Advisor | Al Merino

Al Merino is the Executive Director of the Technical Operations Group at BlackHorse – a Parsons Company, under their Information Warfare – High Consequence Mission Group and is a former Special Forces Warrant Officer with more than 25 years of USSOCOM experience. Al served in the US Army for nearly 30 years has over 20 combat deployments that date back to the 1980’s through GWOT when he retired in late 2017. Al is the original requirements writer for BlackHorse’s CASO course which was originally a Cyber Enabled HUMINT training course designed for ASOT-C graduates. This course has been taught to more than 5,000 members of DoD, USSOCOM and the IC. Al currently works with several non-profits that directly support Green Berets and the greater Special Forces communities at large and serves as the SFA-100 Chapter Vice President. Al’s final assignment in uniform was as the Special Technical Equipment Officer in support of HUMINT at the USASOC G3X where he ran the Cyber Working Group (Plank Owner), Special Communications Working Group, Technical Surveillance Detachment (TSD) build out and program which included moving the Merlin course from the UK to FBNC as well as serving as an LNO and Requirements Coordinator at the CRIF Facility. Al currently works with the USG, NATO Partners, Army, Air Force, USSOCOM, and IC as lead training arm for all their Advance OSINT, Digital Force Protection and non-standard communications training/operational needs.