JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
Members of the 902nd and 802nd Security Forces Squadrons took part in a joint training exercise with local police departments Feb. 19, 2015 at the Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Camp Talon Fire Training Ground to learn bus assault and hostage rescue techniques.
The local agencies involved in the exercise were from the cities of Live, Oak Universal City and Converse and the Judson Independent School District Police Departments. Security Forces and local police departments trained together to prepare for emergencies that require both military and civilian response efforts.The aim of the exercise was to help foster interdepartmental familiarization and train to save lives.
"We will be able to integrate and work together because we have been training together," Tech Sgt. William Graham, 902nd SFS alpha flight chief, said. "Everything boils down to your training. There is a saying, 'You don't rise to the occasion, you fall back on your training.' That's what we are doing here today; working so we have our training to fall back on."
The type of incident security forces and police officers were training for is called a special threat situation that requires skills and training the average patrolman is not equipped to handle.
"At any time a situation like this could occur and we would have to activate this type of team and they would have to have the knowledge on how to handle this type of situation," Tech. Sgt. Ruben Morales, 902nd SFS patrolman, said. "This type of training keeps everyone on the same page, and by making sure everyone has the same training, we can all come together with the same knowledge that can be applied to any situation."