Photo By Staff Sgt. Micah VanDyke | Vehicles with the 571st MP Company, assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., are...... read more read more
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FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, Calif. — The 571st Military Police Company from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, worked alongside Reserve military police officers and trained to conduct full-scale unified land operations while participating in a Combat Support Training Exercise at Fort Hunter Liggett Feb. 13-March 13.
The 571st is training to respond to a CBRN incident in the U.S as part of the Army’s Defense Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Reactionary Force.
This exercise has allowed the unit to engage a different skill set and share their experience with their Army Reserve counterparts as the Army continues the Total Force integration of the active, Reserve, and National Guard components.
“[The exercise is] different from DCRF because it’s more ULO oriented, so it’s a lot more combat arms, and DCRF is more of dealing with civilians and trying to be that passive force, instead of being in a warzone,” said Staff Sgt. Sarah Burns, a squad leader with 571st.
In addition to requiring the MPs to balance different skill sets, the exercise built respect for the Reserve MPs operating beside them during the missions.
“We spent so much time on DCRF doing non-combat operations, that getting thrown into ULO combat missions, gave us a taste of what reservists go through when they switch from their civilian job to being a Soldier,” said 1st Lt. Matthew R. Bigelow, a platoon leader in the 571st. “We have more empathy for what they have to go through in order to bring their capabilities to the fight because our Soldiers get to see that side of the coin.”
The 571st worked closely with the 354th Military Police Company based out of St. Louis, an Army Reserve unit that trained for combat support missions during the CSTX.
“The 354th MP Co., they’ve been outstanding. We did a mission last night with them, and they were spot-on. They took the lead going to the mission and when any issues came up they pushed it up, feeding us information in a very accurate and timely manner,” Bigelow said. “Their platoon leader and squad leaders were outstanding; it was awesome to be able to work with a Reserve MP unit.”
| Date Taken: | 03.07.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 03.19.2015 18:21 |
| Story ID: | 157570 |
| Location: | FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 207 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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