About Americal Patrol
Veteran-Owned · Family-Operated · Protecting Southern California Since 1986
Built on Service, Forged in Duty
Americal Patrol was founded in 1986 by Don Peterson — a Vietnam combat veteran, decorated law enforcement officer, and lifelong public servant. After more than two decades in uniform, Don didn't walk away from service. He channeled it into building a security company that operates the same way he did on patrol: with discipline, integrity, and a genuine commitment to the communities he protects.
For nearly four decades, Americal Patrol has remained family-owned and operated. That means every client gets real accountability — not a corporate call center. When something needs attention, you reach the people in charge.
Today the company serves residential communities, commercial properties, and industrial facilities across Ventura County, Los Angeles County, and North Orange County — the same region Don has called home his entire adult life.
- Purple Heart Recipient
- CA Licensed Firearms Instructor
- CA Licensed Baton Instructor
- Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army
A Career Defined by Service
Don Peterson served as a U.S. Army Sergeant First Class in Vietnam (August 1968 – August 1969), earning the Purple Heart for wounds received in combat. After returning home, he pursued a law enforcement career that spanned decades and multiple agencies — from highway patrol to municipal police — retiring as a Police Sergeant in 2003. He continued his service in elected office, serving as City Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Banning from 2012 to 2020.
The Americal Division
The Americal Division holds a singular distinction in American military history: it is the only U.S. Army division named rather than numbered. Formed in May 1942 from Task Force 6814 in New Caledonia, its name is a contraction of "Americans in New Caledonia" — a unit assembled far from home, under difficult conditions, to defend allied interests in the Pacific.
The division went on to serve with distinction throughout the Pacific theater of World War II, earning a reputation for toughness and adaptability in some of the war's most grueling campaigns.
When Don Peterson chose to name his company after the Americal Division, he was making a deliberate statement: that the values forged in service — discipline, resilience, loyalty to those who depend on you — don't retire when a uniform comes off. They carry forward.
Our Values
These aren't slogans. They're the standards Don operated by for 50 years in uniform — and the standards every Americal Patrol officer is held to today.
Work With a Company Built on Service
Forty years of law enforcement experience, applied to protecting your property.