ABOUT
M.C.T.A. was founded in 2013 by its director, Michael Honkala, to be the shooter's choice for training and plinking. Through years of hard work and fighting with insurance companies and red tape, the MCTA facility was born. Located in the Stennis Space Center buffer zone in southern Mississippi, Mike built a 300, 200 and 100 yard rifle ranges, four 25 yard pistol ranges and one 50 yard training range on 14 acres of privately owned land. This facility coupled with 153 years of combined experience from our staff makes M.C.T.A. the premier shooting facility in the local area. M.C.T.A. is SHOOTING EVOLVED!
Michael Honkala
Director & Lead Instructor
Mike joined the US Navy at 17 years old and upon completing Navy Recruit Training he immediately volunteered as an Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) assistant. He was then stationed overseas in Asia for his first tour of duty and learned how to thrive in high threat environments. Mike was subsequently deployed to the Middle East in support of Operations Desert Shield/Storm.
After returning from his deployment he volunteered as a Special Warfare Combatant Craft team member where he excelled in costal and riverine warfare operations. Mike continued to deploy to various high threat environments while training host nation troops in maritime operations. Upon retiring from active duty from the US Navy in 2006, he was vetted and selected by various classified government organizations.
After 32 years of continuous deployments to hostile and high threat areas, Mike wanted to pass along his experience and knowledge. With this desire he opened Mississippi Combat Training Academy to bring this desire to fruition.
Bill G. CORREA
Instructor
Bill retired as a Chief Petty Officer following 22 years of faithfull service in the U.S. Navy. He began his career as a Helicopter Air Crewman, performing the duties of Rescue Swimmer and Anti Submarine Warfare Operator.
He qualified as a Navy Scuba diver and became an Instructor, working at the Navy's Water Survival Training Department. He left WSTD for orders to Basic Underwater Demolition School (BUD/S), and upon completion, was sent to SEAL Team 4. At ST 4, he deployed several times to Central and South America as a SEAL Operator, then worked in the armory, repairing weapons.
Bill then transferred to SEAL Team 8, working in the Training Department's Land Warfare Division and also deploying to the Middle East. His last tour of Duty was at Special Boat Unit 22, where he acted as the Chief of the Training Department.
Following his retirement, he went to work for local Law Enforcement as a Deputy Sheriff and SWAT Team member. Twelve years later, he secured a job as an instructor for the Navy's Expeditionary Warfare Skills course, where he teaches rifle and pistol marksmanship to this day.
Joseph N. Marcal IV
Instructor
Joe has been a law enforcement officer for 20 years. During that time he has accomplished many levels of training relative to his field, which are as follows:
Louisiana P.O.S.T. Firearms Instructor; N.R.A. Law Enforcement Instructor in Patrol Rifle; Tactical Shotgun and Select Fire; T.E.E.S. Explosive breacher/handler; Armored vehicle tactics; Submachine gun Instructor; Sniper certified (basic deployment and advanced techniques for urban operations); S.W.A.T. certified in room entry and less lethal options; and Armorer for most domestic small arms (Glock pistol is primary).
His accomplishments regarding training outside of the realm of official training disciplines are AK-74 / AK-47 advanced building and shooting fundamentals of the weapon system; non indigenous small arms knowledge, like sub-guns, rifles and pistols; and belt fed machine guns; M249, M240, Browning 1919, MG-42, PKM.
Currently he is a full time police officer, working as a firearms instructor at the training academy and assigned to SWAT duties. These duties include warrant service and call outs for barricaded subjects, hostage rescue and land and maritime security operations. He currently holds the rank of Sergeant, and prior to being assigned to the training academy, he was a patrol officer and detective.
Frank Russo
Instructor
Frank found his way to us through many years working in the high paced field of private security, executive protection and as a licensed bail bondsman performing high risk bond recovery. 20 years in the private security sector Frank offers the best of both worlds having worked or ran security details from New Orleans to Nevada.
