Ohio National Guard News

Ohio National Guard military police conduct joint training exercise at Grafton Correctional Institute

Smoke grenades are used to simulate tear gas while a combined formation of local special response teams and an Ohio National Guard quick reaction force moves into position along a fence during a June 17 training simulation at the Grafton Correctional Institution in Grafton, Ohio.

Volunteer “Prisoners” wrestle with staff members from the Grafton Correctional Institution June 17 during a simulated prison riot training exercise at the Grafton Correctional Institution in Grafton, Ohio. The joint exercise involved Soldiers from the 323rd and 838th Military Police Companies, the Lorain County Sheriff’s Department and several civilian special response teams from local correctional facilities.

Several “prisoners” charge military and civilian responders during a joint training exercise simulating a prison riot June 17 at the Grafton Correctional Institution, in Grafton, Ohio. The Soldiers, military police officers from the 323rd and 838th Military Police Companies, worked alongside the Lorain County Sherriff’s Department and civilian special response teams from several Ohio correctional institutions during the scenario.

Story and photos by Sgt. Sean Mathis
Joint Force Headquarters public affairs

GRAFTON, Ohio - Rain drops pelted them as they rolled through the mud, kicking and screaming. They were surrounded by a 10-foot-high fence with concertina wire that caged the rioting prisoners inside, while Soldiers and civilian Special Response Teams (SRT) stood outside in riot gear, ready to intervene.

The Soldiers, assigned to the 838th and the 323rd Military Police Companies, were conducting a Quick Reaction Force exercise with their civilian counterparts June 17 at the Grafton Correctional Institute in Grafton, Ohio.

The training exercise was a simulation of a possible scenario where gang related violence brought on a full-scale riot throughout GCI's recreational facilities. SRTs from GCI, the Lorain Correctional Institution, the North Coast Correctional Treatment Facility and the Northeast Pre-release Center, along with the Lorain County Sheriff's department canine unit and the 838th and 323rd Military Police Companies, all took part in the scenario. Some of the personnel played the role of rioting prisoners while the rest trained as a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) for riot-control.

“This is a great exercise, it’s real life, real world training,” said 1st Lt. Patrick Vehr, 3rd Platoon leader with the 323rd. “The better we are at this, the more effective we'll be for real life scenarios.”

The training exercise measured the military police companies’ response time and efficiency—they are required to respond to emergencies within six to eight hours. The training also tested their ability to work in cooperation with local special response teams, mixing formations and working as one cohesive unit while performing riot control.

“It is important that we learn how our tactics mesh with other's tactics,” said 1st Sgt. John Williams of the 838th.

Despite the obstacles of working with so many different units who have different ways of doing business, Maj. Stephen Michael Reynolds, GCI’s chief of security, said the exercise went better than expected. The exercise tested participants’ abilities to negotiate a peaceful resolution, develop and implement operations orders, deploy the SRTs and QRF for containment and observation, clear rooms and buildings, and effectively employ their weapons and training.

“We met all five objectives and handled the situation in a timely and effective manner,” Reynolds said.

Throughout the scenario, negotiators escorted by SRT members with riot shields attempted to peacefully resolve the scenario. Snipers lined the rooftops, observing the riot to ensure the prisoners were contained. The SRTs and QRF threw simulated tear gas and live flashbang grenades to disperse crowds and disorient rioters before they moved in.

“It was really realistic,” said Sgt. Ryan Ochmanek of the 323rd, who played a rioting prisoner during the scenario. “They really used flashbangs, they really used riot formations.”

The 838th will rotate in as the Ohio QRF in October, making the unit the first military responders during this type of state emergency.

“The National Guard is always there to help anybody,” Ochmanek said. “It's not just overseas; we're here to help locally as well.”

- 30 -