Photo By Cpl. Eric Arndt | A response team simulates resuscitation procedures on Cpl. Calvin Kilby, a desk...... read more read more
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CAMP SCHWAB, Japan — A simulated explosion and casualties were the flashpoint for a hostage response exercise on Camp Schwab, Jan. 25, which escalated when the suspect took three Camp Schwab theater employees hostage.
This notional scene set the stage for Marine Corps Base Camp Butler provost marshal's office bi-monthly training exercise, which involved every PMO section including their Criminal Investigation Division, Special Reaction Team and Military Working Dog Handlers.
The exercise's scenario began when the suspect, a substandard Marine and alcoholic, Lance Cpl. Julius Caesar Burges, played by Sgt. Peter M. Harrell, an accident investigator with PMO, was trying to extend his time on Okinawa to spend time with his girlfriend.
While on duty, Burges saw his extension package on his first sergeant's desk and saw some derogatory remarks in it, said Chief Warrant Officer Jeffery S. Rodriguez, the officer in charge of CID, who wrote the script for the scenario.
Disgruntled, Burges constructed a small bomb and placed it in the first sergeant's desk drawer, intending to cause a scare.
The next day, after Burges was relieved as the assistant duty non-commissioned officer, the first sergeant opened his desk drawer and the bomb exploded, killing him and injuring the duty non-commissioned officer, Staff Sgt. Tightlips, played by Cpl. Calvin Kilby, a desk sergeant with PMO.
The ambulance and fire department arrived on scene after the company commander called 911. When PMO arrived, they isolated the area before beginning a full investigation.
"Notifications had to be made immediately to all the different parties who needed to be involved," said 1st Lt. Eric Kaltrider, the on-scene commander with PMO. "We needed to know everything right away – the who, what, when, where and how."
Throughout the course of the investigation, they discovered Burges was missing, making him a likely suspect. They contacted Burges at his girlfriend's house and told him to return to base.
When Burges arrived at the base and saw the scene outside the barracks, he panicked and ran into the theater with a knife, taking three hostages, according to the script.
PMO personnel immediately responded to a frantic 911 call from one of the hostages – theater manager, Mo Syzlack, played by Staff Sgt. Michael Stahl, the chief accident investigator for PMO.
"I had to determine who I needed to call, who to send, and what gear was going to be needed," said Kaltrider. Special Reaction Teams placed marksmen-observers, also known as snipers, on rooftops and in windows. Dog handlers and MCB explosive ordnance disposal technicians searched the area for any other possible bombs and military police set up a perimeter around the theater. Criminal Investigation Division Marines gathered evidence and started communicating with the hostage taker.
To show good faith, the negotiator provided a phone that could only be used by the negotiator and Burges to continue negotiations.
While Burges was distracted, one of the panicking hostages, played by Takako Iha of PMO, called the negotiator, giving him valuable information that could have taken hours to learn.
Unfortunately, Burges came out during the conversation and almost lost control. With some persuasion, the negotiator calmed Burges down using the techniques he learned while with CID and prevented the situation from escalating.
The negotiator made a breakthrough when the hostage taker released one of the hostages.
"The negotiator did an awesome job," said Master Sgt. Rob Jones, the training chief for PMO. "He got (Burges) to change his mind, and he gained valuable information. When he let the hostage go, they were able to gain even more information."
Things suddenly turned for the worse when Burges stabbed Syzlack in the neck, killing him.
"When I found out he had killed the manager, it was determined that things had become hostile and he may kill someone else," Kaltrider said. "Although we always want to pursue a peaceful resolution, it was clear that it was too late, and SRT had to be sent in."
SRT made their move into the theater, cautiously making their way to the suspect and the remaining hostage. Burges had the hostage pinned in a corner on top of a staircase in the back of the theater with a knife to the hostage's neck.
Sgt. Geoffrey Furgason, the SRT team leader, talked Burges away from the corner and tried to get him to release the victim. Burges refused to release his hostage. The team fired a single shot to Burges' neck, ending the scenario.
"The role players did a good job," Rodriguez said. "They challenged us every step of the way."
The exercise tested the abilities of PMO to respond to sensitive and potentially dangerous incidents, according to Rodriguez.
"The whole purpose is to make you see that you can never be an expert with these types of situations," he said. "You can only train and hope it never happens. The training is a crawl, walk, run method, and right now they're definitely walking."
Others agreed with Rodriguez.
"You have to train for stuff that probably won't happen, but if it does, we need to be prepared," Kilby said. "You have your everyday events and the extraordinary ones that you don't deal with, and those are the things that are important for us to be prepared for."
| Date Taken: | 02.01.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 02.01.2008 04:29 |
| Story ID: | 15952 |
| Location: | CAMP SCHWAB, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 445 |
| Downloads: | 373 |
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