Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Zachary Shea | 240920-N-XO016-3189 MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Sep. 20, 2024) Master-at-Arms 1st Class Orlando...... read more read more
Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMPACFLT) Adm. Stephen T. Koehler expressed his satisfaction in a letter of appreciation received in early December by Lt. Cmdr. Mantas Rysevas, Center for Security Forces (CENSECFOR) Detachment Pearl Harbor officer in charge.
“I would like to express my sincere appreciation to you and your team for the weapons familiarization training you provided to the University of Hawaii NROTC Midshipmen,” said Koehler. “They appreciated the teamwork and the extra time your staff spent teaching them that week.”
Before participating in the practical hands-on training, the midshipmen had to complete the online M18 service pistol and M4 service rifle courses using the CENSECFOR Toolbox mobile app. The weapons used for the hands-on training included training replicas, red guns, and M18s and M4s reconfigured to use simulated ammunition.
“I also want to extend a special thanks to Phillip Branch and his team for coordinating and instructing 14 midshipmen through a course of fire using simulation rounds,” added Koehler. “Thank you again for providing a memorable and educational experience to many of our future officers.”
The logistics of planning and coordinating such an event are numerous and present several challenges. According to Phillip Branch, assistant officer in charge at Detachment Pearl Harbor, this event had its share of challenges.
“The first challenge was getting a firm date to conduct our training,” said Branch. “Some RIMPAC participants had requested the use of Hangar 54, so we were trying to schedule the midshipmen training with RIMPAC in mind. Another challenge was getting a firm number of midshipmen to ensure we had enough instructors. The most difficult challenge was deciding how much we could teach the midshipmen in one week.”
Branch chose his two best instructors to assemble the entire team of instructors. The team comprised Sonar Technician (Surface) 1st Class Morgan Ferguson, Gunner’s Mate 1st Class Tanner Thomas, Master-at-Arms 1st Class Derek Niehaus, Torpedoman’s Mate 1st Class Jacob Pikarski, and Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Cannon Hermanson.
“Each day was packed with training,” said Branch. “The midshipmen were divided into two teams that trained together as a unit for the week. Each team served as the opposition force for the other team so that the instructors could monitor for safety.”
The midshipmen's first day of training involved learning tactical room entries, communications, and tactical team movements. The following three days built on the skills learned the day before, using a crawl, walk, and run approach to prepare them for the culminating scenarios on the fifth and final day of the class.
“I love what Detachment Pearl Harbor does and how we do it,” shared Branch. “I appreciated the opportunity to demonstrate our training capability and competence to COMPACFLT, and I hope we are asked to support this event again in 2025.”
The Center for Security Forces provides specialized training to more than 20,000 students annually in Force Protection, Expeditionary Warfare, Code of Conduct, Law Enforcement, and Small Boat Operations. It has training locations worldwide and is known for its motto: “Where Training Breeds Confidence."
| Date Taken: | 12.16.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.16.2024 17:04 |
| Story ID: | 487643 |
| Location: | PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 195 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, High Praise for Security Force Trainers at CENSECFOR Detachment Pearl Harbor, by Darryl Orrell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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