Advanced Law Enforcement Division: a transition

Military Police, Sept, 2003 by Lee Chewey

The Military Police Operations and Investigations Division of the U.S. Army Military Police School (USAMPS) developed the first counterdrug training in the Army. The division began by teaching the drug investigations process exclusively to MP investigators and personnel from the Criminal Investigation Division. Major General Charles A. Hines (the USAMPS commandant at the time) and Mr. Richard D. Hinson (the division's first chief) established the Advanced Law Enforcement Training Division (ALETD) in 1992. This was the genesis of the Counterdrug Training Program, and it wasn't just for soldiers. For the first time, federal, state, and local civilian law enforcement officers were being trained through this one-of-a-kind Department of Defense program.

Some retooling of certain antiterrorism courses was all that was needed to begin the first counterdrug curriculum and make it fit the needs of military and civilian law enforcement personnel. In all, four courses were offered to civilian police officers: Counterdrug Investigations, Field Tactical Police Operations, Special Reaction Team, and Narcoterrorism Personal Protection. Military students attended the Special Reaction Team and the Protective Security courses. At first, the USAMPS Special Operations Branch of the Department of Security Operations supported the ALETD counterdrug training.

As the counterdrug training became popular and the demand for it (especially from civilian law enforcement agencies) grew, the Special Operations Branch had to be reassigned to ALETD in 1994. This gave ALETD two dynamic programs that trained both military and civilian law enforcement professionals in antiterrorism and counterdrug operations. ALETD experienced rapid growth, and by 2002, twenty-two highly specialized courses were being offered, training approximately 5,000 students yearly. More than half of these students were trained in the counterdrug courses.

Another successful course began in 1992 and was attached to the Counterdrug Training Program: the Rehabilitation Instructor Training Course (RITC), which trained confinement professionals to be drill instructors for the state boot camp programs that were formed to rehabilitate first-time youth offenders. RITC is nationally recognized as helping this offender population become productive members of our society.

After the 11 September 2001 attacks, ALETD's training focus shifted from counterdrug to antiterrorism immediately. This surge of requirements for antiterrorism training during 2002 caused ALETD to increase its staff by approximately 25 percent. The existing training curricula and programs had to be reviewed and modified extensively. New courses needed to be developed--courses that were quickly identified in the Army's lessons learned about its preparedness and ability to react/respond to the terrorist threat.

The "laser beam" is still primarily focused on antiterrorism, two years after the 11 September attacks. Midyear 2002, the Department of Defense directed that USAMPS stop conducting counterdrug training after 30 September 2003. It would probably surprise a lot of people to learn how many of the specialized skills taught in the counterdrug training courses cross over into the antiterrorism training. With that said, many of the counterdrug courses taught by this talented and experienced ALETD cadre can be changed to focus on antiterrorism with little or no adjustment. Because of their professional, knowledge-based skills, much of the cadre has already been working in both programs seamlessly. During this 2003 fiscal year, ALETD has already shifted some of its counterdrug instructors into a newly formed Antiterrorism Branch. This allows for a complete and easy transition by the end of the fiscal year.

Change is never easy and rarely ends. USAMPS is also reorganizing its Directorate of Training. These changes are streamlining the professional education process to meet future specialized law enforcement training requirements more effectively. Expect many new and innovative training courses, because USAMPS is determined to answer the call and prepare the Army to protect the force while accomplishing the mission.

Mr. Chewey is the ALETD chief. He has served 6 1/2 years with USAMPS and ALETD. He retired from the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment (Airborne)--Delta as a master sergeant.