Photo By Sgt. Daniel Haun | A Soldier recoups after reacting to small arms fire, June 13, at Forward Operating...... read more read more
By Spc. Monte J. Swift
203rd Public Affairs Detachment
FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARD, Calif. - Concertina wire and concrete barriers aren't the only things that divided Soldiers from hostile forces.
Those working and sleeping inside the base depended on the protection provided by Soldiers guarding its entrance gates during Pacific Warrior.
On June 13, the Soldiers of the 428th Engineer Company and the 425th Engineer Company practiced their Entry Control Point security training.
Their job was a simple one; to check the identification of Military and civilians entering the base, perform vehicle and personnel searches, react to crowd control problems, deal with suicide bombers, simulated mortars and rocket-propelled grenade attacks.
Observer controller trainers of the 2nd Battalion, 363rd Training Regiment oversaw the exercise and taught training classes, but didn't coach or give solutions during the simulated crises.
"When there is unity in a unit, everything works better," said Capt. Patrick J. Comunez, the officer-in-charge of ECP training. "(The units) showed up with skills and a level of camaraderie that cannot be taught in the classroom."
Verbal communication and hand signals helped the units stay on task as they moved throughout the checkpoint providing security and responding to dangerous situations. Soldiers with the training units said their fellow members who recently returned from deployments helped the teams with their professionalism.
Some Soldiers used their civilian experience to help the teams through tense moments and provided solutions before problems could escalate.
In some cases, all that was required was communication between members of the checkpoint and acting insurgents to bring tense situations under control.
"(One Soldier) used his skills from his civilian job as a correction officer to suppress the demonstration at the Entry Control Point," said Sgt. 1st Class John C. Bradshaw, an OC/T with the 2nd Battalion, 363rd Training Regiment. "He handled the demonstration early enough to keep it from becoming a riot."
The teams faced several attacks during the exercise that echoed real world threats, including a would-be suicide bomber.
"They did very well," said Spc. Heath I. Theriac, 354th Military Police Company, who roleplayed the bomber. "They were not going to let me through, and stopped me and searched my bag.
| Date Taken: | 06.23.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 07.12.2008 15:01 |
| Story ID: | 21424 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 561 |
| Downloads: | 438 |
This work, Standing post, standing guard; Control point duties maintain safe bases for Soldiers during exercise, by SFC Monte Swift, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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