By Capt. John Grant
3rd Regiment, 362nd Armor Battalion, 5th Armored Brigade, Division West Public Affairs
MCGREGOR RANGE, N.M. – Several noncommissioned officers from 3rd Battalion, 362nd Armor Regiment, Task Force Stallion, 5th Armored Brigade, Division West and soldiers from the 211th Military Police Company recently trained on External Security Operations in preparation for their deployment to Afghanistan.
The military police trained, reviewed, and practiced skills such as entry control point operations, quick reaction force operations, and base defense operations. These skills were drilled over and over again, not only in preparation for their culminating training event, but more importantly for their upcoming deployment.
The soldiers of the 211th began their CTE by setting up an entry control point for the operation. They established a vehicle search area, personnel search area, and a traffic control area also. They worked with role players who were portraying local personnel and provided traffic through their entry control point.
“The entry control point operation training better prepares the 211th Military Police for their deployment because it allows them to practice one of the many things they could be doing on their tour,” said Staff Sgt. Jeffery McQuade, a Task Force Stallion observer-controller/trainer.
As the CTE ran its course, the soldiers of the 211th MP Company were able to exercise their quick reaction force and respond to a variety of incidents including riots, forced cell extractions, and improvised explosive devices.
The company command post was also able to participate in the training by receiving and processing reports, directing the quick reaction force, and organizing and deploying forces.
“The soldiers of the 211th operate very well as a company. They are motivated and took away some good lessens from the training,” said Sgt. 1st Class Scott Heathcote, a Task Force Stallion Senior observer-controller/trainer.