ATGMIDPAC Pearl Harbor Unveils New Anti-Terrorist Training Facility

ATGMIDPAC Pearl Harbor Unveils New Anti-Terrorist Training Facility

Story Number: NNS040609-19
Release Date: 6/9/2004 11:07:00 PM

By Journalist 2nd Class Devin Wright, Commander, Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- Afloat Training Group Middle Pacific (ATGMIDPAC) unveiled its new Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection (AT/FP) Training Center at a ribbon-cutting ceremony June 7 at Hangar 54 on Ford Island.

The center was established to deliver training required for Navy ships and submarines to become more defensive, and raise awareness throughout the Navy and the Coast Guard.

The AT/FP Training Center offers formal shipboard courses of instruction in small arms marksmanship, armed sentry, shipboard security engagement weapons, visit board search and seizure, force protection fundamentals, non lethal weapons, assessing a swimmer attack and high speed target intercept.

During the opening remarks, Commodore David Armitage, commander, ATGMIDPAC said the center trains shipboard personnel for typical warfare.

“ATGMIDPAC is at the forefront of the effort to fight terrorism,” said Armitage. “Six months after 9/11, ATGMIDPAC had become one of the most progressive and effective AT/FP training centers in the Navy by graduating over 1,200 people in various AT/FP courses. Here we are today at the opening of this crucial learning resource, with the latest advance in training for our armed forces to fight this unconventional war in which we find ourselves.”

With many ships in the Navy and Coast Guard being deployed to the Persian Gulf, the training is needed to accomplish the Navy’s tasks.

“Having this facility made available to us presents a great opportunity to centralize and standardize training for anti-terrorism,” said Robert Seneca, director of training, ATGMIDPAC. “With this training here, it prepares ships’ crews to accomplish their mission. It teaches Sailors and Guardsmen methods we need to use to defend our assets both foreign and domestic.”

To get ships ready for possible terrorist attacks, trainers at the center prepare different attack scenarios to help the ship’s crew learn what to look for in a terrorist situation.

“We try and plant mines on the ships without being detected,” said Signalman 1st Class (SW) Lee McIntire ATGMIDPAC AT/FP surface air rescue swimmer evaluator trainer. “We also simulate boat attacks, high speed target intercepts that we use wave runners for, shipboard weapons engagement and many more situations to get ship’s company ready to go for whatever they may encounter out there. This facility is essential to the Navy, because it is helping protect our assets, the most important being the United States Sailors.”

For related news, visit the Commander, Navy Region Hawaii Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/cnrh.

The USMC's Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Teams (FAST), provide the both US Navy and Marine Corps with a dedicated force protection and anti-terrorist unit.

In compliance with President Reagan's order, the USMC conducted an thorough evaluation of its security forces during the mid-eighties. Upon the studies completion, the Corps came to the conclusion that its current security procedures were inadequate to handle the security threats being posed against it. The Corps decided to form a new unit of highly trained Marines dedicated to defending both US Navy and Marine Corps assets from terrorist attack. The new unit was designated as the Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team, or FAST.

Established in 1987, FAST Companies are equipped to perform security missions as directed by the Chief of Naval Operations. FAST Company Marines augment installation security when a threat condition is elevated beyond the ability of resident and auxiliary security forces. They are not designed to provide a permanent security force for the installation.
They also ensure nuclear material on submarines is not compromised when the vessels are docked.

All Marines assigned to FAST must have completed the following training:

SOI (School of Infantry).

Security Force School -(NSGA-North West, Chesapeake, VA)

Combat Marksmanship (shotgun and pistol - all Security Forces are dual armed)

Room Clearing, etc.

FAST Training (5 weeks)

(NSGA- NSGA North West, Chesapeake, VA)

Close Quarters Battle

During their many training exercises FAST makes extensive use of Simunition. Simunition is like paintball ammunition, but it can be fired from weapons normally used by the unit instead of plastic guns.

The USMC has seen fit to equip its FAST units with a wide array of weapons, and equipment to help them accomplish their mission. The FAST units arsenal is known to include:

M-4
M16A2
M-16A2/M-203
Berretta M-9 9mm pistol
Colt Commander .45 ACP
HK MP-5 9mm SMG
Colt 9mm SMG
Remington 870 shotguns
M-249 5.56mm Squad Automatic Weapons (SAWs)
M-60 7.62mm GPMG
Browning .50 Cal. HMG
MK-19 40mm HMG
60mm mortars
AT-4 88mm
SMAW

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