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    Army Reserve MPs, Air Force train as they fight during WAREX

    Army Reserve MPs, Air Force train as they fight during WAREX

    Photo By Sgt. Stephanie Ramirez | U.S. Army Reserve observe/controller trainer, assigned to the 78th Training Division,...... read more read more

    JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ, UNITED STATES

    03.21.2017

    Story by Sgt. Stephanie Ramirez 

    200th Military Police Command

    JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. – Wearing full combat gear and with weapons in hand, Soldiers assigned to the 423rd Military Police Company looked ready for battle as they marched onto the airfield here and loaded on an Air Force C-17 Globemaster. Forty Soldiers and three Humvees stepped off at Lakehurst Maxfield Field March 19, 2017, to kick off Warrior Exercise 78-17-01.

    The airlift mission began a day prior on March 18, 2017, when the Airmen assigned to the 621st Contingency Response Wing joined the Soldiers from the 423rd MP Co. and the 340th MP Co. to conduct a joint inspection of the vehicles.

    During the inspection, Airmen ensured that the Humvees met all of the required regulations for the flight. These included the cleanliness of the vehicle, the tire pressure and the weight. If the Airmen found any deficiencies, Soldiers were responsible for addressing them.

    “Getting a Humvee ready for airlift starts with something as simple as spraying the mud off the flaps which can be hazardous during the flight,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Segric Hayes, the team chief for the 621st Contingency Response Wing. “Then the Airmen also have to weigh the vehicle and ensure the center of gravity is marked correctly. All of those little steps ensure the aircraft can safely take off and complete the mission.“

    At the Airfield, the military police unloaded the vehicles from the aircraft, then convoyed to a hasty tactical control point. Here, they began their first mission, which was to safely escort Brig. Gen. Marion Garcia, the commanding general for the 200th Military Police Command, to Forward Operating Base Warrior.

    To ensure security of the convoy and deter enemy forces, the 423rd MP Co. was equipped with M240B and .50-caliber Browning machine guns mounted on vehicles.

    Capt. Stephen J. Ginter, the company commander for the 423rd MP Co., recognized the importance of having realistic training scenarios for his Soldiers to ensure they are combat ready.

    “This is probably the first realistic training mission a lot of these Soldiers have had since basic training, and sure, some of them are going to be a little rusty, but as time progresses they are definitely going to be more comfortable with the mission, their duties, and with their abilities as military police Soldiers.”

    The Army Reserve’s 84th Training Command develops each WAREX as a large-scale collective training exercise designed to immerse units into a tactical training environment that closely replicates what they might expect overseas.

    Overall, the Air Force Reserve flight crew assigned to the 732nd Airlift Squadron was responsible for transporting approximately 120 military police Soldiers and nine tactical vehicles into the WAREX. Similarly, during a real-world scenario, the Air Force would be the one responsible for transporting the Soldiers into the fight.

    “Training in a joint environment is beneficial because we all need to know how each other fights, how each other prepares and how each other operates because in order to be successful, we need to work as a team,” said Sgt. 1st Class Seth C. Eaton, the noncommissioned officer in charge of operations for the 423rd MP Co. “We cannot function without each other, and with this type of training the Soldiers are getting an opportunity to see that.”

    During the remainder of the WAREX 78-17-01, more than 200 military police Soldiers from several units assigned to the 200th Military Police Command will continue to train to be capable and lethal in a complex world.

    “One of the big parts of this WAREX is that we don’t know what missions to expect, we just need to be prepared for what is thrown our way,” said Ginter. “The observer coach trainers (from the 78th Training Division) will be giving us a new mission every day.”

    The missions of the military police will include setting up entry control points, base defense and conducting convoy security, to name a few. They will be expected to react quickly and effectively just as they would if they were overseas.

    “The active component needs us early and they need us throughout,” said Maj. Gen. Scottie D. Carpenter, commanding general for the 84th Training Command. “There are a lot of units within the Army Reserve that may have to deploy within days if not a couple of months, and we are a part of the operational force for any type of event that may happen in the future.”

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 03.21.2017
    Date Posted: 03.21.2017 11:11
    Story ID: 227519
    Location: JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ, US

    Web Views: 730
    Downloads: 2

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