Military and police team up to train handling protesters
Military and police team up to train handling protesters
Some of the soldiers meeting today’s tough military standards put their skills to the test this morning at Fort Lee.
It’s part of a three day long anti-terrorism drill.
The Army post staged a fake protest to show how well soldiers and Fort Lee Police are equipped handle the situation.
As the protestors make their way towards the fence that separates Fort Lee from the rest of the world, Police and soldiers gear up for a possible confrontation.
That’s exactly what Colonel Mike Morrow, Fort Lee’s Garrison Commander expects. “We train our solders as realistically as we can, to protect for us as a garrison, other soldiers and families on the post”.
As the chants grow louder and the protesters get angrier, the scenario changes from training exercise to being real life in just a matter of seconds
Fort Lee Chief of Police Joe Metzger wound up right in the middle as the protesters made there way to the fence. “Yea you forget because you’re thinking in your mind how you’re going to interact with these people. How you’re going to keep things calm, how are you going to get the questions answered” says Metzger.
Specialist Nick Hulsey was one of the soldiers participating “The demonstrators, they had rounded up, they were all acting, but they did an excellent job, they looked like they were seriously agitated at something”.
It takes weeks to plan out an anti-terrorism training exercise that combines the civilian base police with active duty soldiers.
Chief Metzger says in times of emergency’s everyone has to work together “We forget one’s wearing blue, one’s wearing a uniform. We all come together for the same cause”.
While the protesters are all volunteers, when they leave the training is far from over.
The exercise will last three days with Soldiers and Fort Lee Police going over all aspects of protecting of the military installation whether its protesters or terrorists.
Private Tiffany Saunders was another solider who participated “I learned over here we also have missions back in the U-S to protect our families and friends and this is a part of doing so”.
Aren’t the military more or less forbid from performing domestic policing? With the growing unrest due to the government induced economic crisis and the rumors of FEMA camps and increased militarization of police forces these stories are not welcomed.
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