Interservice nonlethal individual weapons instructor course

Military Police, April, 2003 by David A. Wallace

Present and future Army missions call for a force that complements lethal force. That force is nonlethal weapons (NLWs). These provide commanders with alternatives to lethal force, but they will never replace lethal weapons nor will there ever be such thing as a "nonlethal [NL] mission. "NLWs give commanders the opportunity to meet less than deadly resistance with less than deadly force.

To proficiently use NLWs and become NLWs instructors, soldiers are required to attend the Interservice Nonlethal Individual Weapons Instructor Course (INIWIC) at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. As an interservice course, it is open to the five military branches and foreign countries participating in the U.S. security-assistance programs. Currently, INIWIC is an 11-day training program. The training cadre consists of one Marine Corps officer, three noncommissioned officers (two Marine Corps and one Army), and one civilian contractor. Annually, this diverse team trains approximately 300 service members and civilians.

To attend the course, soldiers' company commanders must select them to be NLWs instructors, and the soldier must have two years of time in service left upon graduation. It is recommended (but not required) that soldiers be graduates of the Instructor Training Course and be at the rank of sergeant through major.

An important aspect of INIWIC is the oleoresin capsicum (OC or pepper spray) module. After completing the course, soldiers are authorized to instruct and certify others in the use of OC. To be certified, soldiers complete a 3-hour block of instruction and a practical exercise. This practical exercise exposes the soldier's face to a direct spray of OC. Immediately after being sprayed, soldiers must complete a fight-through obstacle-course drill consisting of five different stations. This practical exercise gives soldiers confidence that, if exposed, they can fight through the physiological and psychological effects of the spray and still be able to take charge of the situation.

INIWIC graduates will have a two-fold mission upon returning to their units. First, they will be able to train others about the Nonlethal Capability Set (NLCS) and NLWs. Second, they can act as advisors to their commanders, ensuring that commanders are familiar with the NLCS tools and their possible tactical applications.

The course is mentally and physically demanding. The table on page 42 briefly describes the twelve subject areas of the program of instruction. There are four written examinations, two performance-oriented evaluations, an evaluated written training plan assignment, and a field-training exercise. Students must score at least 80 percent on the written test to pass.

Because this is a train-the-trainer course, performance-oriented evaluations require soldiers to "teach back" to the course cadre by presenting a method, or a portion of a lecture, that has been modeled for them. Writing training plan evaluations focuses on the soldier's ability to implement a training plan that instructs leaders and users about NLWs and the NLCS. Field-training exercises are group-evaluated scenarios encompassing everything taught and learned throughout the course.

Reservation information is available through the Army Training Requirements and Resource System. Sergeant Major Charles Slider (DSN 676-7891), the U.S. Army Military Police School's Directorate of Training sergeant major, is the primary point of contact for course allocations.

Program of Instruction Subject Areas

Techniques of Military Instruction    Explains the basics of
                                      effective instruction.

Use of Force/Force Continuum          Trains soldiers to recognize
                                      where NLWs fit along the force
                                      continuum.

Communication Skills                  Focuses on dealing with angry
                                      and aggressive people.

Crowd Dynamics                        Presents behavioral aspects of
                                      crowds during civil
                                      disturbances.

Empty-Hand Control Techniques         Teaches individual defensive
                                      tactics that protect
                                      control-force members and
                                      restrain resistant subjects.

Riot Baton Techniques                 Teaches the soldier defensive
                                      tactics with the expandable
                                      straight baton.

Military Operations Other Than War    Presents the concept and
                                      describes how it differs from
                                      a common war-type mission.

Rules of Engagement                   Discusses how the rules of
                                      engagement influence the use
                                      of force.

OC                                    Equips the soldier with the
                                      capabilities to properly
                                      instruct others in its use.

Formations                            Presents ideas about
                                      conducting riot-control
                                      formations.

Tactical Considerations               Demonstrates how to employ
                                      NLWs in a tactical situation.

Munitions                             Teaches students the
                                      capabilities and
                                      characteristics of current
                                      NL munitions in the capability
                                      sets. Soldiers become familiar
                                      with the types, capabilities,
                                      and characteristics of NL
                                      munitions by firing them
                                      during a five-fire range.