Special Reaction Team trains with special effects rounds

Photo By Cpl. Alison Dostie | U.S. Marines with the Special Reaction Team, Provost Marshal's Office, Security and Emergency Services Battalion, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, clear a room during a special effects small arms marking system training exercise at Range 223A on Camp Pendleton, California, July 18, 2019. The SRT are military police officers with advanced training responsible for responding to emergencies such as active shooter and hostage situations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Alison Dostie)  

CAMP PENDLETON, CA, UNITED STATES

07.19.2019

Story by Lance Cpl. Alison Dostie 

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, California – Most civilian law enforcement agencies have a SWAT team they use to respond to incidents that go beyond what a regular law enforcement officer is trained to handle. On Marine Corps bases, Provost Marshal’s Offices will have a similar team composed of specially trained military police officers.

“When we go to a structure, we’re going because someone has barricaded themselves in or they have taken someone hostage, and they need a well-trained team to be able to go in and handle that situation,” said Gunnery Sgt. Edward Underwood, the team commander for the Special Reaction Team, Provost Marshal’s Office, Security and Emergency Services Battalion.

The SRT is a team comprised of volunteers who undergo advanced law enforcement training to be able to provide specialized services to Camp Pendleton. The mission of the team is to plan, rehearse, and conduct tactical operations in order to resolve high risk incidents such as active shooter or hostage situations, according to Underwood.

The team used special effects small arms marking system rounds, or SESAMS rounds, during a training evolution July 19 at Camp Pendleton’s Range 223A to sharpen their skills. The single large building at the range contains multiple hallways, rooms and stairwells that allow the Marines to cordon off sections of the building to create a different scenario each time they go through the range. This helps the team mimic the uncertainty of entering the different buildings and even housing areas on base

“It makes you have to feel where you have to place team members properly, that way everybody stays safe and the objective gets completed,” said Kennedy.

The SRT is not only an important asset to the PMO, but it is also a critical resource to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. MCB Camp Pendleton is a vast base, and at any point in time there is upwards of 50,000 personnel aboard the base. With the training the SRT has, they are able to respond quickly and accomplish the mission, all while ensuring the safety of the Marines and the surrounding community.

• Date Taken: 07.19.2019
• Date Posted: 07.19.2019 21:59
• Story ID: 332236
• Location: CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US