FORT BLISS, Texas (11/05/2015) — Following their mobilization in September, Soldiers assigned to the 324th Military Police Company trained at Fort Bliss this fall for a detainee resettlement and operations mission at Guantanamo Naval Base, Cuba, where they are currently serving. The unit completed six weeks of training with the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security here in advance of their mission.
The makeup of the unit is diverse with new and experienced Soldiers, and that should help the unit.
“We have a pretty large crop of new Soldiers (and) we’ve got some seasoned veterans, including the first sergeant and I, who for both of us this is our third deployment,” said Capt. Kimberly Snow, 324th MP Company commander. “We have all that experience mixed in with our brand new guys.”
The time at Fort Bliss allowed for Soldiers of all experience levels to brush up on skills and get into the mindset for the deployment.
“You can teach somebody out of the book, but until they actually get into the setting of an actual detainee facility and practice putting on the handcuffs, bringing people in and out of cells, forced cell extractions, and actually getting all that hands-on experience… get in there and do that, this was invaluable training for them,” Snow said.
First Sgt. Grant Burtch was pleased with the support, training and facilities available at Fort Bliss for the company’s pre-mobilization training.
“All personnel in every aspect that we have dealt with, from when we got received to where we went out to McGregor (Range, in New Mexico) and trained, the whole medical process, everybody has been great and worked really well,” Burtch said. “If there is a conflict or an issue, they don’t shy away from digging in with you and fixing that issue, from day one until now, everything has been great.”
The mission will come first and foremost, but the command team does have additional goals for their Soldiers during this deployment.
“I want everyone to be able to grow in their career, either their civilian career or their military career. I really stress education… the military school that they need to get promoted… do their structured self-development courses,” Burtch said. “That’s the big goal, push for military career advancement; I want those specialists to become sergeants.”
Pfc. Kelsey Jacobson, one of the youngest Soldiers in the company, said the time spent training and building unit cohesion has been invaluable.
“I was nervous in jumping into things, I was concerned I was going to be the new person on the block,” Jacobson said. “But with the training, you do it as a team, as a squad, as a platoon, it really gets you connected to the people you are going to be working with… It does ease your mind going down there knowing you are not alone in this, you do have a family with you.”
Jacobson completed basic training in May, mobilized in September, and deployed with the unit in October, a quick turnaround and introduction to the Army life.
The morale of the unit was high, the preparation and training was complete; the 324th MP Company was prepared for its mission.
“I feel like my unit is very well prepared for this mission,” Snow said.
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