SAN VICENTE, El Salvador – When you are in a foreign country conducting a military mission, one important item that need to be considered is force protection. The soldiers assigned to the 211th Military Police Company, 505th Engineer Battalion, 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, provides this security and peace of mind to the service members participating in the Beyond the Horizon 2011 training mission in El Salvador.

The 211th’s mission for BTH 11 is providing security for Forward Operating Base Poligono and the construction sites throughout El Salvador, as well as performing convoy operations to and from the sites. In addition, the military police are responsible for the quick reaction force team.

The QRF team is responsible for assisting U.S. and Salvadoran military police when an emergency occurs at the FOB or at a construction site.

The BTH 11 mission allows our soldiers to get a first-hand experience of a combat deployment without being in Afghanistan or Iraq, said U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Ben Garner, of Waynesville, N.C., 211th MP Company first sergeant.

“It [BTH 11] definitely gives you a small piece of what the [deployment] experience is”, said U.S. Army Pfc. Kayla Simpson, of Asheville, N.C., a 211th MP Company soldier.

Garner said BTH 11 is an excellent way to perform internal and external patrols, and it is a good training mission to prepare for a full-spectrum military police operation.

BTH is a U.S. Southern Command sponsored, U.S. Army South conducted, joint foreign military interaction/humanitarian mission.

BTH is an annual humanitarian and civic assistance mission deploying U.S. military engineers and medical professionals to Latin American and Caribbean nations for training and to provide humanitarian services.