Airmen, Marines conduct law enforcement training together

Lance Corp. Colton Sabrowski, Charlie Company, 4th Law Enforcement Battalion Wright-Patterson Air Force Base searches Senior Airman Scott Araujo, 445th Security Forces Squadron, WPAFB, for any dangerous or unlawful items during a training exercise at the Warfighter Training Center March 6. Both Marines and Airmen participated in the detainee operations training adding elements of experience from each branch of service providing total force integration. U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/MASTER SGT. PATRICK O’REILLY

Lance Corp. Colton Sabrowski, Charlie Company, 4th Law Enforcement Battalion Wright-Patterson Air Force Base searches Senior Airman Scott Araujo, 445th Security Forces Squadron, WPAFB, for any dangerous or unlawful items during a training exercise at the Warfighter Training Center March 6. Both Marines and Airmen participated in the detainee operations training adding elements of experience from each branch of service providing total force integration. U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/MASTER SGT. PATRICK O’REILLY

Reserve Citizen Airmen from the 445th Security Forces Squadron participated in inte­grated law enforcement train­ing scenarios with their Marine Corps counterparts from the 4th Law Enforcement Battal­ion, Charlie Company, March 6 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

During the training, 445th De­fenders were tasked with acting as oppositional forces for mili­tary police from the U.S. Marine Corps. Multiple scenarios that were devised by Marine Corps leaders were supplemented by Airmen whose goal were to assist in the training objectives by act­ing as insurgents.

“We have an excellent skill­set and a lot of experience,” said Master Sgt. Ryan Lamarr, 445th SFS NCO in charge of opera­tions. “It allowed us to augment the Marines and it helped both forces improve on our existing abilities. The training was set up efficiently and we were happy to take part.”

During integrated training sce­narios, Marines secured an area of operations, conducted secu­rity checks on vehicles and per­sonnel, and counteracted simu­lated threats such as improvised explosive devices and armed insurgents. They also practiced riot control techniques and pro­vided quick reaction force elements. SFS Airmen oper­ated as opposing forces, and their inclusion provided the Marines with new challenges against forces that were not familiar with their training procedures. This provided more unique experiences and feedback than if the training had been done solely within the Marine battalion.

“Having Airmen here adds complexity and provides fresh eyes to help observe our procedures,” said U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jason Moore, the 4th LEB Charlie Company senior NCO in charge of training. “Being able to utilize Airmen and hear their feedback has been an awesome opportunity.”

While the process of training with other branches of the mili­tary provides many benefits to training planners, it also provides diverse learning opportunities for those who participate. It gives military personnel the opportu­nity to practice their tactics and techniques with elements that will offer unexpected challenges to established procedures.

“Every branch trains a different way,” said U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Ricardo Lopez, a squad lead­er with the 4th Law Enforcement Battalion. “When we can bring the best of both worlds together like we did today, we become cohe­sive and can enhance our various training opportunities.”

The value of engaging with new perspectives is an important part of joint operations, and integrated training prepares military mem­bers to excel at their jobs.

“Two minds are always better than one,” said Lance Cpl. Nick Johnson, a fire team member with the 4th Law Enforcement Battal­ion. “We can take multiple aspects into account, and it gives us new perspectives on training and a better look at the big picture.”

While operating around the world, it is likely that many Air­men and Marines will interact with other branches as well as our allies. Integrated training at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base will pre­pare Marines and Airmen to tackle future mission challenges while giving them the opportunity to work together to achieve their training and operational ob­jectives.

“The training is taken seriously, and it is great be­cause both sides trade information,” said Senior Air­man Scott Araujo, a defender with the 445th SFS. “We learn from them, they learn from us, and in the end, we all benefit.”

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