Photo By Adam Holguin | Capt. John Smith, right, commander, 361st Military Police Company, says farewell to...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas – Soldiers of the 361st Military Police Company, a U.S. Army Reserve unit from Ashley, Pennsylvania, deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Oct. 15 from the Silas L. Copeland Arrival/Departure Air Control Group airfield for a detainee interment resettlement mission.
The 361st MP Co. completed pre-mobilization processing with the Mobilization Branch of the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization, and Security, which included over 30 days of training at McGregor Range, New Mexico, the culmination of a year’s worth of mission preparation.
“[We received] top notch, great training. We were able to go from being what is considered a practiced rating all the way to a trained rating. Considering that we started out a year ago today, just finding out about this mission, completely untrained for this mission, and having to completely change our entire mental focus from guard operations to detainee operations,” said Capt. John Smith, commander, 361st MP Co.
The unit was able to complete training in the detainee internment resettlement specialty to complete the mission’s requirements. Although a pivot from the normal mission set as military police, the 361st MP Co. is fully prepared due to the training completed at McGregor Range.
“The process has taken about a year because it is very different structure organizations and different (Military Occupational Specialties). Most of these troopers you see out here are 31 Bravos, the internment resettlement specialist is a 31 Echo. So they had to learn some different skills. While they are alike, and there is some overlap between the two, there (are) some differences as well,” said Col. Keith Nadig, commander, 333rd MP Brigade.
While the 361st MP Co. put in the work to prepare for the mission, they received complete support from Fort Bliss.
“I was absolutely blown away. This is my fourth deployment and I never had a smoother (Soldier Resiliency and Readiness Center) process. (Mobilization and Deployment, DPTMS) was great. Any resource we needed, it was there,” said Smith.
“The soldier care and treatment that we received…I couldn’t ask for anything better,” Smith continued.
The preparation and training also provided an opportunity for the 361st MP Co. to build spirit de corps before deploying because the makeup of the unit is more diverse than a typical Reserve unit.
“These Soldiers just came together, geographically spread out from upstate New York to as far south as North Carolina, and everyone has come together; it has become one big family, one big team” said Smith.
The collective goal of the 361st MP Co. on this mission was laid out by Capt. Smith who said, “to provide the safe, secure, humane and legally transparent custody of the detainees within our charge…and to bring back home my soldiers safe and sound.”
Nadig echoed that sentiment, by hoping the service members use the deployment to advance their military careers, particularly through Self Structured Development (SSD). SSD requires soldiers to complete online course training before going through the Noncommissioned Officer Education System, which can make them eligible for promotion.
The 361st MP Co. was granted a pass to decompress before deploying and a married couple in the unit toured the region which inspired their post-deployment plans.
“On our four-day pass that we just had, we just discovered Tucson, Arizona. We just loved that area and I think we both decided that is where we are going to go when we get back,” said Cpl. Frederick Dannenfelser who is deploying with his wife, Staff Sgt. Kimberly Smith.
The recently married couple plans on pursuing higher education after this deployment. “I am going to be going to flight school out there,” said Dannenfelser, while Smith plans on completing her studies in Nutritional Science.
The future plans of all soldiers in the 361st MP Co. will have to wait until their mission in Guantanamo Bay is complete, which should be sometime in 2015. Upon completion of this mission, the Mobilization and Deployment, DPTMS, will again service the Soldiers through their de-mobilization process.
| Date Taken: | 10.17.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 10.23.2014 13:09 |
| Story ID: | 145873 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TX, US |
| Hometown: | ASHLEY, PA, US |
| Hometown: | FORT BLISS, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 1,227 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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