Photo By Staff Sgt. Kelsey Blankenship | Soldiers of the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 113th Field...... read more read more
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Armed with body-covering shields and metal batons, North Carolina National Guard soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 113th Field Artillery Regiment gathered in the grass outside of the Maj. Gen. Gerald A. Rudisill Readiness Center Aug. 27, in Charlotte, N.C. The unit was on-hand to serve as a rapid-reaction force in the event that unruly crowds overwhelmed the city’s civilian law enforcement.
“The National Guard is not the lead element. We are actually here in support of the local authorities and Secret Service,” said 2nd Lt. Michael Sutton, a battery platoon leader. “We’re here to assist them and restore order as they see fit.”
The soldiers trained while other members of their team acted as a violent and unruly mob. One by one, soldiers identified and extracted dangerous rioters, wrestling them to the ground. After the soldiers had the aggressive personnel under control they continued training by searching their rioter for potential weapons that could be used against the soldiers, bystanders or a nearby structure. The training was conducted to ensure the soldiers knew the proper movements and formations used in riot control and why they were important to perform correctly. The second part of the training was to familiarize everyone with the equipment that the soldiers do not get to work with regularly, such as batons and shields.
The soldiers worked hard practicing the procedures they had to be prepared to use if they had been called upon during the DNC at the request and in support of civilian law enforcement. They agreed that the time together helped them bond and grow as a unit.
Spc. Bradley Darnell, a fire-direction control soldier assigned to JTF Panther’s RRF Reserve, said he most enjoyed spending time with the other soldiers in the unit. He said that working together and building camaraderie was the best part of his unit’s drill weekend.
The soldiers had the rare opportunity to serve on stand-by during a national special-security event; their unit could have been called upon to support local and federal authorities if circumstances were to get out of hand. Through their National Guard service, these soldiers had the opportunity to participate in a large-scale homeland-security operation that goes unnoticed to the general public.
“What you learn in the military is not what you learn on the civilian side. Being with this unit has taught me a lot. Being able to come out here and enjoy it and having similarities with the soldiers here is something I’ve really enjoyed,” Darnell said.
| Date Taken: | 08.27.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 09.07.2012 11:52 |
| Story ID: | 94364 |
| Location: | CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 315 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Keeping the peace: Soldiers prepare to help quell violent crowds, by SSG Kelsey Blankenship, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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