Author: 2LT Christina Rice, 716th MP BN UPAR
Date 22 February 2018
FORT CAMPBELL, KY— Although every Soldier goes to Basic and AIT, not every Soldier’s training includes exposure to TASER and pepper spray. This month, Soldiers from Fort Campbell’s 716th Military Police Battalion, 16th Military Police Brigade did just that as part of their Law Enforcement Training Seminar, commonly referred to as LETS.
LETS is a month long training covering Military Police skills such as traffic stops, writing citations, emergency vehicle operation, gate operations, radar/LIDAR use, standardized field sobriety tests, and the use of non-lethal weapons.
This training familiarizes new MPs on Fort Campbell with the laws and regulations specific to the installation. From the Uniform Code of Military Justice to applicable federal laws, Tennessee state laws, Kentucky state laws and Fort Campbell regulations this course ensures MPs are ready to start patrolling.
“To facilitate this training, the 716th Military Police Battalion works in conjunction with the Provost Marshall’s Office (PMO), Department of Emergency Services (DES), Military Police Investigations (MPI), the Fort Campbell Law Office, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to best teach soldiers how to work the road,” explains Cpt. Anthony Fisher, 716th Military Police Battalion Law and Order OIC.
From February 5th to February 27th, 51 soldiers from the Battalion participated in the course and graduated with a basic knowledge of law enforcement in order to prepare them to work the roads of Fort Campbell.
“What I most enjoyed about this course was it was some of my first exposure to law enforcement and with the people I will be responsible for on shift. These subject matter experts teaching us have given me a better understanding of some of the real world issues I’ll see in this community” says 2nd Lt. Nighgell Davidson, an operations officer in the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 716th Military Police Battalion.
“These classes might be a refresher for some people but they’re still valuable since you get exposure to the specific operating environment Fort Campbell has” Davidson added.
Private Kaitlin McWold, 194th Military Police Company, 716th Military Police Battalion participant of the seminar shared a similar sentiment adding, “Staff Sgt. Adrian Arredondo, [163rd Military Police Detachment, 716th Military Police Battalion] and [Department of the Army Civilian Police] Sgt. Michael Hatmaker [LETS instructors] made me understand how real life patrol stops are not like what I learned at basic”
McWold went on to say she learned “I can’t read off a script on how to do field sobriety test when I pull someone over, I need to memorize how to do them and be able to react effectively if things go other than expected.” She feels more confident in her abilities to be a law enforcement officer after going through LETS.
Even though this training is only one more stepping stone into the world of law enforcement, with their new knowledge and skills, these new Military Police officers will join their fellow Soldiers working the roads to keep the community safe.
The Law Enforcement Training Seminar is the first of many courses 31 series MOS may eventually complete, such as advanced policing schools that include domestic violence intervention, military police investigators and traffic accident investigators training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
| Date Taken: | 02.28.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 03.01.2019 15:44 |
| Story ID: | 312553 |
| Location: | FORT CAMPBELL, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 702 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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