Photo By Ryan Thompson | Soldiers training to become members of the Military Police Corps, hone their skills in...... read more read more
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — Soldiers wanting to become members of the Military Police Corps will spend much of their advanced individual training at a mock city called the Brig. Gen. David H. Stem Training Village, commonly referred to as Stem Village.
Consisting of a housing area, police station, gym, theater, and barracks, Stem Village, located at Fort Leonard Wood, offers Soldiers a unique training experience as they journey down the path to becoming an MP.
According to Sgt. 1st Class Johnathan Parish, Basic MP Training Division team leader, Stem Village is set up as a “mini garrison” to provide Soldiers with a sense of realism while training in a controlled environment.
“Having that sense of realism allows Soldiers to fully immerse themselves into their training, providing them the ability to understand the whole concept of this is what we are going to be doing, and this is how we are going to be doing it,” Parish said.
Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Kahl, 31B Military Police course manager, said Stem Village is extremely important because Soldiers can train in the classroom environment all day, but it’s the hands-on training that creates the “muscle memory” required to effectively complete the mission.
“Stem Village allows me to come up with multiple different scenarios that simulate the real-world situations that an MP may encounter once they get to their unit,” Kahl said.
Parish agreed.
“When it comes to the number of scenarios we can recreate here, the sky’s the limit,” Parish said. “We can create scenarios ranging from a loud noise complaint, traffic stop, armed robbery or attempted murder.”
To reinforce the quality of training Stem Village provides, Soldiers must complete a culminating event called the Sword.
“Sword is an eight-hour shift where MP AIT Soldiers carry out various law enforcement duties, such as responding to a domestic violence call or pulling over a drunk driver,” Parish said. “It’s where we simulate the day in the life of an actual MP.”
Parish and Kahl both said that Stem Village is a vital part of becoming an MP.
“Everything we do as MP Soldiers all starts here,” Parish said. “Since 1999, every MP Soldier who has completed AIT at Fort Leonard Wood has been through Stem Village, it’s a rite of passage.”
| Date Taken: | 12.04.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.05.2025 12:38 |
| Story ID: | 553129 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 56 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, MPs gain realistic training at Stem Village, by Ryan Thompson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