Frank is also a Saber Red Law Enforcement Instructor, Glock Armorer and certified NRA Instructor for the state of Louisiana and Mississippi. With prior certifications in speed and strength and physical fitness development he has also trained in unarmed combatives and Israeli point shooting, control tactic certified and currently a security supervisor for NASA Protective Services.
Frank is also currently competing in the tactical games and offers a new vibrancy to our staff with a fitness and shooting program.
Trea Staples
Instructor
Trea began his law enforcement career at a local Mississippi law enforcement agency in 1999. He attended the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officer’s Training Academy in Pearl, MS where he graduated top of his class. He served in the enforcement division and later volunteered and was selected for the department’s tactical response team. He eventually transferred to the narcotics enforcement division, as he continued to serve on the tactical team.
In 2005, Trea was accepted into the Mississippi Highway Patrol Training Academy, and was awarded the title of Mississippi State Trooper. He served in the Enforcement Division and as a member of the department’s Special Operations Group. Later he was selected as a member of the Special Weapons and Tactics (S.W.A.T.) team, and eventually became a training officer and a S. W. A. T. Team Leader.
His accomplishments regarding training include: N.R.A. Firearms Instructor, Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training instructor school (active shooter instructor), Gracie Survival Tactics, several S. W. A. T. schools, Exterior Response to Active Shooter Events instructor school, several Mississippi Combat Training Academy courses, and many more.
Over the course of his career Trea gained a great amount of real world experience through being involved in many tactical operational situations, municipal officer enforcement/narcotics duties, county deputy enforcement/narcotics duties, and also assisting in the coordination of enforcement/tactical situations and training as part of the MS Highway Patrol administration. He is currently assigned full time to the MS Highway Patrol S. W. A. T. team at the rank of Lieutenant and is a junior instructor at MCTA.
Picture coming soon
Patrick Birdsong
Instructor
Pat is a retired Marine and former Police officer and brings over twenty years of professional experience in maintaining personal safety in high pressure situations. Pat trained under nationally known self-defensetrainer Tom Givens and, in 2006, was invited to be a Staff instructor at RangeMaster in Memphis, TN. Pat quickly became a Lead Instructor and has trained over 2,000 students in the Tennessee basic handgun course for concealed carry.
Pat is a certified shooting instructor in both Tennessee and in Kansas and brings the following qualifications and expertise to his students: RangeMaster Levels I through V; RangeMaster Instructor course; RangeMaster Advanced Instructor course; RangeMaster Vehicle defense
RangeMaster Defensive Shotgun; NRA instructor Pistol and Personal Protection in the home; Surefire Academy; Tennessee Handgun Instructor; Will Andrews - Shooting on the move; William Aprill – Disarms; Ronin Strategies - Speed Pistol; Rogers Shooting School; Gabe Suarez - Force on Force Dynamic Gun-fighting; Kansas CCH Instructor
Pat specializes in teaching students who have little or no experience with handguns and is especially effective in supporting the self-defense goals of those individuals who are afraid of handguns but still have a desire to learn.
In working closely over the past 8 years with his wife, Joy, who is also a RangeMaster Instructor, Pat has become well-versed in the specific challenges women shooters face while gaining self-defense skills. Since 2008, Pat and Joy have taught over 1000 women the art of self-defense.
“In 1776 men would line up shoulder to shoulder load their rifles and stand opposite each other in a field, shooting until somebody quit. Fast-forward 200 years and now fighting is chaos, those with the least skillset will lose.
M.C.T.A. does not hold to one set of gun fighting principles. If you have seen or heard about a technique, we will try it and find the right place to insert it into your skillset. Shooting in combat, competition or during that life threatening moment you may have, is different than from 1776. The weapons have evolved, tactics have evolved, the technology has evolved. So as a shooter we must evolve. We are SHOOTING EVOLVED!"
Michael Honkala, Director & Lead Instructor
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