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Blackanthem Military News
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Last Updated:
Feb 9, 2012 - 5:06:14 PM |
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Blackanthem Military News
FORT POLK, La. - Taking and processing detainees may seem like a thankless and unglamorous job to many, but to those involved in establishing and teaching detainee operating procedures, nothing could be further from the truth. Just ask Capt. Adam C. Stocking.
The training at the Joint Readiness Training Center here "ensures the bad guys stay put away," said Stocking, a member of Operations Group, JRTC, Task Force 4. Stocking served as a detainee operations instructor to members of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team during training on July 29.
Instruction in detainee operations is something the Army emphasizes heavily, regardless of a Soldier's job or specialty. That emphasis from higher authority means the JRTC will continue to stress the importance of detainee operations, especially at the initial point of contact between Soldiers and suspicious persons, said Stocking.
For the Paratroopers assigned to the 3rd BCT that have descended upon JRTC for extensive training prior to overseas deployment, the training is timely, especially with recent philosophical changes in how detainee operations should be conducted.
"Emphasis in training and actual experience is going from running a detention facility to the point of capture of detainees," said Stocking.
All Paratroopers need to know what to do with suspicious personnel they detain. Evidence collected or not collected along with the manner in which detainees are treated and processed are crucial in the ability to successfully prosecute detainees, said Stocking. Consequently, instruction at JRTC stresses the steps of detaining personnel, processing evidence and accurately completing the necessary paperwork before transporting or transferring a detainee to a holding facility.
Soldiers are taught that detainees are to be treated humanely at all times and that attention to detail on the scene is vital, said Stocking.
Additionally, Paratroopers are also made aware of the importance of properly filling out forms that clearly detail the location, time and people involved. Lives and criminal prosecutions of detainees can be compromised without such attention to detail, said Stocking.
The importance of the class wasn't lost on Paratroopers assigned to the 3rd BCT.
"What I got here today was what I picked up in Iraq," said Staff Sgt. Dewey D. Morris, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
A paralegal by trade, Morris was deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom from August 2006 to October 2007. Proving that the likelihood of detainee operations duty is real for many Paratroopers, regardless of military specialty, Morris experienced frequent detainee operations up close and personal.
"This class touched base on a lot of the things that were successful for us," said Morris. "The only experience in detainee operations I had previously was a JRTC class at Polk before my last deployment," he said.
The many lectures and exercises on detainee operations have tremendous value for those about to deploy overseas, and Stocking enjoys speaking on the subject with as many Soldiers as he can during the course of each JRTC. Consider Morris a true believer now.
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