| Aaron Cohen | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 28, 1976 |
| Place of birth | Montreal, Canada |
| Allegiance |
|
| Service/branch |
|
| Years of service | 1995-1998 |
| Rank | First Sergeant (סמל ראשון (סמ"ר |
| Unit | Duvdevan Special Forces Counter-Terrorist Unit |
| Other work | writer, director, actor, author, private military contractor, security consultant, news commentator |
Aaron Cohen (born 28 February 1976) is an American writer, director, actor, author and former Duvdevan Special Forces operator specializing in counter-terrorism and best known for his international bestselling memoir Brotherhood of Warriors.[1]
Early life and Israeli special-forces[]
After high school, Cohen left Los Angeles for Israel, working on a kibbutz before enlisting in the Israel Defense Forces. After a grueling tryout process known as a “gibush”, Cohen was one of the few non-Sabra volunteers accepted into the elite ranks of the Israeli Special Forces. [2] In the mid-1990s, he became a member of the secretive undercover Sayaret (commando) unit known as Duvdevan, (Hebrew: דובדבן; lit. cherry) a counter-terrorist unit which runs missions targeting wanted terrorist suspects in the occupied territories of the West Bank, often while dressed as Palestinian Arabs.[3]
Post military[]
After his three-year service, Cohen returned to Los Angeles and launched IMS Security Consultants, Inc., a Hollywood VIP protection service which has done security work for Hollywood actors, VIPs, rock stars and dignitaries.[4] IMS has also been a leading tactical training firm in offering Israeli-style counter-terrorist and “active shooter” training to members of local, State and Federal law enforcement, SWAT teams and the U.S. military Special Forces.[5] Cohen frequently appears as a national security analyst on various major news networks.
Film and television[]
Cohen has appeared in numerous films including End of Watch, Haywire and Get The Gringo. In Haywire he was tapped by director Steven Soderbergh to serve as the films technical advisor and tactical weapons trainer prepping actors Channing Tatum, Gina Carano and Michael Fassbender for their roles as well as consulting on the script.
In 2013 Cohen wrote, directed, and co-starred in the short action war film Overwatch, a realistic war drama about post traumatic stress disorder and the high emotional price paid by our top special operations soldiers who carry out our nations most dangerous and complex missions. [6] He is the stepson of Oscar winning American filmmaker Abby Mann. [7]
Book[]
Aaron Cohen's first book, Brotherhood of Warriors: Behind Enemy Lines with a Commando in one of the World’s Most Elite Counterterrorism Units, coauthored with journalist and best-selling author Douglas Century, was published by Ecco Press in April 2008. The book is now available in six languages.
See also[]
- Duvdevan Unit
- Israeli Defense Forces
- Counter-Terrorism
- Douglas Century
References[]
- ↑ http://www.amazon.com/Brotherhood-Warriors-Behind-Commando-Counterterrorism/dp/0061236160/ref=tmm_pap_title_0
- ↑ http://www.harpercollins.com/browseinside/index.aspx?isbn13=9780061859762
- ↑ http://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-armys-elite-undercover-unit-in-training-for-a-feared-third-palestinian-intifada/
- ↑ http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/11/06/celebrity.security.costs/
- ↑ http://www.wsfa.com/story/5196017/montgomery-police-departments-swat-team-learns-israeli-tactics?clienttype=printable
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYEM8FsFhP4
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/28/movies/28mann2.html?_r=0
Further reading[]
- "Haywire Technical Adviser and Tactical Weapons Trainer To The Actors on With Jeff Shubert" Filmnut.TV, January 18 2012
- " AARON COHEN’S THE ACTION MAN FOR MAYHEM" London Daily Star, January 22 2012
- "Exclusive: Director Steven Soderbergh on Haywire" ComingSoon.Net, January 18 2012
- " Haywire Technical Advisor Aaron Cohen on Creating Gun Jitsu" Wall Street Journal, January 17 2012
- "Whats Next For Michael Fassbender" Gotchya Movies.com, January 17 2012
- "Aaron Cohen Former Special Ops Fighter Trains Mixed Martial Arts Champion For Film" Los Angeles Times, Jan 1, 2012
- "Security Expert Aaron Cohen on Good Day LA" Fox 11 News, September 16, 2011
- "Security Expert Aaron Cohen on Good Day LA" Fox 11 News, July 1, 2011
- "Bodyguard: Aaron Cohen keeps L.A.'s elite out of harm's way. Ask him to take a bullet? That would be missing the point," Los Angeles Magazine, March 1, 2008
- "Paparazzi, Beware! Hollywood Stars Have a Secret Weapon: Israeli Commandos" Forward newspaper, October 24, 2007
- Transcript of "Special Report With Brit Hume, Fox News Interview on air with Aaron Cohen
- Jewish Journal of Los Angeles article, "Security Israeli Style," November 10, 2002
- "US Homeland Security Industry Expanding" by Mike O'Sullivan in Voice of America News, September 13, 2006
- "Cho Seung Hui's Murderous Rampage at Virginia Tech" CNN International, April 20, 2007
External links[]
- IMS Security Website
- Official Ecco Press "Brotherhood of Warriors" site
- Amazon.com Brotherhood of Warriors
- Aaron Cohen at the Internet Movie Database
The original article can be found at Aaron Cohen (counterterrorist) and the edit history here.