Courtesy Photo | Soldiers with the Fires Center of Excellence Law Enforcement Activity and the 902nd...... read more read more
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FORT SILL, Okla. — Long after the ruck march tested endurance and the agility lanes drained energy, Soldiers in a recent internal law enforcement competition at Fort Sill still had to do what military police are expected to do every day: think clearly, make sound decisions and protect others under pressure.
Led by Capt. Tristan McLaughlin, commander of the Fires Center of Excellence Law Enforcement Activity and the 902nd Military Working Dog Detachment, the competition brought together Soldiers from both organizations for a demanding internal readiness challenge.
The event was designed to strengthen cohesion, reinforce law enforcement standards, promote excellence and build physical readiness through a series of demanding challenges. McLaughlin said he had been developing the concept for the past six to eight months as a way to identify top-performing military police in his formation while sharpening the technical and tactical skills the mission requires.
In a time of tighter budgets and competing priorities, the competition also showed how small-unit events can deliver meaningful training value without the cost or scale of larger Army competitions.
“This event did not require any funding to put together,” McLaughlin said. “We were able to utilize internal resources to set up these lanes and in order to properly assess MP readiness and proficiency.”
The competition included four events: a 6-mile ruck march with weight and time requirements, a multi-station physical agility test, a medical evaluation lane focused on casualty care and a law enforcement and leader evaluation board that tested legal, policy and Army knowledge. McLaughlin said the events were designed to measure the overall readiness and proficiency of a military police Soldier and what it means to be a law enforcement professional.
Each lane used its own evaluation criteria, but time and efficiency remained consistent factors throughout the event. More important, McLaughlin said, the competition was built to reflect the real-world demands Soldiers face in routine law enforcement duties on Fort Sill.
“This competition was designed to replicate real world scenarios and obstacles that MPs will face routinely throughout their law enforcement duties,” he said.
For McLaughlin, the most important lesson was not simply who finished first. It was whether Soldiers could still think, assess and act decisively after they were physically exhausted.
He said one of the biggest takeaways for his Soldiers was learning that even when fatigued, they still had to make critical decisions that could affect their own safety and the safety of the public.
That is why the event tested more than strength and speed.
“As MPs, we are the first responders to every situation or incident on the installation,” McLaughlin said. “We must be trained and proficient in providing baseline medical care in order to stabilize a casualty until EMS can arrive on scene.”
The competition also built cohesion across a formation whose Soldiers often work different shifts and in different sections. McLaughlin said personnel from patrol, the military police desk, traffic and military working dog sections were able to interact with one another in ways they normally do not, giving them the chance to motivate one another and build trust across the team.
What stood out most to him was the way Soldiers pushed each other through the event, even while competing for the top spot.
He said the competition showed that although they all wanted to come in first place, they still would not leave another Soldier behind.
The event also revealed areas to keep sharpening. McLaughlin said the law enforcement evaluation board highlighted the need for military police to continue studying doctrine, legal knowledge and critical thinking so they can make sound decisions that do not put the public at risk.
That focus on standards and readiness reflects the broader mission both organizations carry out for the Fort Sill community.
The Fires Center of Excellence Law Enforcement Activity conducts police operations in support of Fort Sill Garrison, providing certified military police to help ensure the safety and security of service members, civilians and families on the installation. The 902nd Military Working Dog Detachment provides explosive and drug detection support to Fort Sill Garrison and deploys military working dog teams worldwide in support of U.S. Secret Service missions and overseas contingency operations.
That mission has already produced results that reach well beyond the installation.
In 2021, the 902nd led a joint K-9 training event with the Comanche County Sheriff’s Department, Altus Air Force Base and Fort Sill’s 761st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company. The training included explosives detection, narcotics detection, suspect apprehension and coordinated response scenarios, helping strengthen local relationships and interoperability ahead of any real-world incident.
More recently, Staff Sgt. Bernardo Rivera of Fort Sill’s 902nd Military Working Dog Detachment led 100 K-9 teams supporting U.S. Secret Service security operations during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. The teams covered 20 entry control points and baggage search areas and logged 4,398 man-hours, underscoring Fort Sill’s contribution to national security and the reach of the detachment’s mission.
For Fort Sill, those accomplishments mean the work of its law enforcement and military working dog Soldiers matters not only at the gate or on patrol, but also in support of major missions across the country and around the world.
McLaughlin’s own connection to that mission is personal. A Lawton native, Cache Public Schools graduate and Cameron University alumnus, he served in the Oklahoma National Guard as a military policeman from 2015 to 2019 before commissioning and entering active duty as a military police officer in 2019. After assignments in South Korea, Israel and Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, he said he chose to return to Fort Sill because it is home and because command here gave him the opportunity to serve near family and friends.
In the competition, Staff Sgt. Gabriel Sanders and Pfc. William Mitchell earned gold and received impact Army Achievement Medals, a unit plaque, a unit belt buckle and the commander’s coin. Sgt. Erik Durkin earned silver and received a unit belt buckle and commander’s coin. Sgt. Brenna Suess and Sgt. Angel Diaz placed bronze and received commander’s coins.
For McLaughlin, however, the true value of the event was larger than the standings.
“Standards not enforced are standards erased,” he said. “We must continue to refine and sharpen our technical and tactical proficiency or it will degrade.”
| Date Taken: | 04.16.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.23.2026 14:47 |
| Story ID: | 563435 |
| Location: | FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Hometown: | LAWTON, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Fort Sill law enforcement Soldiers sharpen readiness in internal skills competition, by Chris Gardner, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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