FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. -- Surrounded by silence, members of the Fort Campbell Special Reaction Team move quietly and quickly through the Soldier Readiness Center with weapons ready.
Focused on neutralizing the hostage situation taking place in the west end of the building, they clear each room. The only noise is the firm command of the team leader issuing the order "halt … move" as they make their way down the hall toward the subject and hostage.
The purpose of their mission is to diffuse the situation and rescue the hostage.
This is only one scenario the 12-man team trains for daily. As part of the 163rd Military Police Detachment, 716th Military Police Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, team members are made up of several Fort Campbell lead police officers and military police.
"The team is comprised of both military and civilian police officers whose No. 1 goal is the peaceful resolution of any life-threatening situation, with the priority of saving/protecting the lives of innocent bystanders, victims to include hostages, and the subject," said Thomas Keys, SRT team leader.
The training is rigorous and thorough, and resembles a civilian police department's Special Weapons and Tactics team.
"Team members undergo rigorous training to make them physically skilled as well as prepare them psychologically for the rigors of their duties," said Keys. "The training that SRT receives also molds the individual members into educated instructors, giving the Fort Campbell Military Police Department a great resource for law enforcement training due to the teams' expertise and abilities."
The SRTs mission is specialized policing, which includes hostage rescue, antiterrorism, high-risk warrant service and anything that falls outside the capabilities of regular patrols, said Sgt. Steven J. Beard, SRT noncommissioned officer-in-charge.
As a multi-functional unit, the SRT also partners with the traffic section to patrol the installation's roadways. They perform counter sniper operations, provide roving patrols in the back 40 and act as undercover police for all special events held on the installation.
"SRT is used for many purposes," Keys said. "The team is employed in securing special events, providing security for visiting dignitaries, and subduing individuals who may be a threat to the community's safety. This may be in either an urban or rural setting, which includes barricaded or hostage situations."
SRT Selection
To be selected for the SRT, military police must first go through a demanding recruitment and selection process.
"With the recruitment process we look at road performance, we look at [physical fitness] scores, we look at marksmanship scores and we look at the ability to retain [information]," Beard said.
Once recruited, the selection phase begins with a more thorough examination of the recruit's skills.
"Within the selection phase you are tested on your physical endurance, your marksmanship, how you react under pressure," Beard said. "We also make sure there are no personality conflicts with the team."
The SRT is tasked with making judgment calls that are often made under the pressure of time and circumstances during situations that range from high to unknown risk; with most falling somewhere in-between, but all having the potential to be hazardous, Keys said.
With such a tight-knit team and the SRTs special mission, being able to read each other and knowing each other well is very important, Beard said.
"We spend a lot of time together," he said. "We train together, we get together with our Families. This is like an extended Family."
If a recruit makes it through selection, he or she must appear in front of a selection board, which is similar to a promotion board with scenario-based questions. If a recruit is chosen by the Fort Campbell police leadership to become a member of the SRT, they must complete a 90-day probation period.
SRT after probation
Since 2012, Spc. Justin Hawkins has fulfilled his duties to the Army as a military police Soldier.
Three months ago he was recruited and selected for the Special Reaction Team, and is now training as the team's marksman observer.
While every SRT member has to complete the marksman observer course, Hawkins has demonstrated abilities that will make him a great marksman. Taking his team's mission seriously, Hawkins knows his skills and those of his team members could be called upon at any time.
"[The installation] need[s] a team like us -- highly-trained -- to go and get someone highly-trained out," Hawkins said. "They need us for the high-risk [situations]."
SRT is trained specifically to deal with these situations and every training event plays a big part in accomplishing the mission, Hawkins said.
"We can trust each other to do the right thing," he said. "We can go into a building right now and [diffuse a situation] if we have to. It's just knowing that somebody is there and always has our backs."
Having a specialized team trained and prepared to react at any given moment helps protect Soldiers, Family members, retirees and civilians on the installation because it strengthens the installation's ability to fight and stop crime as quickly and safely as possible, Keys said.
Editor's note: This is the final article in a series on military police operations.
Related Links:
101st Airborne Division on Twitter
Fort Campbell Courier on Twitter
101st Airborne Division on Facebook
Social Sharing