John V. McNichols

Originally from Chicago, IL, John joined the Army in 1991 as a U.S. Army cavalry scout. He went on to graduate from Western Illinois University in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement and justice administration and was commissioned as an ordnance officer in the U.S. Army for a second tour in the military. John joined the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) in 2002 after leaving the Army and has been working as a special agent ever since. With 22 years in the State Department, John has served in a number of different countries, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Mexico, and Ireland. In addition to his overseas work in U.S. embassies, he has also served multiple tours as a supervisory agent at the DSS Chicago and Washington Field Offices, including a tour with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. John has an extensive background in investigations, intelligence, and security. He has also served on the U.S. Secretary of State's protection detail in addition to serving on multiple other high profile protection details for foreign dignitaries. He is currently the branch chief for the DSS Advance Tactics and Leadership course at their training facility in Blackstone, VA.

Upcoming Courses