1186 Military Police Train in Umatilla

Photo By Staff Sgt. Timothy Jackson | Soldiers with the 1186 Military Police Company, 821 Troop Command Battalion, camp out under the stars at Camp Umatilla, near Hermiston, Ore., on August 20, 2020. The company convoyed to Umatilla Training Center to conduct weapons training and qualification, vehicle recovery drills, and convoy operations in support of their mission-essential tasks, a list of tasks that a unit must accomplish in combat. (Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Timothy Jackson, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)  

UMATILLA CHEMICAL DEPOT, OR, UNITED STATES

08.20.2020

Story by Sgt. Timothy Jackson 

115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

CAMP UMATILLA, Ore. - In the background of the training environment, green mounds of grass-covered storage units sprawl for miles across the camp. The 1186 Military Police Company’s High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles (Humvees) formed a 360-degree ring of security around the sleeping areas, covered by camo-netting, and the tactical operations center. Camp Umatilla Training Center was once used as an ordinance and chemical ammunition depot, and was re-designated as an Oregon National Guard training center in November 2017.

“When we deploy to an austere environment, this is what it would look like,” said Captain Kyle Cozart, company commander of the 1186 Military Police Company.

Sgt. 1st Class Avery Kerr, a platoon sergeant with the MPs, said doing military occupation specialty-specific tasks “is an advantage in Umatilla because it is close to our home stations of Hood River and Salem, so we don’t have to drive farther to train together.”

Prior to the lengthy convoy to Umatilla, the company took time to prepare, working on vehicle recovery drills, and convoy operations.

“All the prep we completed back at [our] home station further increased our mission capability giving us the ability to react to situations that may arise while we are out here,” Cozart said. “For example, if a vehicle were to break down, we would be able to recover and rely on the company for a response.”

After arriving at the Training Center, Cozart said their mission was to work on individual weapons qualification for the M4 carbine and M9 pistol as well as train on crew-served weapons, like the M-249 squad automatic weapon. “

Pvt. Amber Trahan, an MP Soldier, does a lot of camping and hunting in her off time and enjoyed the time away from home station to do field training. She said her favorite part about training was “going out on the range and hanging out with other Soldiers.” She enjoyed the range because the M-4 qualification was new to her and involved moving, then shooting.

“If we don’t know our weapons, we can’t function correctly,” she said, “and if we can’t function correctly, that’s dangerous for the team.”

• Date Taken: 08.20.2020
• Date Posted: 11.14.2020 13:04
• Story ID: 382599
• Location: UMATILLA CHEMICAL DEPOT, OR, US