Magpul Heads Out To The TTPOA Swat Comp.

Each year, the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association (TTPOA) hosts its SWAT Competition, which tests a team’s communication strengths, precision shooting skills, physical endurance, and tactical abilities. Most of the events are completed with information provided at the start to simulate real-world developing situations, including stress and intelligence aspects. It’s a four-day series of events, and competing teams consist of police and SWAT members – as well as active military – from across the country. Sometimes, even international teams make an appearance.

We sent some folks from Magpul to check out the competition and get a taste of the intensity that participants from law enforcement go through to earn the top spot. Two hours north of Houston, at the FBI Training Facility in Conroe, Texas, we got a first-hand look at the ins and outs of the TTPOA SWAT Competition and those who had dedicated themselves to the grueling test. Many of the teams participating were local Texas law-enforcement departments, but the FBI also had teams enter, as did a Kuwait Police SWAT Team (the latter beating the former in the contest by nearly a half hour in total competition completion time).

The competing teams consisted of a five-man squad, plus an alternate, and they endure an exhausting three-day series of events to determine who would be crowned the overall winner. Prior to the competition, teams were sent a packing list telling them what to bring. Teams were allotted 60 rounds for their sniper rifle, 320 rounds of ammo for their “assaulter rifle” and 400 rounds of pistol ammunition. While the packing list includes items teams had to bring, it didn’t tell them why they would need each item. Daily events are revealed after the teams arrive at a briefing the evening prior to the start. Once at the event, each team is notified of any additional or last-minute changes to the event or course of fire by an RSO, and they have one minute for questions. Once that minute is up, the team heads to the starting line for that respective event. Day One included three events, Day Two had two, and Day Three was the obstacle course. Events consisted of repelling, a tower shoot, and other trying sequences that tested the teams mentally and physically.

Per the competition’s official rules, “Scoring for each event will be based on the Team’s fastest total time after all penalties have been accessed. At the end of the Competition, after all the main events are completed, the team’s total time will be calculated by adding all their event times together after all penalties, disqualifications (DQ), did not finish (DNF), and did not compete (DNC) have been assessed. The team with the fastest overall time wins the entire competition.” Teams’ times are recorded to the 100th of a second, and penalties add to a team’s total time overall.

When it was all over, the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD), which won the title previously in 2022, came in second behind the Lubbock Police Department SWAT by nearly 10 minutes. This was quite the upset, considering SAPD won every competition since 2018. While SAPD didn’t take first place overall at the competition in 2023, the team did take top honors in the obstacle course portion of the event.

While the competition is fierce, the event also builds camaraderie among the departments and allows them an annual opportunity to share ideas, experiences and tactics to grow their own skill sets with the ultimate goal of keeping the citizens of Texas safer. For even more information on the TTPOA and its mission to support Texas’ elite law enforcement officers, head over to TTPOA.org where you can educate yourself on their programs and support the organization directly with your donations.