Monday, March 23, 2009

Community Policing and Kicking Doors





We’ve been working with the local check point and mentoring them on vehicle and personal searches. Slow going, but they’re getting it. In an effort to expand their roll as cops, we came up with a plan to move them into the local villages to interact more with the people.
We obtained a bunch of H.A. (humanitarian aid) and had the guy in charge, we call him the Commandant, but he doesn’t really have any rank, he’s just the most competent, contact the village elders and hand out the items. It’s the first big step in relationship building. See, they have to act more like the PO-PO and less like soldiers. It went well and they got into it. We were there, but just as observers. We still get looks like we’re from another planet, which I guess technically we are.

Reminds me of a story…………………fade to wavy mirage lines and we’re traveling back in time, yes it’s that time again 1980-1981, Journey, Loverboy, Scorpions, you remember, no? Damn kids, anyway. We were convoying from Ft. Bragg to Ft AP Hill, VA and I was in the lead vehicle. In the middle of this backwoods town in Northern N. Carolina and they have me get out by myself for traffic control. Basically, to make sure the rest of the convoy took the right turn, because there were no cars to control as far as traffic. But here I am, in the old woodland camouflage fatigues, carrying an M60 and standing on a corner. The townsfolk, (hillbillies) were looking at me like, well like I was from another planet. Strange.

Yesterday, we started going over building searches and room clearing with the ANP. The first run through was a little comical. They just kind of sauntered up and a couple just walked through the walls that we had marked on the ground. Sometimes one, sometimes two guys made the entry. Well, I jumped in and started showing them the things I used to know and you know,( WPD SWAT), it was right on track with the military way. By the end of the day, they were stacking up, tapping and entering CQB style. They were diggin it too and wanted more. It was the best mentoring day I’ve had so far.

More to come…

4 comments:

  1. Community Policing and Kicking Doors, I like that title for your blog. How you doing? Hope everything is well across the world. Bills v. Pats, first MNF game of the year, can't wait. And we have TO this year, should be interesting. Say hi to Pam and the kids. Stay safe Steve.

    Tim and Carla Higgins
    Buffalo NY

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  2. Hey Steve, you better keep your hat on or put some sunblock 9000 on that spot where your hair used to be...or you will really have the locals looking at you funny!
    Stay safe!

    RRocco

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  3. On that Convoy run to AP Hill a military jeep was hit by a civilian vehicle and soldiers were killed and others were seriously injured. I think of all those times that we cheated death ourselves and how lucky we are that we are still hear and how many deaths we have seen, stay low, stay safe my friend

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  4. You're right buddy. I completely forgot that one. I remember the two guys playing quick draw with .45's, one loaded and one guy lost. I remember the Yadkin Road accident which became the Yadkin Rd curse in which all but one of the six occupants of two vehicles ended up dying, but not that day and I remember the 5 guys that died in the Mojave desert during that jump in the high winds. Just some of the things I do remember from that very busy three years. I also remember shooting the hell out of that guys airplane at AP Hill, that was funny. Staying low and safe.

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