PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. -- On May 23, New Boston Space Force Station, New Hampshire hosted 13 local civilian police from two separate departments for Use of Force training that culminated in an active-shooter scenario.
The police departments involved in the training were from the towns of New Boston and Henniker, New Hampshire.
Paint-based simulated munitions, blanks and actors were brought in by the New Boston Police Department, with the purpose of increasing the realism of the exercise.
The police officers’ actions were evaluated by the Mission Assurance Force Protection (MAFP) team and the DoD Security & Emergency Management team at NBSFS. After each training event, police officers were provided immediate feedback by observing training officers.
“Though thoroughly trained to respond to situations requiring Use of Force, the officers in smaller departments aren’t routinely exposed to such dynamic scenarios,” said Jeff Oja, the Emergency Manager of NBSFS, 23rd Space Operations Squadron. “Realistic training provides opportunities to learn in a controlled environment, resulting in increased safety for both the officers and the public.”
In May 2022, local police successfully responded to an armed subject at NBSFS. The armed subject was fatally wounded and there were no injuries to officers, 23 SOPS security forces or bystanders. For instances like this, NBSFS leans on the local responders for support. May’s training is just the first of many training events planned by the collaborative MAFP team at NBSFS.
“This training capitalized on the concurrent jurisdiction NBSFS has with the local police department,” Oja said. “Blending military and civilian resources to achieve a common objective.”
Due to the smaller unit size of NBSFS, resources normally available to larger installations are not as accessible. Therefore, partnership and support agreements with local emergency responders, including police and fire departments, are essential to maintain operations and readiness.
This type of training helped to solidify the partnerships NBSFS has created and allows both agencies to use this training during real emergencies, as displayed by the May 2022 incident.