By Workers Sgt. Noshoba Davis, Louisiana Nationwide Guard Public Affairs
PINEVILLE, La. – A workforce of 5 Louisiana Nationwide Guardsmen assigned to the 415th Army Intelligence Battalion (MI BN) and the 256th Infantry Brigade Fight Workforce took second place within the inaugural Interrogation Olympics, code named Lightning Storm, hosted at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Aug. 8-11.
A complete of 13 groups participated within the competitors. The Troopers who represented the LANG have been: Workers Sgt. Cody Gonzales, of Bridge Metropolis; Sgt. Taylor Slaughter, of West Monroe; Sgt. Julian Johnson, of Baton Rouge; Sgt. Joshua Gregg, of Monroe; and Workers Sgt. Michael Celestin, of New Orleans.
The Interrogation Olympics is a multi-component, multi-echelon occasion created to problem intelligence Troopers in management, tactical and technical duties in a simulated large-scale fight working (LSCO) setting whereas fostering cohesion and esprit de corps all whereas figuring out the Army’s finest interrogation workforce.
“The creation of this competitors was a collaborative effort between 4 organizations: the 525th Expeditionary Army Intelligence Brigade (E-MIB), Army Interrogation Group (AIG), Intelligence and Safety Command (INSCOM) and INSCOM Intelligence coaching Middle (I2TC),” stated Chief Warrant Officer 4 Chuck Damboise, Lightning Storm train director. “The 525th E-MIB labored intently for over a yr planning and coordinating on a month-to-month foundation to arrange for our internet hosting obligations.”
Units from all Army parts containing interrogation collective duties obtained an invite to compete.
“The variety of groups collaborating was typically pushed by the quantity of sources in personnel and gear that the 525th E-MIB may present. Over 300 personnel have been required to conduct this occasion,” stated Damboise. “Every unit was approved to offer a workforce of 5 personnel that consisted of 4 human intelligence collectors and one all supply analyst.”
The LANG’s workforce was chosen by the corporate commanders, first sergeants and platoon sergeants of Troopers that volunteered to compete.
“Workforce members have been chosen primarily based on expertise, prior efficiency at coaching workout routines and the way every one’s particular person strengths would mesh and contribute to total workforce success,” stated Chief Warrant Officer 3 Clifford Evans, a Lake Village, Arkansas native, and advisor and motion officer for the competing workforce.
The LANG’s workforce had roughly two months to arrange for the occasion.
“Data on what to anticipate in the course of the competitors was purposely stored from the rivals,” stated Celestin, an intelligence analyst with the 415th. “We knew we’d be within the area for 3 to 4 days and probably conducting an unmounted patrol, so that is what we ready ourselves for.”
Over the course of three days in an austere area setting, the Interrogation Olympics examined Troopers’ human intelligence (HUMINT) assortment abilities on six separate lanes. These lanes examined Troopers on HUMINT key coaching mission important duties: conduct intel interrogation planning and preparation, conduct screening, query sources for intel data, put together intelligence/tech reviews, conduct intel evaluation in help of operations, conduct HUMINT operational planning, overview reviews and decide menace course of actions.
As a workforce chief and interrogator with the 415th, Gonzales had to make sure his workforce was ready for any state of affairs introduced on the lanes.
“I had three main obligations: obtain the mission transient, make use of the following troop main procedures and handle our time and useful resource allocation, which on this case meant making certain everybody had sufficient time to arrange and submit all obligatory reviews,” stated Gonzales. “Third, as essentially the most senior intelligence collector, I used to be liable for guiding my workforce by the technical facets of our MOS.”
The primary two days of the competitors consisted of Troopers incorporating quite a few Soldier abilities and intelligence assortment methods, in addition to making ready for the ultimate occasion on day three: a debrief to a VIP.
Along with with the ability to display screen detainees and plan an interrogation, interrogators should even be proficient in a language and preserve that proficiency. For some interrogators like Johnson, the competitors offered a possibility to make use of their chosen language.
“I’m a Russian linguist, and through one interrogation, I came upon my position participant additionally natively spoke Russian, and I used to be in a position to conduct my first interrogation in a overseas language,” stated Johnson. “It was an ideal alternative to check my abilities and inspire me to handle my weaknesses within the language.”
Celestin, the one analyst on the workforce, was liable for the ultimate occasion.
“My position as an analyst depends closely on with the ability to talk with different organizations and analysis data,” stated Celestin. “It helped me develop as an analyst by serving to me discover methods to assemble and share crucial intelligence data with restricted to no digital connectivity. We needed to get inventive to share what we discovered with resolution makers on the battlefield.”
The competitors concluded with an awards ceremony the place the highest three groups have been introduced with awards. The 519th Intelligence and Digital Warfare Battalion from Fort Bragg, North Carolina positioned first, the 415th positioned second and the 202nd Army Intelligence Battalion from Fort Gordon, Georgia positioned third.
“I think about myself blessed to have been granted the chance to compete and characterize the Louisiana Nationwide Guard,” stated Slaughter, an interrogator with the 415th. “As for taking second place total, I feel we actually shocked not solely a few of the higher management however the different branches as nicely, as to how skilled and the way helpful we’re within the total idea of operations. I’m overjoyed that we have been in a position to correctly characterize the Louisiana Nationwide Guard.”
Damboise defined the competitors is predicted to rotate to completely different installations annually and that INSCOM has agreed to host the competitors subsequent yr with the intent of the Interrogation Olympics changing into an annual occasion.
Energetic responsibility brigades and divisions represented within the competitors included: the 525th E-MIB, headquartered at Fort Bragg; the 82nd Airborne Division, headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and the 513th MI BN -Theater, headquartered at Fort Gordan, Georgia.
Army Reserve items represented included: the 826th MI BN, from Fort Devens, Massachusetts; the 338th MI BN, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas; the 314th MI BN, headquartered in San Diego, California; and the 372nd MI BN, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Army Nationwide Guard items represented included: the 415th MI BN, Louisiana Nationwide Guard; the 142nd MI BN, Utah Nationwide Guard; and the 260th MI BN, Florida Nationwide Guard.
