National Guard Military Police move, clear, secure during training

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Anita Stratton | Idaho Army National Guard, 116th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, Military Police Soldier Spc. Amanda Bento of Gooding, Idaho, provides security for her four-man stacked team while training at National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., Aug. 17. The three other team members secured the area as part of the stack. The Soldiers also conducted counterpart training, room entry, medical evacuation and security drills. (Photo by Sgt. Anita VanderMolen, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Oregon Army National Guard)  

FORT IRWIN, CA, UNITED STATES

08.17.2015

Story by Sgt. Anita Stratton 

115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

FORT IRWIN, Calif. - Military Police Soldiers endured temperatures over 100 degrees, crude living conditions and long days to practice military police tactics, techniques and procedures. The Oregon Army National Guard’s 1186th Military Police Company trained alongside MPs from the Idaho Army National Guard’s 116th Brigade Special Troops Battalion. They kicked in doors and reviewed security processes and combat lifesaving skills.

The Soldiers conducted security and safety training at the National Training Center (NTC), Fort Irwin, California, Aug. 17. The National Guard units participated in a large-scale, simulated deployment exercise as support elements with Idaho based 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team.

The simulated deployment environment helps to prepare Soldiers for a real world deployment. Many Soldiers in the unit are new and have never experienced a deployment.

“It teaches them to think on their feet like you expect to do overseas,” said team and assistant squad leader, Sgt. Erin Drews, an Oregon City resident.

The Soldiers are experiencing an expeditionary-type environment along with their military duty training. They are living in the field, maintaining and repairing vehicles, developing team cohesion, and coping with environmental stressors. They lack common amenities such as a kitchen, electricity, a soft bed and indoor plumbing.

“We are starting with the basic skill levels, solidifying discipline, developing more cohesive teams,” 1st Sgt. Misti Chastain said. “We are also focusing on internal unit care such as proper field hygiene, preventing heat casualties and maintaining and repairing vehicles.”

The Soldiers also ran lanes focusing on military intelligence, area security, explosive ordinance disposal, law enforcement, medical evacuation, and training local police.

“We don’t get to do this type of training at our unit at home,” said gunner Spc. James Ross from Grants Pass, Oregon. “It will help a lot.”

Veterans share knowledge and experience with the newer Soldiers while they have hands-on practice during the training. The training helps create stronger team bonds.

“Our unit leaders push us to exceed,” said Spc. Jannalyn Farley, an Oregon college student from Yuma, California. “They are always there and ready to teach when you need help.”

This is the first three-week deployment style training rotation the 116th CBCT (Idaho, Oregon and Montana) conducted in nearly 20 years. The unit then, as now, conducted intense, tactical force-on-force operations bringing the whole unit together.

“It was worth coming here in the heat and taking the time from everyday life,” Farley said. “A training like this only happens once in a lifetime.”

• Date Taken: 08.17.2015
• Date Posted: 08.19.2015 03:12
• Story ID: 173555
• Location: FORT IRWIN, CA, US
• Hometown: GRANTS PASS, OR, US