Police officers are constantly exposed to dangerous situations when on duty. Not only do they have to worry about a suspect threatening their welfare, but also any other people in the vicinity. They have to consider each situation carefully, fully prepared to deal with the unexpected.
In order to maintain readiness, Marine Corps Base Camp Butler Provost Marshal's Office Marines sharpened their skills April 14-15 during response drills conducted at the vacated Futenma family housing on Camp Foster.
The drills were designed to be unpredictable and tested the Marines ability to maintain calm and think clearly on a volatile scene.
"It is hard to maintain that thought process during any situation," said Sgt. Daniel Robinson, a military policeman with PMO on Camp Foster. "Anything can happen in a heartbeat."
During the training, the Marines were exposed to several mock scenarios, acted out by Marines from other work sections, to give the scenarios a more realistic feel.
The scenarios included a street party with uncooperative attendees, minors drinking alcohol, a drunk driver, neighbor disputes, uncooperative loiterers and domestic disturbances.
"Everyday we go out to situations where we don't know what is going on," said Lance Cpl. Nicole Hawkins, a military policeman with Foster PMO. "Training helps us understand some of the possible situations we can be exposed to."
The scenarios were conducted throughout the day into the night and focused on the way the Marines handled the situation.
"A situation can go either way," Robinson said.
There was no right or wrong response for the Marines, rather each scenario was evaluated in order for leaders to discuss with the Marines what they did well and possible ways to improve.