Photo By Sgt. Alexandria Jones | Latvian Col. I. Ziedins gives Capt. Brice Kerschen, 46th Military Police Company...... read more read more
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RIGA, Latvia - “Tear it up!” the 46th Military Police Company sounds off after training alongside Latvian soldiers for more than two weeks and conducting two culminating exercises. Soldiers of 2nd Platoon conducted their exercise at Lielvarde Air Base while 1st Platoon conducted theirs at Liepaja International Airport in Latvia.
Since setting boots on ground, Soldiers have emphasized the importance of the Army’s crawl, walk, and run training phases. The crawl phase introduces new techniques. Those new techniques are practiced in the walk phase, and the techniques are then executed at combat speed with supervision in the run phase. During these training phases, troops have endured both challenge and triumph, yet they have learned valuable points after completing their mission-essential tasks.
Upon arrival, the 46th MP’s 1st Platoon Soldiers began training with the Latvian 44th and 45th Infantry Battalions on critical site security and convoy escort training on the training field. They then conducted a culminating exercise at Liepaja International Airport. Liepaja’s mayor, Uldis Sesks, and Latvian colonels got the chance to see the culminating exercise that highlighted three days of joint training.
“This airport is one of the three notable airports in Latvia having the ability to sustain large aircraft movements in and out of the country,” said Capt. Brice Kerschen, 46th MP Company commander. “It is effective to utilize this airfield for this exercise because this is a critical site and the Soldiers are learning how to protect sites such as this from adverse force.”
“We trained all day on these individual tasks,” said Kerschen. “We came away with learning points from their side. It truly is a joint learning experience.”
The 46th MP’s 2nd Platoon conducted their culminating exercise training alongside Latvian soldiers of the 55th Infantry Battalion at Lielvarde Air Base.
Latvian and Michigan leaders oversaw the integration of Guardsmen and Latvian soldiers training on military tasks essential to optimizing security efforts.
The speakers for the event included: Latvia Minister of Defense, Raimonds Vejonis, Latvian Commanding General Lt. Gen. Raimonds Graube, and 177th Military Police Brigade Commander Col. Stephen Potter.
Potter said, from what he observed in the training area, both forces integrated seamlessly and had learned from each other.
Though 1st and 2nd Platoon trained on the same overarching concept of critical site security, Kerschen mentioned one difference.
“It’s the same overall concept but, here, it’s double the soldiers and throwing in the convoy escort adds another element to the training,” Kerschen said.
Staff Sgt. Jason Hilla, squad leader and military police sergeant, played a key role in the exercise by ensuring the personal security detail platoon escorted the VIPs safely from each checkpoint on the airfield during the convoy escort element.
“The Latvians had a set number of tasks that we were to help instruct and jointly train,” said Hilla. “One of them was PSD and escorting VIPs. It’s one of the main MP tasks.”
“It was a lot of fun working with the Latvians,” said Hilla. “They are extremely hard workers. They never wanted to take breaks and barely wanted to take a lunch, so we trained morning till the evening.”
The nonstop training allowed Hilla to share his knowledge and personal experience from previous deployments by adding different scenarios that could happen in a combat situation.
Latvian soldier Martins Jaunzemis, one of the translators positioned at the initial checkpoint, monitored all vehicles entering the airfield. He stated he has only been in the military for six months, but he learned to speak English by playing video games and watching movies.
“I really like it,” Jaunzemis said. “This is a new experience, training with U.S. Soldiers.”
The language barrier created more effort for both militaries to overcome, but with the extensive training hours and bonding time, the Soldiers were able to effectively complete the tasks.
“All in all, the training came together and everyone did a great job,” said Hilla.
A camaraderie moment was displayed when some Guardsmen and Latvians swapped their uniform patches with one another after the exercises.
The 46th Military Police Company from Cheboygan, Michigan, is conducting Winds of Change, a training exercise designed specifically for the company element to train alongside Latvian soldiers. Through the National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program, Michigan National Guard and Latvia forces have an ongoing 22-year partnership to strengthen security defense measures. All U.S. efforts in support of our NATO allies and partners in Europe fall under the umbrella of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
| Date Taken: | 08.31.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 09.05.2014 15:06 |
| Story ID: | 141293 |
| Location: | RIGA, RIGA, LV |
| Web Views: | 598 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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