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Staff Sgt. Kenneth Chew, a military police Soldier assigned to Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force 28, updates a tracking board during a joint force protection exercise in Kosovo on Jan. 23, 2021. A mock/notional vehicle-born improvised explosive device was detected at the main gate, initiating a cooperative process between military police, security contractors, medical and fire department personnel, and the explosive ordnance disposal team to secure the area and eliminate the threat. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Tawny Schmit)
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Baylee Uscier, a U.S. military police investigator assigned to Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force 28, responds to a joint force protection exercise at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, on Jan. 23, 2021. A mock vehicle-borne improvised explosive device was detected at the main gate, initiating a cooperative process between military police, security contractors, medical and fire department personnel, and the explosive ordnance disposal team to secure the area and eliminate the threat. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Tawny Schmit)
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2nd Lt. Allison Vierps, military police officer in charge of Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force 28, coordinates with security contractors during a joint force protection exercise at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, on Jan. 23, 2021. A mock vehicle-borne improvised explosive device was detected at the main gate, initiating a cooperative process between military police, security contractors, medical and fire department personnel, and the explosive ordnance disposal team to secure the area and eliminate the threat. Vierps, a Maryland Army National Guard Soldier, worked with the contractors to secure the gate area and maintain communication throughout the exercise. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Tawny Schmit)
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Sgt. 1st Class Michael Raines, provost sergeant for Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force 28, responds to a joint force protection exercise at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, on Jan. 23, 2021. A mock/notional vehicle-born improvised explosive device was detected at the main gate, initiating a cooperative process between military police, security contractors, medical and fire department personnel, and the explosive ordnance disposal team to secure the area and eliminate the threat. Raines, a Maryland Army National Guard Soldier, observed the exercise to help ensure all response procedures were executed efficiently. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Tawny Schmit)
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A Maryland Army National Guard military police Soldier assigned to Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force 28, stages at a traffic control point during a joint force protection exercise at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, on Jan. 23, 2021. A mock vehicle-borne improvised explosive device was detected at the main gate, initiating a cooperative process between military police, security contractors, medical and fire department personnel, and the explosive ordnance disposal team to secure the area and eliminate the threat. Patrol vehicles were staged at various checkpoints to prevent traffic from entering the area. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Tawny Schmit)
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2nd Lt. Allison Vierps, the military police officer in charge of Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force 28, sets up a staging area during a joint force protection exercise at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, on Jan. 23, 2021. A mock vehicle-borne improvised explosive device was detected at the main gate, initiating a cooperative process between military police, security contractors, medical and fire department personnel, and the explosive ordnance disposal team to secure the area and eliminate the threat. Vierps, a Maryland Army National Guard Soldier, used a board to keep track of personnel and the progress of the exercise. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Tawny Schmit)
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2nd Lt. Allison Vierps, the military police officer in charge of Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force 28, annotates the incident type on a board during a joint force protection exercise at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, on Jan. 23, 2021. A mock vehicle-borne improvised explosive device was detected at the main gate, initiating a cooperative process between military police, security contractors, medical and fire department personnel, and the explosive ordnance disposal team to secure the area and eliminate the threat. Vierps, a Maryland Army National Guard Soldier, used a board to keep track of personnel and the progress of the exercise. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Tawny Schmit)
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2nd Lt. Allison Vierps, military police officer in charge, and Sgt. 1st Class Michael Raines, provost sergeant, both assigned to Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force 28, discuss Soldier performance during a joint force protection exercise in Kosovo on Jan. 23, 2021. A mock vehicle-born improvised explosive device was detected at the main gate, initiating a cooperative process between military police, security contractors, medical and fire department personnel, and the explosive ordnance disposal team to secure the area and eliminate the threat. Vierps and Raines assessed the effectiveness of the combined efforts to keep service members and civilians on base safe. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Tawny Schmit)
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2nd Lt. Allison Vierps, the military police officer in charge of Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force 28, puts on her protective vest while responding to a call during a joint force protection exercise at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, on Jan. 23, 2021. A mock vehicle-borne improvised explosive device was detected at the main gate, initiating a cooperative process between military police, security contractors, medical and fire department personnel, and the explosive ordnance disposal team to secure the area and eliminate the threat. Vierps, a Maryland Army National Guard Soldier, started planning the exercise in December 2020 so her team could familiarize themselves with procedures that would be used in a real-world emergency. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Tawny Schmit)
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Sgt. Erik Jones, an evacuation platoon sergeant for Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force 28, guides a field ambulance for staging during a joint force protection exercise in Kosovo on Jan. 23, 2021. A mock vehicle-born improvised explosive device was detected at the main gate, initiating a cooperative process between military police, security contractors, medical and fire department personnel, and the explosive ordnance disposal team to secure the area and eliminate the threat. Combat medic specialists assigned to the 566th Medical Company (Area Support) based out of Fort Hood, Texas, were on standby near the gate to provide medical care if necessary. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Tawny Schmit)
