55th MP Company trains for infantrylike tasks

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By Erik Slavin, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, June 12, 2006

Soon after, a 55th Military Police Company squad breached an outside wall and burst into the house, looking for two targets sought for their intelligence value. Unless the alternative couldn’t be avoided, they would be taken alive. Anyone threatening with a weapon — in this case, a couple of unlucky mannequins — faced the business ends of several M-4 rifles.

The exercise was part of the MP company’s weeklong training that focused on several duties they could expect to perform in combat zones, including security cordons and searches, escorts, convoy control and vehicle-borne bomb reaction.

The training reflects the military police’s transition in places such as Iraq from a role guided entirely by support and law enforcement duties to one where MPs also perform some of the same duties as infantry soldiers.

“We have a combat support role but, quite frankly, it’s straight-up combat in today’s environment,” said 2nd Lt. John Ianno.

One of the most intense moments for each soldier came during the home search, where each closed door could conceal a waiting gunman. Amid smoke and explosions outside, soldiers had to locate their intelligence targets and shoot the mannequins in close quarters without blocking each other.

The soldiers then loaded one “casualty” onto a stretcher and hustled others into Humvees when they arrived.

Evaluators focused on whether the squad leader maintained control, how well the soldiers searched all areas of the building and whether they maintained 360-degree security.

The 33 training soldiers had varying degrees of experience; some, like Pfc. Matthew Carroll, are at their first duty station. Carroll learned about such things as positioning his weapon and scanning a room properly.

“There are more techniques and it’s just a lot more in-depth than at Advanced Individual Training. It feels more realistic too,” he said.

Others, such as Sgt. Gabriel Lopez, had trained with the Special Reaction Team in Fort Hood, Texas. Lopez stresses little things with his team, such as positioning themselves during a building search, that could save lives.

“I would feel confident going inside a building with the guys I trained with,” Lopez said.