NARRAGANSETT, R.I. - Soldiers from the Rhode Island National Guard and neighboring states seeking reclassification from a previous military occupational specialty (MOS) to Military Police (MP) were given the opportunity to earn the MOS through the Basic Military Police Course at the 243D Regional Training Institute (RTI). The four week reclassification course, based primarily at Camp Varnum, Narragansett, Rhode Island, is divided into two phases. In addition to Camp Varnum, the soldiers trained at several other local military installations.
During Phase I, students conducted weapons qualification and familiarization at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. The soldiers trained using the MK19, 50 Cal, and 240B and qualified using the M9 pistol, a requirement for all Military Police. Following weapons qualification and familiarization, the soldiers visited Camp Fogarty in East Greenwich, R.I. to learn combatives and defensive tactics.
Phase II of the Basic Military Police Course is heavily classroom based. Soldiers learn about policies and procedures critical to the MOS. Several topics covered included identifying child abuse, conducting traffic stops, procedures for DUIs, and responding to active shooters. In addition to military subject matter experts, the soldiers received instruction from members of municipal law enforcement, the state police, and corrections. The course also featured a block of instruction from a military Judge Advocate General officer about military law and justice. The extensive scope of material covered in just four weeks calls for high caliber instructors – which, when asked, students concur is a strength of the program offered by the 243D RTI.
For Staff Sgt. Cyrus Manahan of the New Jersey National Guard, the reclassification program offered him a smooth transition into the National Guard after serving as an active duty Marine. Serving currently as a civilian law enforcement official, he wanted to pursue an MOS that would translate into his career. “I can’t say enough about the instructors here. As law enforcement on the civilian side, I have learned so much more that I can take back with me to my job, but also use as an MP.”
Regional Training Institutes across the country offer several reclassification opportunities for current guardsmen and new members with prior military service. Programs like the Military Police course make it possible for soldiers to earn a new MOS near their home without returning to Advanced Individual Training. The condensed program keeps students busy, but the instruction focuses on critical MOS tasks rather than basic soldiering skills associated with initial entry training.
Staff Sgt. Howard Singletary of Philadelphia, a Readiness NCO in the 328th Military Police Company, said reclassifying enabled him to further his current career with the National Guard while staying close to home. Staff Sgt. Brian Stone of the Rhode Island National Guard shared a similar sentiment - reclassifying offered him both upward career mobility and valuable Army training experience. “The repetition of training in a real world, hands on, interactive ever-changing environment is what really what brings it home for all of us,” Stone said, “We can utilize these lessons in any opportunity.”
The program graduated 23 students on August 5th, 2018.