Lt. Col. Quentin Crank, commander of Task Force Outlaw, 5th Armored Brigade, sprays Capt. Richard Karcher, commander of D Company, 1st Battalion, 114th Infantry, 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, with pepper spray during a training exercise. Photo by Maj. Deanna Bague.
50th IBCT trains for detainee ops
Maj. Deanna Bague, Fort Bliss Public Affairs
McGREGOR RANGE, N.M. – Soldiers from the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team swung their batons full force, yelling, “Irga, irga (get back)!” as they fought back coughing, burning, sweat and tears after intentionally being sprayed directly in the face with oleoresin capsicum, commonly known as pepper spray.
Soldiers were briefed on the OC spray portion of detainee operations training before the actual engagement Thursday, but one can only imagine their reaction when the OC hits their face, said Spc. Marc Louden, D Company, 1st Battalion, 114th Infantry.
“It’s an experience,” said Louden. “Once you get over it you have a story to tell, I guess.”
Louden said he was energized by the effects he felt from the OC as he negotiated the stations where he had to defend himself against simulated strikes.
“It smelled horrible, it tasted horrible,” said Louden. “I feel I know how to control it better now if it were to ever happen to me again.”
Soldiers said the OC phase is important because even though they may never use the spray while performing their mission in theater, it is better to be prepared just in case an incident occurs.
“It’s a good thing, in case of riots like we were just training,” said Pvt. Brandon Martin, D Co., 1-114th Inf. “If we have to spray OC into the crowd, the mist (and) the vapors can still affect you. You’ve got to be able to control the detainees while you can barely see, or breathe or whatever the case is.”
“I absolutely believe this is essential training,” said Sgt. Shane Land, a medic with B Co., 1-114th Inf. “Even if you’re out somewhere and somebody has some pepper spray or something that they bought on the economy … you need to know how it feels in order to be able to react.
“Especially in a detainee operation, you need to know how that stuff is going to affect you because you have to know that you’re going to be able to fight your way through it, defend yourself and possibly save yourself and someone else’s life in the process,” added Land.
Staff Sgt. Shane Kittle, observer controller/trainer for Task Force Outlaw, 5th Armored Brigade, incites Soldiers from the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team during a riot control exercise. Photo by Maj. Deanna Bague.
The OC scenario is the most challenging part of detainee operations training, said Lt. Col. Quentin Crank, commander of Task Force Outlaw, 5th Armored Brigade. Task Force Outlaw prepares Soldiers for those missions by replicating the conditions they will see when they hit ground, said Crank.
“We give (Soldiers) everything from the weather, to the sand, to the heat, but more so, all the skill sets needed to perform their mission when they get into theater,” he said.
Soldiers are trained to the most current standards, said Crank. Through constant dialogue and “reach back” to theater, troops receive every aspect of training – tactics, techniques, procedures, rules of engagement, and do’s and don’ts. Detainee operations is a very important mission with a strategic value, he said.
“From what I can see, this continues to be the premier training unit for detention operations,” said Maj. Gen. Ronald A. Chastain, deputy commander, Army National Guard, U.S. Forces Command.
Chastain, who was visiting the 50th IBCT, said he saw the 45th IBCT train at Task Force Outlaw before their deployment to Iraq, and observed how the training has already changed to accommodate the conditions in theater.
“The training continues to expand based on changes in theater, and the Soldiers get the most up-to-date training,” said Chastain.
Feeling the effects of pepper spray, a Soldier from D Co., 1-114th Inf., yells out an Iraqi command as he practices baton strikes on an observer controller/trainer. Photo by Maj. Deanna Bague.
Crank said detainee operations training exposes Soldiers to different situations within the compounds, ranging from cultural differences, religious practices, everyday routines and exchange of information.
“We’re there to win the hearts and minds of the people,” said Crank.