Photo By Staff Sgt. Timothy Jackson | Oregon Army National Guard Spc. Steven Garibay, a military policeman with 1186th...... read more read more
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WARRENTON, Oregon - The constant sideways rain accompanies Oregon Army National Guard Soldiers with the 1186th Military Police (MP) Company as they train at Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Center in Warrenton, Oregon. The MP Company, made up of 154 Soldiers from Salem and Hood River, operated together during a four-day period, beginning on Jan. 31, as they prepared for their mission essential task list (METL) certifications this year.
The roar of High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV) was only matched by the nearby Pacific Ocean’s waves. As a loud simulation grenade exploded, a team of military police raided a two-story building at the mock village set up for military operations in urban terrain (MOUT) training.
Having recently assumed command of the 1186th, Capt. Caleb Tomulty observed his Soldiers training in the challenging weather conditions throughout the extended weekend.
“We’re working on going through all our squad and platoon level subtasks over the course of this weekend,” said Tomulty.
The company recently switched from doing monthly two-day drill weekends, to bi-monthly drill weekends. They use a half-day on the front end and a half-day on the back end of drill for travel, with three full days in between to conduct training.
As a team leader with 1st platoon, 1186th MP, Sgt. Ken Clark remarked that the longer drill weekends allowed for a more robust training period, bringing together Soldiers from Salem and Hood River. Prior to the change in drilling format, the two groups only trained together during their two weeks of annual training.
“It gives us the availability to work with a broader array of individuals, and we get to see people we don’t usually see,” said Clark.
The MOUT training is an example of the company using the longer weekend to work at full capacity. Each platoon dismounts into the village in different iterations, all accompanied by realistic sounds and conditions from blank ammunition rounds, simulated explosions and mortar rounds. Each group reacts to assaults by ambushing opposing team forces. Afterwards, during an after action review, the Soldiers examine what they have learned from the experience.
“The MOUT training gives a more three dimensional environment to the training rather than just looking at it on paper. A big thing with training is to remind the Soldiers that we live in a three dimensional world, and if you’re not training in a three dimensional world Soldiers forget to look up and look down,” said Clark.
The shift in drill scheduling allows the entire company to train together at least five times a year before they reunite again for annual training.
“More training time means we get to build more cohesiveness between our platoons, platoon leaders, and platoon sergeants, as they conduct the operations,” said Tomulty.
As the Platoon Sergeant of 3rd platoon 1186th MP, Sgt. 1st Class Cristopher Baxter, welcomed the four-day training opportunity and foul weather with a smile.
“If it ain’t raining, we ain’t training,” said Baxter.
Baxter stated that the damp atmosphere and conditions helps prepare the company mentally, because when they go out on missions they’re not always going to have the best conditions available.
“It’s not always going to be sunshine and perfect 75 degree weather,” said Baxter.
| Date Taken: | 02.01.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 02.08.2019 14:59 |
| Story ID: | 309923 |
| Location: | WARRENTON, OREGON, US |
| Web Views: | 842 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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