About the Author

Alex Reinshagen, DSS Supervisory Special Agent (Ret.) 

Alex Reinshagen is an experienced security leader with a 26-year career in firefighting, criminal law enforcement, immigration law enforcement, and global security operations. Skilled in a variety of disciplines including asset protection, executive protection, physical security, crisis preparedness, counterterrorism, and risk assessment, he is now the Managing Director of Viking Security Consulting LLC. 

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Alex attended Northern Kentucky University and obtained a double major in Law Enforcement and Criminology. Before becoming a police officer at the local level, US Border Patrol Agent in California, and Supervisory Special Agent with the United States Department of State, graduate studies at the University of South Carolina propelled his desire to become a public servant and member of the US Foreign Service. 

He joined the US Department of State and served abroad in six foreign countries. He has made hundreds of arrests both domestically and abroad, served as the Regional Security Director in Slovakia, Bangladesh, and South China for the US State Department and CIA Intelligence Officer in South China. He has received awards from both the Department of State and the Department of Justice for his criminal investigations and leadership. Alex was the operational commander of US Marines in Egypt, Slovakia, Bangladesh, and China, ensuring US Embassy facilities were well protected, and has served on protective security teams of US Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright, John Kerry, Condoleezza Rice, Hillary Clinton, and Colin Powell, as well as dozens of foreign leaders. Additionally, Alex has written numerous articles for the State Department newsletter related to security at American facilities abroad. 

After having traveled to over 70 countries in service of the US Department of State and after learning to speak Arabic, Mandarin, and Spanish, Alex retired in 2021 and started his own company, Viking Security Consulting LLC, and has contracted with the US Marshals Service, US Department of State, US Department of Justice, Prosegur Global Risk Services, NVE Inc., Amentum Services Inc. and Pacific Architects and Engineers. He is a certified instructor in Counterterrorism, Police Leadership, Surveillance Detection, Train-the-Trainer, and Active Shooter Response among other subject matters. He is also a contributing writer for the Bruges Group, a London-based policy think tank. 

Alex is a member of the Association of Continuing Higher Education and the Diplomatic Security Service Special Agents Association. He currently resides on picturesque Saint Simons Island, Georgia, with his wife Daniela Reinshagen, Ph.D., whom he met while living and working in Slovakia, their youngest son Nikolas and dog Bailey. It was the beautiful scenery of the barrier island surrounded by miles of scenic marshes, sandy beaches, and winding rivers, not to mention the native live oak trees covered in Spanish moss, that inspired Alex and allowed him to fulfill his dream of writing his memoir, AMERICAN DIPLOMAT.