GONAIVES, Haiti - Nevada National Guard Soldiers of the 485th Military Police (MP) Company participated in Haiti Task Force Kout Men 2010 at several engineering and medical training exercise sites here from June 10-26.
“Our mission is to provide security operations for the U.S. forces at the engineer construction, medical assistance and the New Horizons – Haiti encampment site,” said 1st Sgt. Steve T. Lawrence, the company’s first sergeant.
New Horizons provides real-world training experience for servicemembers of various branches.
“The same way the military police prepare for the mission here is going to be the same way they prepare for a mission in the battle field,” said Cpt. Bruce E. Billings, provost marshal of Task Force Kout Men. “The only difference is the threat level and the amount of ammo they carry.”
1st Lt. Robert F. Kolvet, a platoon leader with the 485th MP Company, feels the Soldiers can train for a mission, but not the environment or the culture. “Until you get on the ground and experience the reality you can’t understand the difference,” he said.
Billings believes this experience teaches the Soldiers interpersonal skills, how to deal with the host country police, the United Nations and the domestic population.
Spc. Carolina Dealba, a military police officer, feels that everyone has learned their roles and how to work with one another. “The company definitely understands out to function operationally,” she said.
This mission is also a learning experience for the company commander and first sergeant. “The Soldiers can see how their leadership functions and takes care of them,” said Billings.
Kolvet said the noncommissioned officers and young Soldiers are ready to deploy, because they have proven themselves in the way they operated during this mission.