The Mission At Hand: Training military police in Ukraine ‘enriching’
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/11/2016 (3434 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
By Lt. Julia Crombach, 17 Wing Winnipeg Military Police Officer and Joint Task Force — Ukraine Military Police Instructor
In late August, with summer still in the air, our team of eight soldiers from various parts of Canada met in Toronto for our departure to Ukraine, where we would be tasked with training a Field Military Police Platoon. For many of us, it was the first trip of this kind.
Our team — made up of five military police (MP) members and three other military personnel — deployed to conduct Canadian-led military training and exercises aimed at preparing the platoon for its future missions with other allied partners. This platoon arrived at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre in Starychi, Ukraine, on Sept. 5 to work with our team for the following three weeks. Given that this was the first training package of its kind to be offered to the Ukrainian Military Law and Order Service (MLOS), it was something different and unique for both sides.
A nine-hour plane ride brought us to this beautiful country. With our bags and equipment in hand, we had officially started our adventure.
The MLOS and Canadian groups quickly gelled and swiftly became a unified team. We worked tirelessly, both in camp conducting lectures and in the forests of the training area for practical scenarios. The weather was mostly in our favour and we spent many days outside in the sunshine, enjoying the late summer weather and watching the rapid progress of the MLOS trainees.
During the training program itself, the Ukrainians were tasked with many realistic and wide-ranging scenarios, from setting up traffic control points to providing escorts, to planning and orchestrating movements of troops.
It has been enriching for all of us. Every morning started with a new task and a new opportunity. While we as Canadians had much to offer in terms of knowledge and experience, we learned as much, if not more, from this professional group of soldier police. The Ukrainians have been operationally active, and brought their personal experiences and lessons learned along with them in a way that melded very well with the program of instruction. It was incredible to see how quickly they grew as a cohesive group and were able to tackle every challenge we threw at them with zest and smiles on their faces.
We leave this country with a new appreciation and many lessons learned. We step away with a profound respect for one another and great stories that we can take back. As a team, we can all look back on this incredible opportunity, and our appreciation of Ukrainian culture — so similar to our own. We are pleased to have played a part in welcoming new members to the MP family.
» The Mission at Hand is a biweekly column, written by soldiers from CFB Shilo who are stationed overseas.
