Photo By Staff Sgt. Evan Lane | Master Sgt. Theodore Skibyak, left, and Capt. Andy Montoya pose near the sign...... read more read more
PRISTINA, Kosovo - Camp Bondsteel provost marshal, Capt. Andy Montoya, and deputy provost marshal, Master Sgt. Theodore Skibyak, both from Rio Rancho, N.M., have led lives serving citizens.
Both come from backgrounds in law enforcement. Montoya is currently the district 5, district commander for the N.M. State Police and Skibyak is a retired police officer.
Montoya, who had been a security forces enlisted airman from 1988-1994, again had the urge to protect and serve citizens following the Sept. 11 attacks.
“9/11 had a big effect on me, but it wasn’t the right time,” said Montoya. “The death of Pat Tillman had an immense impact on me. I had wanted to come back and after his death it felt like the right time. His sacrifice made me want to give more and shortly after I found myself in the recruiter’s office.”
Skibyak was already a soldier when he chose to serve citizens in another capacity and credits military training for gaining employment.
“The military got me in the door for my job as a police officer because at the time I was a medic and that was a requirement to get on the force,” Skibyak said.
The skills and experiences from military and police work have translated well and both men have found them beneficial in each line of work.
“The Army leadership program has definitely helped on how I do my job on the civilian side for such things as operations planning and investigative incidents,” said Montoya. “On the civilian side, I give credit to dealing with certain problems, traffic safety for example. That experience has provided us with the ability to set sound standard operating procedure policy here in Kosovo and provided Area Support Team Balkans with a great tool that they want to take from here and establish in AST Balkans Bulgaria and Romania Provost Marshal’s offices.”
While there are lots of similarities between military police work and civilian police work, there are also some stark operational differences.
In the Army, under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, military police only have jurisdiction over certain people, not geographical areas like civilian police back home, said Skibyak.
Another difference according to Skibyak is what kind of cases can be handled.
“In the civilian world a police officer can take any case to capital felony,” Skibyak said. “In the Army military police are restricted to traffic and petty misdemeanor.”
Montoya agreed that the Army can be more restrictive on MPs in some cases than being a civilian police officer and less in others.
“An MP is responsible for any crime that can result in confinement between six months and a year and criminal investigation command handles any crime that can result in confinement for over a year,” said Montoya. “But getting search warrants can be easier because the commander has a lot of authority in such matters.”
While any organization is a microcosm of society, Montoya said he has not had to deal with as many problems as he does on the civilian side.
“Soldiers, because of discipline and training are not as prone to trouble as civilians,” said Montoya. “Most soldiers lead by example and understand what it is to be responsible for one’s actions and know the great role that comes with being a member of the Army.”
Being a police officer is not just about catching or busting the bad guy; it is a lot more about helping people and that is where the most rewarding part of the job comes from.
“Many times you don’t remember the individual or circumstances when someone comes up to you on the street and thanks you for helping them when they were in need,” Montoya said. “But they remember you and that’s the best part, knowing that you made a difference.”
Whether it is being a police officer, an MP or a soldier, Montoya takes a lot of pride in the uniforms he wears and the jobs he performs and expects the same of others who serve in those capacities.
“I’m a firm believer that you should walk the walk, both on and off duty,” said Montoya. “Being a police officer, an MP or a soldier comes with an awesome responsibility that a mature individual has to manage.”
| Date Taken: | 09.26.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 09.26.2011 05:10 |
| Story ID: | 77581 |
| Location: | PRISTINA, ZZ |
| Web Views: | 270 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Law enforcement training spans military, civilian careers, by Maj. Casey Staheli, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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