Guard card, firearms, and CCW training built for people who already know the work. Get civilian-certified fast.
San Diego is one of the largest military communities in the country. Every year, thousands of service members EAS or retire in this region — and a significant share want a civilian role that puts their training to work. Security is the most natural fit, the fastest to credential, and one of the highest-demand civilian careers in the county for veterans. Here's the real plan.
Military service teaches the exact skills security agencies are desperate to hire: situational awareness, chain of command, weapons safety, after-action reporting, calm under pressure, and the ability to work a rotating shift schedule. The license is the missing piece — and you can earn it in 1–2 weeks at SOTC in Spring Valley.
Not all security work is the same. These are the posts where veterans are typically hired first — and where the pay is best:
Get certified before you separate. Walk straight into a paying civilian role with no employment gap.
The honest answer on benefits: it depends on the program and the school's approval status. Here's what we tell vets when they call:
Call us at (619) 303-3104 to discuss your specific benefits. We work with veterans every month and can point you to the program most likely to apply.
Most vets we train choose one of three tracks:
Fastest path to a paycheck. Get licensed, start applying. $125. Best for vets who want to start working immediately and decide on add-ons later.
The standard recommendation for vets. Opens armed posts immediately, premium pay from day one. $800 bundled.
Guard card + firearms + taser + baton + handcuffing + CPR. The maximum-employability package — opens hospital, casino, federal, and executive-protection posts. $1,000 bundled.
Many vets — especially those who lived in permitless or shall-issue states — want their California concealed carry permit after moving to or returning to San Diego. The state requires 16 hours of approved CCW training (per Penal Code 26165) for the initial permit, and 4 hours for renewal.
The training will be easy. The classroom portion is California-specific law: castle doctrine, sensitive places, transport rules, and use-of-force statutes that may differ from what you knew on duty. Our San Diego CCW Guide walks through the full county-by-county process.
You don't need to start from zero. Most of what BSIS asks you to learn, you already know in deeper detail than the curriculum requires. SOTC's job is to add the California-specific paperwork and put the license in your hand fast.
Yes. Many active-duty service members in the San Diego area complete guard card and firearms training in the months before their EAS so they can walk into a civilian post the week they separate. SOTC's weekend classes work especially well for active-duty schedules.
No — California requires the BSIS-specific training and live-fire qualification regardless of prior military shooting. That said, the live-fire portion will be straightforward for any vet who's shot regularly. The bulk of the course is California firearms law.
The California guard card is state-specific, but the experience and certifications travel. Many spouses keep a California card while at their current duty station, and the firearms training/CPR/de-escalation skills directly translate to similar credentials in other states.
If you hold an active Secret or higher clearance, yes — significantly. Defense contractor security in San Diego (Northrop, GA, BAE, L3Harris, plus federal facility contracts) heavily prefers cleared vets and pays $5–$15/hr above the standard market.
EP roles in San Diego (corporate, biotech, high-net-worth residential) typically require: California guard card, BSIS firearms permit, CCW, CPR/first aid, defensive driving, and demonstrable communications training. Many SOTC vet graduates build this stack within their first 90 days and start at $30–$50/hr.
Spring Valley facility, BSIS-approved, vet-friendly instructor. Talk to us before your next move.
