Independent Oversight Adversary Team Train at Marine Counter-Terrorism Facility

Using the same facility where combat ready Marines train prior to deployment for counter-terrorism missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Office of Independent Oversight's (SP-40) Composite Adversary Team (CAT) spent five grueling days and nights participating in offensive tactical exercises. The CAT used the Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) facility at the Marine Corps Base in Camp Pendleton, California as the location for its annual training. With the mission of utilizing the "combat town" to enhance sniper, demolition, room entry, and other combat skills, the 23 CAT members from 14 DOE sites learned offensive battle strategy from some of the military's best and brightest.

As the Department's sole performance based oversight organization, SP-40 provides oversight of safeguards and security, cyber security, emergency management, and environment, safety and health programs DOE-wide, including the NNSA. The Office of Security Evaluations (SP-41) conducts the safeguards and security portion of that oversight mission, heavily emphasizing performance tests. SP-41 uses the CAT as aggressors during performance testing of protective forces and physical security systems. To ensure the CAT represents a realistic threat during performance tests, SP-41 supplements the already impressive skills of the CAT members with advanced training in offensive planning, combat tactics, and security system breaching techniques.

Camp Pendleton's MOUT facility provided the CAT members with an environment similar to DOE sites. They were able to engage in close quarter blank fire, using smoke and other munitions. To complement the unique training facility, SP-41 assembled an elite cadre of trainers composed mostly of former Marines, Navy SEALs, and Army Green Berets. These former Special Operations personnel trained the CAT in the fast-moving, hard-hitting assault techniques they are required to use in their role as aggressors against DOE protective forces.

In response to real world events, Office of Independent Oversight has nearly doubled the size of the CAT with the purpose of more effectively evaluating DOE's ability to protect our national security assets. The skills and experience provided by the training will enhance SP-40's ongoing efforts to expand the use of force-on-force performance tests.