The main goal of the ITP exercise was to reinforce and strengthen the ties between the U.S. military stationed in Korea and their South Korean counterparts. A secondary goal of the ITP exercise was to educate the 200th Military Police Command leadership who participated in UFG for detainee operations on specific operational concerns in the Korea theater of operation. The exercise focused on the reception, processing, and transfer of potential Enemy Prisoner of War (EPWs) from U.S. forces custody to the South Korean Army.
Capt. John Burch, 557th MP Co. Commander, said he is extremely confident following the exercise because it allowed his Soldiers to identify potential problems between the U.S. and South Korea documentation process.
The process is used to effectively and efficiently transfer EPWs from U.S. control to South Korean personnel. This training event will not only streamline the transfer process, but will establish the standards upon which future training of this nature will be conducted and measured.
"When Soldiers and leaders understand what resources and programs the ICRC can offer, it will assist the U.S. and "South Korean" armies in their care and custody," said Andres Fruesi, from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Fruesi was an invited guest of the 94th and educated the Soldiers of the 557th on the ICRC's main purpose. The ICRC's mission is to ensure prisoner and detainee populations are in compliance with the Geneva Convention.
The 94th MP BN also conducted an Officer Professional Development (OPD) which provided an open forum to discuss lessons learned in detainee operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Guantanamo Bay and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Lt. Col. Noel Smart, 94th MP BN Commander said, "In order to prepare our Soldiers and leaders in the Korean area of operations, we must apply the lessons learned from current engagements."
The OPD consisted of a tour of the United States Army Corrections Activity -- South Korean confinement facility which is the only one on peninsula. During the OPD, Soldiers also discussed the importance of standard operating procedures and the use of battle drills to effectively train and standardize responses to situations in detainee and prisoner operations.
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