During their two-week annual training, the 430th Military Police Law and Order Detachment conducted joint law enforcement operations with various branches to support the “Power in the Pines” Airshow, held for the first time in five years at Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst (JBMDL). The airshow ran from May 19 to 21, 2023 and was open to the public, drawing over 80,000 visitors over the course of the three days. The airshow included performances by the Golden Knights, stunts and flyovers by fixed and rotary wing aircraft such as F-16's and UH-60 Blackhawks, and a variety of static displays.

On June 1, 2021, Maj. Gen. John F. Hussey, the former commanding general of 200th Military Police Command, assigned the 430th MP Detachment to Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst (JBMDL) as part of the United States Army Reserve Ready Force X (RFX) and Army Reserve Mission (ARM) Force Generation strategies. As part of the concept, Army Reserve and National Guard units are organized as Mobilization Support Forces to provide administrative and logistics support for a deploying unit. The 430th MP detachment would utilize their law enforcement expertise to ensure installation and unit security for mobilizing units at the installation.

The 430th Military Police Law and Order Detachment specializes in conducting law enforcement operations by utilizing their traffic, investigations and desk sections in a garrison or a deployed environment to ensure installation security.

The unit, located in Red Bank, New Jersey, regularly conducts joint patrols with the Air Force 87th Security Forces Group from JBMDL during their battle assemblies where they respond to calls for service, conduct perimeter and security inspections, and conduct traffic stops both on post and on the roads immediately outside of the installation where they have concurrent jurisdiction with local law enforcement.

“The [430th Military Police Law and Order Detachment's] partnership with the Air Force at JBMDL, particularly the 87th Security Forces, allows our Soldiers to undergo live law enforcement training.” said Sgt. First Class Christopher Yacout, the Military Police Law and Order Detachment sergeant.

“In the Army Reserve, units plan and conduct training so that when they are deployed, they are confident that they are able to perform their job while overseas.” But when Soldiers are not deployed, “At best, they get a chance to do their job once a year, and that is during a unit’s annual training.”

Yacout said that in light of the current retention issues faced by the Reserve, “when you get Soldiers out of the reserve center and give them an opportunity to do the job that they signed up to do, they gain real world experience and their desire to continue coming to Battle Assembly every month increases because their time is effectively utilized.

Giving Soldiers tough and realistic training both exercises the Commander’s Mission Essential Tasks and it is essentially a tool that can be used to retain Soldiers.”

The 430th Military Police Law and Order Detachment continues such training year-round during their Battle Assemblies and Annual Training, which took place last year from May 15 to 28.

On the morning of May 18, the first day of the airshow, 430th Soldiers arrived at the 87th Security Forces group armory and prepared for their shifts. The Soldiers donned their military police vests, drew their firearms and radios from the armory and conducted pre-combat checks and inspections with their shift leaders. Then, they received their assignments for the day and integrated into joint security teams with air force and navy military police. Further complementing the force, New Jersey State troopers managed traffic off-post and placed sniper teams at various locations along the flight line.

During the three-day airshow, the 430th Military Police Law and Order Detachment set up traffic control points to manage incoming traffic, directed vehicles to parking and managed outgoing traffic. While on the flight line, the Soldiers set up and manned entry control points where DoD guests and civilian spectators would go through to enter the airshow grounds. There, they used stationary metal detectors, metal detector wands and manually searched containers for contraband such as weapons and illegal substances.

Pfc. Cadien Dehaney, who qualified on Combat Live Saver (CLS) during the unit’s annual training, said that while he was assigned to the entry control point, he had the knowledge and confidence to treat injuries of Soldiers or spectators in the event of an active shooter or air disaster.

“It should be important for every Soldier to be certified in CLS because of its potential as a lifesaving measure even in your civilian life” said Dehaney.

In addition to the entry control points, the Soldiers of the 430th Military Police Law and Order Detachment were assigned foot patrol posts at the flight line, where they patrolled near stationary aircraft and engaged with members of the public.

After the airshow, the Soldiers of the 430th Military Police Law and Order Detachment were assigned twelve-hour shifts, beginning at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Upon arrival at the police station, Soldiers were assigned a marked police vehicle, a security forces partner and a geographical area to patrol. Throughout the week, the 430th assisted in traffic stops, routed traffic on post and responded to 9-1-1 calls. To close out their training, the detachment conducted an MWR event. They partnered with the local Red Cross chapter on post who helped host the event, which consisted of team building events such as football and tug of war along with a barbeque. The unit returned to their reserve center in Red Bank, NJ, on May 27 to conduct recovery operations.