2nd Law Enforcement Battalion conducts crowd control training during exercise Tradewinds 2015

Photo By Sgt. Kimberly Aguirre | U.S. Marine Capt. Stephen Dally, the officer in charge of Security Cooperation Team, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground-Task Force Southern Command, gives a Human Rights Awareness class to special forces from Trinidad before their initiation of Jungle training during Phase II of Tradewinds 2015, June 15, 2015. Tradewinds 2015 is a joint-combined exercise conducted in conjunction with partner nations to enhance the collective abilities of defense forces and constabularies to counter transnational organized crime and to conduct humanitarian/disaster relief operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Kimberly Aguirre/Released)  

BELIZE CITY, BELIZE

06.16.2015

Story by Cpl. Joseph Karwick 

Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES)

BELIZE CITY, BELIZE - Members of 2nd Law Enforcement Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, conducted crowd control training event for partner nations participating in phase II of exercise Tradewinds 2015 at Price Barracks June 16.

The Marines of 2nd LEB shared their knowledge with four other nations on the second day of training during Tradewinds 2015.

“We are teaching them how to clear a building and the safeties involved with that, how to exploit evidence if they came across any and crowd controlling techniques, while also learning what we can from them,” said Lance Cpl. Dalton Raven, a field military police officer with 2nd LEB.

During the event, the Marines outlined, using caution tape, rooms to a house as a training area for the partner nations to learn how to clear buildings alongside their other military counterparts.

Cpl. Aquilo Sho, reconnaissance platoon, 2nd Infantry Battalion, Belizean Defense Force, expressed how much he learned from the training and how valuable it was.

“I was surprised at how much the other nations had to share,” said Sho. “As a corporal, these are things that will be valuable to me because it is my rank that gives commands to the newer guys and they follow our orders, so knowing how to control a situation will allow me to be a better leader.”

Though some of the participating nations may be separated countries apart, their combined ability to learn and evaluate the other service’s training techniques was quickly realized after only a few demonstrations.

“You wouldn’t think it but it’s like we have all been working together for a while and this is only day two,” said Sgt. Kyle J. Byrne, field military police officer, 2nd LEB, 2nd Marine Div. “The other nations jumped in and we were able to work with them very easily. They learn quickly and we hope they feel the same way about us.”

As the training continued it became obvious that each nation would be taking home new techniques.

“The other nations have all of the fundamentals down,” said Byrne. “We want to now focus on the safety part of things like weapons handling, because that is where we do things very differently.”

Tradewinds 2015 is a combined, joint U.S. Southern Command-sponsored exercise and an opportunity for the participating partner nations to come together to enhance regional security throughout Central America. With approximately 14 nations participating, the exercise is an invaluable opportunity to share best practices and to work together.

• Date Taken: 06.16.2015
• Date Posted: 06.17.2015 00:35
• Story ID: 166894
• Location: BELIZE CITY, BZ