Military Police Train on Riot Control, Cordon and Search

North Dakota National Guard Public Affairs
Courtesy Story

Date: 09.11.2010
Posted: 09.14.2010 17:01
News ID: 56270
Military Police Train on Riot Control, Cordon and Search

By Spc. Kevin E. Marvig, of Halsta

FARGO, N.D. — This past weekend, the 191st Military Police Company of the North Dakota Army National Guard conducted training for potential real-life situations, including riot control, cordon and search operations and prisoner detention. The training elaborated on what the Soldiers — who are based in Fargo and Mayville — learned during this summer’s intensive two-week annual training.

On Saturday, the soldiers received pictures of two men they were told were “high-risk individuals.” As soldiers with the Mayville detachment searched for them, the Fargo unit trained with riot-control shields. Eight soldiers with the 231st Brigade Support Battalion’s Rear Detachment came armed with potatoes and a device that simulates an improvised explosive device, and stood ready to test the skills of the military police.

The training strives to be as realistic as possible, with soldiers making physical contact with one another just as an adversary might — and thus getting a few bumps and bruises along the way. The military police used their vehicles to protect them from the sides, pulled out their riot-control shields and began slowly pushing back the adversaries.

“You could tell right away they weren’t quite sure what to do, but with every step they took, they seemed to figure it out,” said Spc. Dustin R. Westerman, of West Fargo, N.D., who role-played as an adversary.

Acting as the opposing force gives Soldiers a chance to try to think like the enemy and how one would react, which also is a valuable training tool.

In the meantime, the Mayville soldiers were hunting for the “wanted” men. They had been given the last known area the men had been seen, and set out to find them. When they arrived at the location, they saw two men walking, and one was holding a weapon. Using their training, they practiced detaining the men and searching them and the nearby buildings. Their searches revealed information that led them to the two wanted suspects.

The 191st Military Police Company is headquartered in Fargo, with detachments in Mayville and Bismarck. While their training focuses on military police tasks, they also practice general warrior tasks and conduct stateside missions as called upon.