method exists, we adopt it.

The Why

Knowing how to do something is useful—but knowing why you do it transforms rote actions into adaptable skills. At TAG, we dissect each technique into its intent, mechanics, limitations, and potential failure modes. By understanding the underlying purpose and context, students gain the ability to select the correct tactic under stress, adapt when conditions change, and problem-solve in real time.

The Training

Tactics, techniques, and procedures must be tested, challenged, and validated through realistic training. We incorporate opposition forces, introduce complicating variables, and escalate stressors to replicate operational ambiguity and danger. This approach ensures that students pressure-test their tactics in conditions that mirror real-world complexity—so when the moment comes, they know their skills will hold..

Our Instructors

Joe F.

Sergeant Joe Friedrichs has more than two decades of service as a true first responder, combining police and fire service.  Joe is a 13-year law enforcement professional in the State of Minnesota and currently serves with a metro-area agency. He is assigned to a statewide team conducting more than 300 high-risk missions each year in support of violent crime investigations and proactive enforcement operations.

Before entering law enforcement, Joe spent 10 years in the fire service, rising to the rank of Captain with a metro-area fire department. His fire service background includes specialized training as an Engineer, Ladder Operator, and Hazmat Technician, further contributing to his comprehensive emergency response and leadership capabilities.

Lead Instructor

  • Joe is an experienced SWAT Team Leader with deep operational and instructional expertise. He previously served four years as a SWAT Team Medic, where he integrated advanced medical capabilities into tactical operations and developed his team’s SWAT medic program, including training standards, curriculum, and operational protocols.

    He holds certifications as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT); in Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC); Rappelling/High-Angle and Confined Space Operations; and is a certified Less-Lethal Instructor and NFDD (Flashbang) Operator. As a Team Leader, Joe also serves as a firearms instructor, mission planner, and ladder operations instructor.

    Joe’s career includes significant recognition for exceptional service and leadership. He is a two-time Medal of Valor recipient, has earned a Merit Award, and has received two Life-Saving Awards for decisive actions during critical incidents. During his fire service career, Joe led his crew in the rescue of a trapped individual during a working fire, an effort for which he and his team received their agency’s Meritorious Service Award.

    Known for his professionalism, tactical proficiency, and calm leadership in high-risk environments, Joe is a dedicated contributor to violent crime suppression efforts statewide and a valued instructor for Tactical Action Group.

Instructor Maher

Tom Maher is a seasoned law enforcement professional and Senior Instructor with Tactical Action Group (TAG). He currently serves as a Team Leader with the Ramsey County SWAT Team and holds the rank of Sergeant assigned to Ramsey County Apprehension. Throughout his career with Ramsey County, Maher has worked in a wide range of operational roles, including Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer (FTO), and Investigator with the Ramsey County Violent Crime Enforcement Team.

At the federal level, Maher has served as a Task Force Officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA–MSPDO) and as an Operator with the DEA Special Response Team (SRT). He also currently serves as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshal with the United States Marshals Service, District of Minnesota.

Lead Instructor

  • Maher has participated in more than 1,000 residential warrant services, over 400 vehicle suppressions, and several hundred additional enforcement actions, primarily targeting violent offenders and narcotics-related crimes. His operational experience includes undercover assignments involving controlled purchases and UC introductions, as well as leading dozens of federal prosecutions in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

    Maher has been instructing for over five years, both within his department and as a third-party contractor. His primary instructional focus areas include mission planning and warrant service, vehicle suppression, undercover rescue operations, hostage rescue, close-quarters combat (CQC), and vehicle close-quarters combat (VCQC)

Kyle Jansen is an eight-year law enforcement professional serving in the Twin Cities metropolitan area of Minnesota. He is currently an investigator with a Metro Fugitive Apprehension Unit and serves as a Task Force Officer (TFO) with the U.S. Marshals Service North Star Fugitive Task Force. In these roles, Kyle has participated in numerous high-profile and high-risk apprehensions across Minnesota and surrounding states.

Kyle has served as a SWAT operator for more than five years and is the primary ballistic shield operator on a multi-jurisdictional metro-area SWAT team. He has contributed extensively to team training, mission planning, and operational execution, and was recognized as the 2025 SWAT Operator of the Year with the Ramsey County SWAT Team.

