Guard unit connects with local law enforcement on the range
CAMP ROBERTS, Calif. – While a seasoned police officer is probably no stranger to weapons training, he or she may learn something new at the premier training site for the California Army National Guard.
Officers from the San Francisco California State University Police Department [CSU PD] got together with Soldiers from the 223rd Military Intelligence Battalion and Task Force Warrior at Camp Roberts, Calif., July 1, 2013, for a day of shooting and marksmanship lessons, building upon a relationship of good communication and cooperation between the two agencies.
“The [223rd] is right down the road from us,” said CSU PD Cpl. Chris Jones.”When we need help it’s good to know the Guard is there.”
The CSU PD officers brought a variety of rifles, service pistols, and weapons optics to the event along with over 4 thousand rounds of ammunition for seven shooters. At Camp Roberts they had a rare opportunity to shoot on a 500 meter open range.
“We’ve been grateful to these guys, we don’t get to shoot long distances like this often,” Jones said.
As part of the Defense Support of Civil Authorities [DSCA] program, this was the first weapons marksmanship event done by the 223rd in support of a local law enforcement agency, a project that has taken more than a year of planning and coordination.
“We made history today,” said Sgt. 1st Class David Ortiz, the range safety officer from the 223rd. “This is only the beginning. We plan to expand this out to other law enforcement agencies in Northern California.”
DSCA events such as this one help build rapport between the Guard and civilian agencies in preparation for real-life emergencies that require high levels of cooperation and trust. In recent months, the CSU PD and 223d have done a variety of training events, including crowd control and other skill sets that would be needed in the case of a natural disaster or emergency.
“This builds cohesion and a good incident command system,” Ortiz said. “It’s just a matter of time before there is some kind of emergency and we need mutual assistance.”
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