Security forces train with FBI, British crisis negotiators

  • Published
  • By Karen Abeyasekere
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
Defenders from the 100th Security Forces Squadron at RAF Mildenhall and 48th Security Forces Squadron at RAF Lakenheath joined forces June 19 - 23 for top-level training in crisis negotiation.

Facilitators from the FBI at Quantico, Virginia, along with experts in hostage and crisis negotiation from British police forces throughout East Anglia, spent the week training U.S. Air Force members to prepare them to handle any crisis situations they may find themselves in.

Throughout the week, FBI facilitators gave in-depth training on a variety of aspects of crisis negotiation. On the last day, the Airmen were split into four groups and the negotiators role-played a variety of realistic scenarios to put them under pressure. They also taught them how to remain calm and work as a team to diffuse any potentially volatile situations they may encounter as a security forces member.

Detective Sgt. Graham McMillan, a major crime unit nationally trained negotiator from Bedfordshire Police, was one of the role players putting the U.S. Air Force defenders through their paces. Working together, they had to calmly talk to the person in a simulated crisis – who was always behind a closed door – using what knowledge they had learned during the week. Together, each team practiced their listening and problem-solving skills as they attempted to talk to someone they couldn’t see, and find out more about their situation.

The British police negotiators volunteered to be part of the joint U.S.-U.K. training, and said it was beneficial for them as well as the students.

“Whenever you do a course, if you’re role playing and assessing, you learn all the time – it sharpens your skills so you don’t forget,” McMillan said.

The Airmen said they learned a great deal from the training, and it gave them an insight into situations many of them hadn’t dealt with before.

“This class has been beneficial because as a regular law enforcement officer you learn to go in and keep everything short, but as a negotiator there are several aspects you have to deal with, such as active listening, gaining rapport and trying to help individuals out,” said Staff Sgt. Kelly Webster, 100th SFS military working dog kennelmaster.

“The training will help in many different ways – being able to talk to people in a variety of crisis situations, whether there are hostages, or maybe someone behind a door who just doesn’t know what he or she is doing; we’ve learned how to listen to them and ask open-ended questions to keep them talking while trying to get more information from them so we can help them,” Webster said.

“The FBI has the U.S. government’s only full-time negotiators, and we train other law enforcement agencies throughout the world,” said Mike Yansick, FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit supervisory special agent.

“The suicide rate amongst active and recently deployed military personnel is extensive, and part of what we do involves teaching law enforcement officers how to talk to people who are in crisis and possibly suicidal. We don’t cure them – our job is to get them out of that ‘moment’ and prevent a suicide or tragedy from happening,” he said.

Yansick described how the week’s training had been successful and beneficial to all involved.

“The students have been great; the level of interest, enthusiasm and professionalism has been outstanding,” he said. “Our relationship with the British police negotiators was also utilized, as we’ve been working with police officers from Norfolk and Bedfordshire who are acting as role players.”

The British police were excited to be involved with the training, as working in the local area means they often come into contact with U.S. Airmen.

“We were asked to help support the training program at RAF Mildenhall because of the partnership we have with the base, and we can help offer role play, critique and advice for what is being delivered here,” said one of the Norfolk Constabulary police officers. “Part of our job involves being called out to any person in any form of crisis, from suicide intervention to full domestic siege barricades, and in the current climate, counter-terrorist incidents, such as what happened in Manchester recently.”

With all agencies working harmoniously together to impart vital knowledge to both the 100th SFS and 48th SFS Airmen, this training provided yet another opportunity to build on the positive relationship between the community and the Air Force.