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U.S. Army explosive ordnance disposal Soldiers, deployed to Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force 28, direct a TalonIIIB multi-mission robotic system during a joint force protection exercise at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, on Jan. 23, 2021. A mock/notional vehicle-borne IED was detected at the main gate, initiating a cooperative process between military police, security contractors, medical and fire department personnel, and the explosive ordnance disposal team to secure the area and eliminate the threat. The robot was used to scout the vehicle and ensure it was safe for memberes of the 702nd Ordnance Company, Grafenwoehr, Germany, to approach. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Jonathan Perdelwitz)
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Sgt. 1st Class Michael Raines, provost sergeant for Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force 28, checks on his response team during a joint force protection exercise at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, on Jan. 23, 2021. A mock vehicle-born improvised explosive device was detected at the main gate, initiating a cooperative process between military police, security contractors, medical and fire department personnel, and the explosive ordnance disposal team to secure the area and eliminate the threat. Raines, a Maryland Army National Guard Soldier, observed the exercise to help ensure all response procedures were executed efficiently. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Tawny Schmit)
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Sgt. 1st Class Michael Raines, provost sergeant for Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force 28, surveys the main gate during a joint force protection exercise at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, on Jan. 23, 2021. A mock vehicle-born improvised explosive device was detected at the main gate, initiating a cooperative process between military police, security contractors, medical and fire department personnel, and the explosive ordnance disposal team to secure the area and eliminate the threat. Raines, a Maryland Army National Guard Soldier, observed the exercise to help ensure all response procedures were executed efficiently. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Tawny Schmit)
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U.S. Army Spc. Tevin Walker, an evacuation medic for Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force 28, stages a field ambulance during a joint force protection exercise in Kosovo on Jan. 23, 2021. A mock vehicle-born improvised explosive device was detected at the main gate, initiating a cooperative process between military police, security contractors, medical and fire department personnel, and the explosive ordnance disposal team to secure the area and eliminate the threat. Combat medic specialists assigned to the 566th Medical Company (Area Support) based out of Fort Hood, Texas, were on standby near the gate to provide medical care if necessary. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Tawny Schmit)
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Baylee Uscier, a U.S. military police investigator assigned to Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force 28, responds to a joint force protection exercise at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, on Jan. 23, 2021. A mock vehicle-borne improvised explosive device was detected at the main gate, initiating a cooperative process between military police, security contractors, medical and fire department personnel, and the explosive ordnance disposal team to secure the area and eliminate the threat. Uscier worked with the EOD team to question the suspect. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Tawny Schmit)
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U.S. Army Spc. Ivan Slawsky, a military working dog handler deployed to Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force 28, uses a military working dog to sniff out an improvised explosive device during a joint force protection exercise at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, on Jan. 23, 2021. A mock vehicle-borne IED was detected at the main gate, initiating a cooperative process between military police, security contractors, medical and fire department personnel, and the explosive ordnance disposal team to secure the area and eliminate the threat. The military working dog quickly found the IED and alerted his handler of its presence. Slawsky is assigned to the 100th Military Police Detachment based out of Stuttgart, Germany. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Jonathan Perdelwitz)
(Photo Credit: Sgt. Jonathan Perdelwitz)VIEW ORIGINAL
CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo – U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force 28, conducted a joint force protection exercise at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, on Jan. 23, 2021. While conducting a routine search at the main gate, a military working dog detected a mock vehicle-borne improvised explosive device and alerted its handler.
Two role players in the vehicle were apprehended by security contractors and the gate was shut down. This initiated a cooperative process involving military police, security personnel, an explosive ordnance team, medical first responders and the fire department to secure the area and eliminate the IED threat.
2nd Lt. Allison Vierps, officer in charge of the military police force on Camp Bondsteel, began planning the exercise in December.
“The main goal of this exercise was to see how the different units work together,” said Vierps, a Maryland Army National Guard Soldier. “My MPs have never worked with contract security or EOD personnel before.”
As the EOD team worked to disable the IED and a military investigator helped question the suspects, Vierps and her Soldiers facilitated communication between the teams and provided area security.
Vierps said her Soldiers responded exactly how they were supposed to, even without a complete set of instructions. They staged patrol cars and security personnel on the roads to prevent vehicles from reaching the gate before it was cleared.
“I didn’t give them all of the information because I wanted to test them,” said Vierps, “but they’re doing their job correctly. It’s good to see it happened how I imagined it would happen without any major points of conflict.”
While the exercise offered a way to test the capabilities and interoperability of units on Camp Bondsteel, Vierps said it also reinforced the effectiveness of existing KFOR procedures to keep service members and civilians safe on base.
“The exercise had good training value, and we don’t need to make any major changes to the plans KFOR has put in place,” said Vierps.
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