Editor’s Note – With all of the national news regarding Oath Keepers, The Daily Courier was curious what’s behind the local organization. Following is what we learned.

The Oath Keepers of Yavapai County teaches elected officials to hold their feet to the fire when it comes to defending the rights of the U.S. Constitution. It’s comprised of many walks of life including former law enforcement and military personnel who take the “oath” seriously.

That oath – taken directly from the U.S. Constitution – is to “support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic.”

The national Oath Keepers group was founded on April 19, 2009, in Lexington Green, Massachusetts. The whole idea of the organization initially started out with police officers and firefighters and it eventually opened itself up to the civilian world.

However, that group is now defunct.

The Oath Keepers of Yavapai County, located in Chino Valley, was created by Chris Anderson, and when he left for an employment opportunity, Jim Arroyo was elected to take the lead in 2014, with only six people in the group.

And even though they were connected to the national group at the time, Jim says they never had the necessary support needed to carry the organization, so eventually he molded it into the group that exists today. This sector covers the Quad Cities.

“Our organization teaches people about the Constitution and more importantly teaches our elected officials to hold their feet to the fire regarding the Constitution,” Jim said.

Down the road in 2018, the name was changed to Yavapai County Preparedness Team simply for business reasons, one group with two names.

Both Jim and his wife, Janet, who met in 1985 when they lived in California, were part of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), which was initially started by the Los Angeles Fire Department. CERT is a county institution. Later, after moving to Arizona in 2001, the Arroyos started the first outfit in Chino Valley, but it no longer exists due to lack of county support.

“It’s a great program that we’d like to see restored. We support and would definitely participate in CERT if it becomes available again,” Janet said.

Jan. 6

The Oath Keepers of Yavapai County/Yavapai County Preparedness Team has not had any connection to the events that occurred on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C., Jim said.

And, at the time, they advised the members of the Chino Valley organization to stay away from it.

In the event of any kind of disaster, always turn to civilians for assistance

Over the years, the Oath Keepers of Yavapai County/Yavapai County Preparedness Team has grown and with the support of good citizens, other squads within the group were formed including engineering, general preparedness and security. And from these groups, classes are offered to train anyone who is interested. More recently, holistic teams focusing on such topics as medicinal herbs and plants were created.

The Oath Keepers of Yavapai County/Yavapai County Preparedness Team, at its lower level, are not a membership driven entity, as opposed to the Oath Keepers’ national group. However, for the most part, the Arroyos keep track of how many participants their group is attracting. Meetings range between 250 to 400 people during wintertime and around 100 to 200 people in the summer. And their email roster includes more than 1,000 names. The average age is about 55 and older.

“We’re open to the public, anyone can come in and participate. We call them participants not members,” Jim said. “We’re not a club, we’re an educational and training organization.”

Their main goal, Jim says, is to train everyone in the area to be prepared to survive any kind of major disaster that might occur such as economic collapse, pandemic, electromagnetic pulse or loss of the power grid, civil unrest, and war.

“We also work along with local law enforcement in the event something was to happen and offer support,” Jim said.

Jim Arroyo brings a plethora of experience to the table and then some

A former U.S. Army Ranger and graduate of the Executive Security International Bodyguard Academy, Jim is also a martial arts instructor, holds five black belt ranks in Tae Kwon Do, is a graduate of the Yavapai County VIP Academy, a volunteer for Chino Valley Police Department, Yavapai County CERT coordinator, a full-time custom gunsmith and gun builder, and a long-term survivalist instructor.

And in addition, he’s also a team member of the Iranian Hostage rescue team/direct action support to Delta Blue Light Special Forces, honorary life member of U.S. Army Special Forces, life member of the 82nd Airborne Division Association, and former four-term chairman of the Northern Arizona All Airborne Chapter.

No dues are needed to join and meetings are open to the public

For more information, visit ycpt.org.

Reach Debra Winters by email at dwinters@prescottaz.com, or call 928-445-3333, ext. 1111.