An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir September 2019 www.dfmagazine.ie 14 | BY LT COLIN MCNAMARA, PL COMD, PROVOST PLATOON, MP GP, DFTC PHOTOS BY CPL AARON PHELAN, INV PLN, MP GP, DFTC A n international military police, Exercise 'Angel Guard- ian', is held every year in Spain. In June 2019 the Defence Forces MP Corps sent 12 personnel to the exercise, where they participated alongside MP personnel from 15 other nations. Exercise sites were located in the Bétera and Marines military base in Valencia. The exercise aims to train and educate participants to meet the challenges of current and future multidimensional crisis response and peace operations, while also harmonising and practicing MP units' tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) in accordance with NATO and national MP doctrine. The objectives of the exercise are: train and exercise MP units on NATO and national TTPs in a crisis response scenario, including deployments in an allied host nation; update knowledge of NATO and national MP TTPs; exercise the MP operations plan- ning process and preparation at platoon level; promote the strengthening of ties among MP units of NATO and Partner- ship for Peace (PfP) countries. Prior to deployment, the 12 DF MPs assembled in the MP School, DFTC, for a one-week upskilling and refresher training programme, which covered: checkpoints; chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) operations; use of batons and restraints; tactical combat casualty care; counter-improvised explosive devices (C- IED); unarmed combat; weapons training; and close protection drills. After arriving to the exercise area, we had a day to prepare before the five-day, battalion-level exer- cise kicked off. The exercise sce- narios were realistic, well planned and pro- fessionally conducted. I was appointed platoon commander of 3 Pl, C Coy, which comprised a section of Irish MPs along with two sections of Spanish Foreign Legion MPs. Some of the sce- narios we took part in involved: a displace- ment camp; CIED and WIT; close protection; responding to a lone shooter; MP Bn HQ; Checkpoints and RTC investigation; and building clearance. Each evening at 2200hrs we were given the scenarios we would face the following day, and for the next two-and-a-half hours the planning process took place, with the help of lan- guage assistants. An oral presentation of the plan was then given to exercise control in an orders session. Concurrently the platoon was conducting dry drills for the following day's sce- narios. When exercise control was satisfied with all plans for the following day, orders could then be delivered to the platoons. We had five hours to complete each scenario. Some involved a direct action, like the lone-shooter and building-clearance sce- Lt Colin McNamara being presented with the insignia of the Spanish Legion Military Police after NATO Exercise Angel Guardian. Pictured manning the Battalion Military Police HQ are L/R: Lt C. McNamara, MP Gp, DFTC, Cpl G. Buckley, 2 Bde MP Coy and A/Sgt M. O'Shea, 1 Bde MP Coy

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