Photo By Capt. Miranda Summers Lowe | Army 1st Lt. Shannon Bass, Sgt. Daniel Mebane, Spc. Gabrielle Sumner, Spc. Jason...... read more read more
By Pfc. Amirah Bey
FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas - Staring intently at computer screens, two groups of soldiers huddle on opposite sides of the classroom. They point at various elements of electronic maps with furrowed brows, working as a team. The soldiers are participating in an exercise meant to reinforce their navigational skills. Map navigation using 2D and 3D maps is just a fraction of the knowledge troops from the 372nd Military Police Battalion, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment need to absorb in preparation for a yearlong deployment to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The 372nd traveled from the nation’s capital to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, on Saturday, Aug. 4 and will depart Saturday, Aug. 18. The 276th Military Police Company traveled alongside the battalion to fulfill their Annual Training requirement. It is the company’s second year at Leavenworth for AT.
These two weeks of AT will prove invaluable to the 372nd as they are set to deploy in Feb. 2013, first to their mobilization station of Fort Bliss, Texas, and then on to Cuba.
“We will assume command of the Joint Detention Group which is a part of Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay,” said Maj. Alexander Shaw, executive officer, 372nd. “Our mission is to provide command control over three military police battalions conducting detainee operations in Cuba. The military police battalions control detainees and maintain camp security.”
Throughout the HHD’s two weeks at Fort Leavenworth they have an extensive list of tasks to accomplish to be mission ready.
“Soldier readiness processing, periodic health assessments, and a lot of mandatory briefings.” Said Capt. Kelwin Ford, HHD commander, about the work the unit is doing to prepare in addition to the classroom training. “Online training, including sexual harassment assault response and prevention and threat assessment reporting,”
“We’re getting a lot of the administrative stuff out of the way so we can prepare to do hands-on training and get everyone qualified and validated for Guantanamo Bay,” said Ford.
The soldiers of HHD have been engrossed in a broad training schedule meant to holistically prepare them for their impending deployment.
“I‘ve never been exposed to Command Post of the Future, a computer system that tracks all your unit’s operations,” said Spc. Anthony Baynard, supply specialist. “It shows where your unit is located and their movement. It helps you track personnel - it’s really cool.”
Baynard wasn’t alone in his recent exposure to the operating systems and practices the 372nd will utilize at Guantanamo Bay. Staff Sgt. Michael Bellamy, operations of the 372nd, wants to “become well-versed in operations as its a new endeavor” in his military career.
With the HHD’s deployment five months away their commander is setting goals for their time in Cuba.
“I hope that the staff officers sharpen their abilities in the slots that they were put into. It will be a good opportunity for them to learn how to manage information, how to manage personnel and how to manage resources,” said Ford. “Hopefully they can bring that information and those skills back and train future officers at the battalion”
Although the unit is participating in an extensive training program, there may be challenges during the transition period.
“To go from a battalion staff to augment a brigade staff will be a big step . We will be responsible for a lot more soldiers, a lot more moving pieces, and it’s on a much higher level,” said Ford. “Making that very significant change from a battalion to a brigade may be a bit challenging but I’m sure we can overcome it.”
Though the unit’s deployment will be at Guantanamo Bay, a detention camp, it is located on the island of Cuba. The country is a long sought-after destination for beach-seeking tourists, but a place restricted to Americans not in the military.
“I am excited about going to Cuba because many citizens don’t get to go. But, we do for the purpose of our mission,” said Baynard.
“You could say it’s going to be next to the beach or we’ll be sun-tanning and swimming with the fishes,” said Ford of the speculation about the location of their mission. “But those things don’t really interest me as much as really getting to do some hands-on Army training.”
| Date Taken: | 08.04.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 08.17.2012 15:13 |
| Story ID: | 93423 |
| Location: | FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 567 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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