CAMP SHELBY, Miss. -- Tailoring training to meet the deployment mission of mobilized Reserve Component forces falls to members of the 2-410th Field Artillery Battalion, 177th Armored Brigade at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center. Recently, due to the drawdown in Iraq and Afghanistan, missions change after the mobilized arrives at Camp Shelby. These changes require First Army Division East brigades to quickly adapt and change training plans. And sometimes, leaders and trainers use all their creative ingenuity to make the training fit the mission.
"Sometimes training is easy, it involves the things we do every day here at Camp Shelby," said Lt. Col. Nicholas Joslin, the commander of the 2-410th FA Bn. "Then there are times we have to start looking outside the box for training opportunities."
That out-of-the box thinking served Joslin's trainers well when C Company, 27th Brigade Support Troops Battalion, N.Y. National Guard, experienced a mission change after their arrived at Camp Shelby.
The BSTB's mission changed from (fill in the old mission) to providing security at the Kingdom of Bahrain's airport. This was a new mission for the Camp Shelby trainers and with no airport training facility on the installation; they quickly started exploring options outside the installation.
Luckily for them, the Hattiesburg Regional Airport was not only close, the airport director, a former Soldier, loved the idea of being able to help Soldiers prepare for their deployment mission. The unit quickly contacted the airport director for help.
"It made sense," said Sgt. 1st Class Robert Wilson, a trainer/mentor with B Company, 2-410th FA. "We could not build a civilian airport on Camp Shelby, bring in qualified and trained people to demonstrate the correct security procedures in addition to the civilians necessary to act as passengers."
"I contacted Tom Heanue, the airport director, and he whole heartedly agreed to the four-day training mission," said Wilson.
Throughout the training, Soldiers conducted patrols, as well as receive valuable training from the airport security personnel on proper procedures for providing airport security. Soldiers interacted with community members and passengers and observed at the airport security conducted procedures including inspecting bags, responding to suspicious items and other normal security operations.
"It's about being in an environment they're not used to," said Deputy Division Commander of Operations Brig. Gen. Steven Huber in an interview with the Hattiesburg American. "The most challenging thing with a mission like this is having to deal with the public."
"Dealing with the public is something that cannot be replicated on Camp Shelby," said Wilson. "We can accomplish the classroom training that is required, but how do you build an airport and have civilians travel through it?"
"Having a trainer --civilian or otherwise -- who has dealt with everything you are being asked to do, really makes the training worthwhile," said Joslin
"The training at the airport was outstanding," said Lt. Matthew Carpenter the platoon leader C Company, 27th Brigade Special Troops Battalion from Buffalo, N.Y. "It gave me a great insight into the mission and an opportunity to know my Soldiers strengths."
Joslin expressed how blessed he felt his unit was to have such great support from the community in Mississippi and how greatful he was that they were willing to lend a hand in their training.
"Many of these folks really appreciate the military and what we do," said Joslin. "So this is a great opportunity for us to make a connection with our community."
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