Dr. Josh Barrett
Instructor # 4598794 | Sheepdog Sentinel, LLC
Certified with the USCCA since 8/1/2026
Certification Renewal Date 8/1/2027
USCCA Certifications
- Concealed Carry & Home Defense
- Countering the Mass Shooter
My Biography
Welcome! My name is Dr. Josh Barrett and I am here to help you protect what matters most.
I am a retired Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer with 25 years of military service, including time as a Special Warfare operator in both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps, and later as an Intelligence Officer across eight combat tours. I hold a Doctor of Strategic Leadership and bring advanced training in Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management, Level III Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection, and insider threat prevention. I founded Sheepdog Sentinel to stand between the flock and the wolf, giving faith communities and everyday families the expertise, planning, and training they need to fulfill their calling without fear. The people we love deserve a guardian who understands both the sanctuary and the threat, someone who can keep them safe while they stay free to worship, gather, and live openly.
That same mission shapes how I train others. The sheepdog mindset is a choice: to live a normal, peaceful life while staying alert to your surroundings and quietly ready to protect the people around you when it matters most. It is about being the calm, capable person who sees trouble coming and can act when others cannot. I teach fellow citizens how to carry that mindset, to be responsibly armed, situationally aware, and confident under pressure, developing practical defensive skill grounded in sound training, sound judgment, and a clear understanding of when and how to act. My goal is to take my years of experience and equip my fellow citizens to recognize danger early, make good decisions quickly, and protect the people around them without letting fear rule the way they live.
Whether you are new to firearms or sharpening years of experience, I am here to help you train with confidence and carry with purpose.
Learn more or reach out anytime:
sheepdogsentinel.com; josh.barrett@sheepdogsentinel.com
Request a Class
Protecting what matters most starts with training that matters. This class builds the real foundation, covering firearm safety and fundamentals, the legal use of force, and a protection plan built around your home and the people you love. You will leave responsibly armed, situationally aware, and confident under pressure, ready to carry with purpose.
This class meets the required firearms and safety training course requirements for the Virginia Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP).
We prefer class attendees to be at least 16 years of age.
Classes with 3 or less registered students may be rescheduled.
Cancellation Policy: Payments are NON-refundable. Many of our classes have waiting lists. If a student is unable to attend on the chosen date, registration can be rescheduled once for a future date within 90 days. After that, funds are forfeited. Notification must be made 2 or more days before class start. Students that "no-show" to class without communicating with instructors beforehand will forfeit all registration fees and/or deposits. Classes with 3 or less students may be rescheduled.
Stay Vigilant So Others May Live Real Experience. Real Plans. Real Protection.
Most house-of-worship security classes are taught from a slide deck by someone who's never built a plan for a real congregation. I'm a retired special warfare operator and intelligence officer with expertise in counterintelligence and human intelligence operations.
In addition to being a certified USCCA Countering the Mass Shooter Instructor, I hold FEMA and DHS emergency management certifications, and I've personally designed and implemented Emergency Operations Plans for multiple houses of worship — not just talked about them from a slide deck.
In this class, I'll draw on that hands-on experience to teach you threat recognition, mass-shooter indicators, and practical EOP fundamentals your team can start applying the same week. Come learn from someone who has real experience, developed real plans, for real protection.
Vigilate Ut Alii Vivant
Protecting what matters most starts with training that matters. This class builds the real foundation, covering firearm safety and fundamentals, the legal use of force, and a protection plan built around your home and the people you love. You will leave responsibly armed, situationally aware, and confident under pressure, ready to carry with purpose.
This class meets the required firearms and safety training course requirements for the Virginia Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP).
We prefer class attendees to be at least 16 years of age.
Classes with 3 or less registered students may be rescheduled.
Cancellation Policy: Payments are NON-refundable. Many of our classes have waiting lists. If a student is unable to attend on the chosen date, registration can be rescheduled once for a future date within 90 days. After that, funds are forfeited. Notification must be made 2 or more days before class start. Students that "no-show" to class without communicating with instructors beforehand will forfeit all registration fees and/or deposits. Classes with 3 or less students may be rescheduled.