Photo By Sgt. Cody Quinn | Spc. Justin Yun, a military police investigator with 51st MP Detachment, 42nd MP...... read more read more
Subscribe
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Since 2002, military police, like many specialties across the Army, had to adapt to serve the mission on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Investigations and community relations took a backseat to foot patrols and base security. The wide range of abilities military police are capable of narrowed so they could face the challenges at hand.
Soldiers and Airmen from JBLM had an opportunity to get back to basics during civil disturbance training on the installation Jan. 25 - Feb. 4 to face those shifting challenges.
“Our MPs could be called out on a variety of situations,” said Sgt. 1st Class Steven Ketchum, an instructor with the 14th Military Police Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. “National Guard MPs got called out in Ferguson and during other civil disturbances. Units don’t train civil-stability operations as much as they could.”
The Missouri National Guard mobilized 2,200 guardsmen to keep the peace during rioting in Ferguson, Missouri, in the fall of 2014. Likewise, 3,000 guardsmen were mobilized to assist Baltimore police during the spring of 2015.
The Army took note and learned from the situation on the ground as it unfolded.
“We’re conducting civil-stability training,” said 1st Lt. James Loxsom, a military police officer with the 571st Military Police Company, 504th MP Battalion, 42nd MP Brigade, JBLM. “If there’s a riot, we need to establish a cause and deter rioters from causing further damage.”
One of the largest takeaways from recent civil disturbances was the importance of communication and perception.
"We are deliberately constraining mobilization timelines to the last couple days to minimize backlash from calling up the National Guard early," Col. David Boyle, Army chief of staff at the Missouri National Guard, informed his officers in a Nov. 18, 2014, email obtained by CNN. "We have coordinated for lower profile, less confrontation likely mission sets to emphasize support roles and minimize public militarization perception."
When the people you are trying to protect may be the same people you need to subdue, communication is everything. MPs have to keep friends from turning into foes.
“We learn how to communicate and defuse a situation every single day. Our goal is to be non-lethal,” Loxsom said.
An MP in action is a constant stream of verbal direction. Whether apprehending a suspect, preparing to use a stun gun, or forming a wall of riot shields, MPs constantly state what is happening, what is about to happen and other important information needed to keep those around them safe.
The goal is to stop a situation from escalating, Ketchum said. It is preferable for an MP to use non-lethal means before using lethal ones, and if a situation can be deterred by letting a suspect know what an MP is capable of, that is the best outcome of all.
For a long time, Soldiers were trained to see the battlefield in stark terms: Friendlies and enemies. Recent civil disturbances have exposed the limitations of that philosophy.
While preparing for Ferguson, National Guard briefings referred to citizens on the ground as “enemy forces” and “adversaries.” The Missouri National Guard corrected course, but they struggled to overcome the perception of being hostile occupiers as opposed to peacekeepers.
“We are helping to keep everyone safe, whether they’re rioting or not,” said Loxsom.
MPs learned many lessons from combat deployments around the world. Staying strong in the face of adversity, operating in difficult environments, and remaining flexible to meet the mission are hard-won traits that have become part of their DNA.
As the Army’s focus adapts to a changing security environment, MPs are changing with it. They are finding their future by getting back to basics.
| Date Taken: | 02.04.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 02.04.2016 19:58 |
| Story ID: | 187960 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 206 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, One step back, two forward: MPs prepare for future ops, by SGT Cody Quinn, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT