FOXBORO, Mass. – As soccer fans from around the world gather across North America for the FIFA World Cup, Massachusetts National Guard Soldiers are helping support public safety at one of the tournament’s host sites.
In Foxboro, more than 50 military police Soldiers from the Massachusetts National Guard are supporting local, state and federal law enforcement partners during World Cup events. Among them is Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Gallant, assigned to the 972nd Military Police Company, who said the mission has offered Soldiers a front-row view of the tournament’s international atmosphere.
“It's been a very good experience so far. We've had a wide variety of countries here. All of the fans, the spectators, have been very respectful. They all appreciate what we're doing here, and we've taken countless photos with them, which is very good for us,” Gallant said.
The Massachusetts Guard military police Soldiers are part of a larger security presence at the stadium, including police from Foxboro, Attleboro and other towns; Massachusetts State Police; and federal authorities, including the FBI.
“Foxboro PD's been awesome. They've given us the guidelines and the schedule, exactly which points they need manned. We assist with whatever state, local law enforcement and federal agencies that are here need. It's just a big family of law enforcement here, and we're all here to help each other out,” Gallant said.
Massachusetts Guardsmen aren’t just on the ground during games; they are in Foxboro around the clock during the World Cup.
For the military police, Soldiers are manning security points around the stadium 24 hours a day. On game days, military police Soldiers can be seen around the stadium before and after the game.
Military police Soldiers aren’t the only Massachusetts Guardsmen assisting with the World Cup in Foxboro. Members of the 1st Weapons of Mass Destruction, Civil Support Team, have also been on the ground in and around the stadium, assisting civil authorities.
The Civil Support Team provides support to local authorities for many planned events, such as professional football games and the Boston Marathon.
For these events, the Civil Support Team usually operates as a smaller Joint Hazard Assessment Team, where a few members partner with local agencies to fill capability gaps, conduct sweeps for hazardous materials, respond to suspicious packages and enable a full-scale response if something occurs. For an event of this size, the Civil Support Team provides additional manning, including members of Civil Support Teams from other states near Massachusetts.
Units in the Massachusetts National Guard support events in the Commonwealth every year, but the World Cup raised the bar for large-scale events.
“This is by far the biggest internationally ... this is a big mission for our unit, and we're proud to be the ones to be able to provide that extra security," Gallant said.