Skip to Main Content

Md. Guard conducts joint Criminal Investigation Training with Bosnia-Herzegovina military police

[vc_row 0=””][vc_column 0=””][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1567783278615{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”]Article By Senior Airman Sarah M. McClanahan, Maryland National Guard Public Affairs Office & Pfc. Armin Hadzic, Armed Forces of Bosnia-Herzegovina
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1567979273421{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”]

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (Sept. 6, 2019) — Members of the Maryland Army National Guard’s 115th Military Police Battalion, conducted a course on criminal investigation procedures on Sept. 2 – 6, 2019, for members of the Armed Forces of Bosnia-Herzegovina at Rajlovac Barracks, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Service members from both countries came to the course with prior experience in their specific careers relating to military police work and some had significant civilian law enforcement experience.

The original intent of the training was to teach members of the AFBiH military police how to conduct basic military police investigation procedures. However, since most of the AFBiH participants had already worked in investigation operations, the course became a space to collaborate experiences rather than building a foundation of knowledge.

“It was our understanding when we came over that we would be teaching military police investigations to military police officers,” explains Army Sgt. Major Richard Magnum, command sergeant major of the 115th Military Police Battalion, Maryland Army National Guard. “What we found out when we got here was most of the class had already been working as military police investigators. Instead of being an introductory class, we adapted the class to make it more of an exchange of information, tactics, techniques and procedures.”

Magnum explains that they did not come to BiH to make their military police exactly like those in the US. Instead, they wanted to share experiences and improve upon the already existing AFBiH military police training.

While both the MDNG members and the AFBiH members had extensive experience as military police, many of the members also had years of experience as civilian police and detectives. They were then able to create a melting pot of experiences where each member of the class shared information and tips from their specific area of expertise.

Members of the class brought with them specializations in fields like interviews, interrogation, and crash reconstruction. Through discussing the varying methods amongst the class and even demonstrating case scenarios, the participants of the class were able to add new tools to their tool kits of knowledge and expertise – something that is especially beneficial in a joint environment.

Scenarios challenged the service members to use existing or new tools to perform tasks such as explaining and implementing the pieces of a crime investigation kit, identifying the entry point of a bullet through glass, and even solving the notional theft of their highly valued coffee machine. All of these scenarios strengthen the foundation of knowledge each member brought with them as well as adding new investigative tools to their toolboxes.

“Brotherhood creates a solid foundation to combat or fight crimes that are occurring worldwide; such as human trafficking or drug trafficking issues like terrorism,” said Army Spc. Alfonso Matos, a course instructor assigned to the 200th Military Police Company. “When you combine forces, the end result is always success.”[/vc_column_text][vc_text_separator title=”View photo gallery from training event” css=”.vc_custom_1567781235701{margin-top: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 5px !important;border-top-width: 5px !important;border-bottom-width: 5px !important;padding-top: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”][vc_raw_html css=”.vc_custom_1567781104034{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text 0=””]Edited By Sgt. 1st Class Thaddeus Harrington, Maryland National Guard Public Affairs Office
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]