Lead Instructor

Kyle Jansen

  • Kyle is certified as a Vehicle Close Quarters Battle (VCQB) Instructor and Ballistic Shield Instructor. His tactical expertise spans vehicle suppression operations, warrant service and structure-based tactics, mission planning, and hostage rescue operations. He holds multiple instructor certifications and leverages his operational experience to deliver practical, high-impact training to law enforcement professionals.

    Kyle earned a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Bemidji State University in Minnesota.

Nick Albrecht

Nick is an active 18-year law enforcement officer from the state of Iowa. He began his law enforcement career in 2007 with the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Iowa State Patrol division. Prior to his law enforcement career, Nick was a collegiate baseball player while earning his Bachelor of Arts degrees in Criminal Justice and Recreation Management, along with a minor in Business, graduating with honors. 

From 2012 to 2024, Nick was a member of the Iowa State Patrol Tactical Teams. In 2017, Nick promoted to the rank of Sergeant and served as the Area B Tactical Team Leader and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Team Leader until 2024 when he was promoted to District Commander in Cherokee, IA. As Team Leader, he planned and led high-risk search and arrest warrant operations and emergency responses. He also served as Team Leader for one of the states WMD Response Team. Nick was instrumental in the development of robust training plans statewide along with facilitating and instructing two 40-hour Basic SWAT courses annually. Throughout his career, Nick was certified instructor in firearms, live-fire shoot house, defensive tactics, Taser, Oleoresin Capsicum, expandable baton, Closer-Quarters Combat, active shooter response, and combative’ s. 

Senior Instructor

  • From 2018 to 2025, Erik was a full-time member of his agency’s SWAT team, during which time he accumulated over 800 operations. He also served as a team leader on his agency’s SWAT team and, in that capacity, planned and led high-risk search warrant operations and emergency responses while also serving as the team’s lead training coordinator, primary Close-Quarters Combat (CQC) instructor, lead entry team member, and sniper/observer.

    In 2021, Erik began teaching on a national level after he was recruited by one of the nation’s leading tactical training companies. Erik has aided in the instruction, creation, and development of existing and new curriculum for the company and also regularly instructs for multiple respected training organizations, travels nationwide to deliver courses, and contributes to the ongoing development of modern tactical curriculum.

    He remains an active member of the TAG cadre and continues to train America’s law enforcement and military members at the highest levels.

Erik Ruiz

Erik is a 14-year veteran police officer and a former U.S. Air Force Security Forces officer. He began his law enforcement career in 2012 with a department northwest of Chicago and relocated to the Las Vegas Valley in 2014, where he continues to serve as a Police Officer.

Prior to policing, Erik served as a Security Forces officer (Military Police) and was among the earliest members hand-selected to create and lead the development of the Air Force Special Operations Command’s Deployed Aircraft Ground Response Element (DAGRE). This highly selective fly-away security team was designed to rapidly deploy worldwide, secure airfields in contested or hostile environments, and protect high-value aircraft and personnel under the most demanding conditions.

Instructor

  • In the summer of 2020, Nick led his area Tactical Team on several Civil Unrest deployments across the state of Iowa. In July of 2021, Nick was selected to serve as Tactical Team Leader during Operation Lone Star, supporting the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers, and United States Border Patrol with missions at the US border in southeast Texas. Additionally, Nick and his team members provided the United States Secret Service Counter Assault Team (USSS-CAT) support during several dignitary visits, including President Trump, Vice President Pence, and President Obama, and Vice President Harris. Nick was instrumental in the implementation of a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) at large scale events across the state of Iowa, including the Iowa State Fair which draws more than 1.1 million attendees annually, and served as the QRF Team Leader in 2023.

     

    In 2022, Nick began instructing at training conferences and events throughout the mid-west in addition to providing Critical Incident Debriefs. In 2025, Nick began teaching on a national level after he was recruited by one of the nation’s leading tactical training companies. Nick has aided in the instruction and continued development of existing and new curriculum. He is regularly called upon by outside agencies for SWAT consultations, provide mutual aid support during critical incidents, and develop mission plans and operations. In addition, Nick is an Advisory Committee Member for the Western Iowa Tech Community College Police Science Program and Iowa Law Enforcement Academy.