Anti-terrorism course held on Camp Foster

Photo By Lance Cpl. Daniel Jean-Paul | Air Force Capt. Dmitry Masharin illustrates the culture of terrorist in Europe to students of the Dynamics of International Terrorism course May 15 at the Camp Foster Theater. The DIT course, offered by U.S. Air Force Special Operations School, educates service members and master labor contractors on the fundamentals of local and global terrorism and raise awareness. Instructors covered multiple regions including the Pacific, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.  

CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, JAPAN

05.15.2015

Story by Lance Cpl. Daniel Jean-Paul 

Marine Corps Installations Pacific

CAMP FOSTER, Japan - Service members and master labor contractors with Marine Corps Installations Pacific-Marine Corps Base Camp Butler, Japan, participated in the Dynamics of International Terrorism course May 11 to 15 at the Camp Foster Theater, Okinawa, Japan.

The course was offered by the U.S. Air Force Special Operations School to raise awareness on how to identify and prevent local and global terrorism, according to Air Force Maj. Randy Metzger, the DIT course director.

The five day course is divided into 23 instruction blocks. Each block informs students about terrorist activity in specific regions educating them on the preventative measures. Employing these procedures assists government personnel and their families in minimizing the threat through tactics such as personal security and surveillance protection.

Two instruction blocks are devoted to personal accounts of terrorist attack victims and how the events played out.

“These are (people) who’ve been touched by terrorism personally through different terrorist events,” said Metzger. “They came in to share their story (with the audience), and share the points of what they did that got them through it, how they survived that event, how the event unfolded, and what made them a target.”

The students and instructors find the personal account blocks most helpful because they provide a more personal learning environment, according to Air Force Master Sgt. Ronnie Brickey, an instructor with the DIT Course. Instead of learning the basic facts, the students are demonstrated real-life situations and get a more emotional insight into terrorist events.

One of the personal accounts was presented by Roy Hallum, who was held captive by Iraqi insurgents in November 2004. He survived 11 months in captivity before being rescued by United States Army Special Forces.

"A lot of the (information) presented (in the course) is out of a book, but my part is what actually happened. There's no theory," Hallum explained. "It's a true story."

The blend of academic lectures and personal narratives helps the instructors in accomplishing their mission by providing excellent training, according to Metzger. Each student left with a new outlook on how to counter the act of terrorism.

The course benefits more than just the individual attending the course, according to James Hawley, the Anti-Terrorism Officer with MCIPAC. One person with the knowledge to recognize a terrorist threat and go through the proper preventative procedures could potentially save a mass amount of people.

“At first we thought it was just (another class), but once we went through the course we realized there was a lot more to it than we thought,” said Hawley. “It was a beneficial course for everybody, and everyone walks away with a stronger awareness of terrorism.”

• Date Taken: 05.15.2015
• Date Posted: 05.21.2015 19:20
• Story ID: 164036
• Location: CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, JP