MEDIA INVITE

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony - Regional Training Institute

October 12, 2012 at 2:00 P.M., Bangor, ME

The Maine Army National Guard constructed a new regional training facility to meet the challenges of the modern Soldier. This premiere facility provides state of the art training opportunities to members of the armed forces throughout the region.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Captain Shanon W. Cotta
Public Affairs Officer Maine National Guard
(207) 626-4390

The Regional Training Institute (RTI) will conduct a formal ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, October 12, 2012 at 2:00 p.m., to open the Maine Army National Guard's newest facility. The ceremony will take place at the 240th Regional Training Facility, 289 Hildreth Street, Bangor.

Lt. Col. Dwaine Drummond, the Director of Facilities Engineering stated, "The Regional Training Institute provides our Soldiers with a state of the art training facility to develop a wide range of military skills. The facility has the capability of supporting students not just from Maine but the entire nation. In addition, the generation of over $ 31 million dollars into the local economy came at a time when both jobs and revenues from Department of Defense projects were extremely competitive."

The event is intended to recognize those individuals and organizations that were instrumental in the construction of the new Regional Training Institute project, showcasing the features of the facility and to formally accept the complex.

Presentations and recognitions will be conducted in the Regional Training Institute auditorium. Brigadier General James Campbell, the Adjutant General of the Maine National Guard will be involved in the ceremonial ribbon cutting at the main entrance to the facility.

After the conclusion of the ceremony, the media will be offered a guided tour of the state of the art facility.

This event is open to the public and all media is welcome. If you have any questions, please contact Lt. Col. Brian Veneziano at brian.venziano@us.army.mil or 207-344-9951.

Division West Trains Maine Army National Guard Military Police

By Sgt. Jonathan Monfiletto, 138th Public Affairs Detachment, New York Army National Guard

Soldiers of the Maine Army National Guard's 488th Military Police Company serving as a quick reaction force prepare to respond to a disturbance in a simulated detainee facility during their post-mobilization training with Division West's 5th Armored Brigade at Camp McGregor, N.M., last month. The Maine Soldiers will deploy to Afghanistan in a few weeks. (Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Gail Braymen, Division West Public Affairs)

Staff Sgt. Johan Pae, right, an observer controller/trainer with Division West's 5th Armored Brigade, talks with Soldiers of the Maine Army National Guard's 488th Military Police Company at the detainee operations training facility at Camp McGregor, N.M., last month. As part of the training to support a detainee facility in Afghanistan, 5th Armored Brigade trainers taught the Maine Soldiers to operate an entry control point and search vehicles and people. (Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Gail Braymen, Division West Public Affairs)

Pfc. Ian Haywood of Waterville, Me., a member of the Maine Army National Guard's 488th Military Police Company, searches a man coming through an entry control point at the detainee operations training facility at Camp McGregor, N.M., last month. The Maine unit, also from Waterville, Me., is training with Division West's 5th Armored Brigade for its deployment to Afghanistan. (Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Gail Braymen, Division West Public Affairs)

CAMP McGREGOR, N.M. – The 488th Military Police Company of the Maine Army National Guard is here training with Division West's 5th Armored Brigade for its first deployment in the unit's current form, as Soldiers prepare to head to Afghanistan.

Sgt. 1st Class Derek Wilcox, the unit's guard force commander, said this will be the first time the company has been shipped out since it began flying its own flag about four years ago.

The 488th was previously part of the Maine Army National Guard's 169th Military Police Company, Wilcox said. The 169th last deployed about five years ago.

"It's exciting," said Wilcox of the unit's first tour of duty. "The unit has a really good mix of experience and young, new Soldiers. It's nice to see the level of mentorship going on."

One of those young, new Soldiers is Spc. Clay Landry, who said the tour of duty in Afghanistan will be his first deployment.

"I'm excited," Landry said. "I can't wait."

The unit will support detainee operations in Afghanistan, Wilcox said. "It could be anything in support of the facility."

During their deployment, Wilcox said, it will be his role as guard force commander to conduct daily briefings on the safety, rules and intelligence at the facility, while conducting hourly checks to ensure the safety of both the Soldiers and the detainees.

While the company is at Camp McGregor for the next several weeks, Wilcox said, the Soldiers are scheduled to train in detainee operations, entry control points, force protection and fundamentals of patrolling, as well as weapons.

The unit's preparation for the deployment began three months ago, though, Wilcox said, when the Soldiers spent about six weeks practicing basic warrior tasks and battle drills at their home station in Maine.

"I think it's a good refresher," Wilcox said of the unit's training, both at home and in New Mexico, which includes hands-on training the Soldiers do not typically get. "It's good to get this refresher training."

Landry agreed that the training is good, noting he and his fellow Soldiers get to switch roles during each exercise so they know as much as possible about their mission.

For example, Landry pointed out, Soldiers performing a detainee operations exercise take turns acting as detainees and guards in a mock detention facility, while others work on the facility's quick reaction force.

"How the Army does it, I think it's great," Landry said.

Besides the company's military training, individual Soldiers also have experience of their own from previous deployments, as well as their civilian jobs.

"There are a good number of civilian law enforcement and civilian corrections officers," Wilcox said. "Being an MP unit, people who do that in the civilian world are drawn to the unit. It brings an added level of experience to the unit."

For more information contact:
First Army Division West Public Affairs
First Army Division West
(254) 553-5003
(254) 630-4944
Fort Hood, TX 76544
jay.r.adams3.civ@mail.mil