Agents Attend U.S.C.G. Training
By Sr. Agent Jason Russo

I, along with two other DWF enforcement agents, Sgt. Davis Madere (Region 9) and Sgt. Travis Huval (Region 6), was recently selected to attend a two week training course in Yorktown, Virginia called the Marine Patrol Officer’s Course, or MPOC. Anyone in our department will tell you that it is an honor to be selected for such a class. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has been sending enforcement agents to MPOC for a long time now and I was pleased to join the ranks of its graduates. I thought it would give me a chance to broaden my training, as well as meet a variety of law enforcement officers. I also looked forward to getting to know some of my fellow co-workers from across the state as we endured a grueling 16-hour drive to Virginia.

What is MPOC?
MPOC is a two-week training course hosted by the United States Coast Guard and held at their Yorktown, Virginia Training Center, their most prestigious and recognized training base. The first week deals with helping officers learn to become better instructors by focusing on public speaking and development of lesson plans. This is useful in our profession. Unlike some other law enforcement agencies, DWF agents are responsible for teaching a variety of topics, including Boating Education classes and assisting at Hunter Education classes. We also fulfill a public relations role, and frequently speak before large groups, such as conservation clubs and students, about issues that are important to our department.

Week two deals with patrol training. A variety of instructors teach classes such as water survival and marine theft investigation. Most of the classes are taught by USCG personnel who specialize in these areas. Marine patrol is a highly specialized area of law enforcement and this training is invaluable to wildlife agents who often patrol by boat.

The Base
The Yorktown Training Center is a fine establishment. On the ride up there, Davis, Travis, and I talked about what the facilities might be like. We all expected to be sleeping in a military barracks full of bunk beds, with a community bathroom. When we arrived at Cain Hall, much to our surprise, we were shocked to find the rooms to be more like a hotel, complete with television, private bath, and a mini-fridge. Even though most of the Coasties made sure we knew that we were in the “good hall,” we were still impressed. In addition, there were many amenities offered on the base, including a gym, swimming pool, movie theater, and cafeteria. However, most of our spare time was spent at the enlisted men’s club, socializing with our fellow classmates. And, although there were some areas set aside for Coast Guard officers, we had free range of the entire base. We were treated with courtesy wherever we went.

Finally, if there was one thing that I will never forget about the base, it would be the weather. IT WAS COLD! I mean, crazy cold! The wind would flow from the York River, and every morning on the walk to class it would cut you like a knife. The weather was definitely the topic of conversation for those of us from a “tropical climate.”

The Class
The class was represented by law enforcement officers from the states of Virginia, West Virginia, South Dakota, Arizona, Kansas, Colorado, Hawaii, New Mexico, Georgia, California, Idaho, New Jersey, Minnesota, New York, and of course, Louisiana. In addition, there were representatives from the U.S. territories of Guam and Puerto Rico. Not all members of the class were game wardens. There were sheriff’s deputies and state police as well.

The “nice guy” award definitely went to the guys from Hawaii, who brought Hawaiian chocolate, coffee, and T-shirts for the entire class. When we arrived, it seemed that the rest of the class was very interested in the boys from Louisiana. I think they could tell that we took pride in our state and our department. They were astonished in the similarities as well as the differences between Davis, Travis, and I. We had three distinctly different accents. It is well known that Louisiana is a melting pot of individuals. Being Italian and from the New Orleans area, I was described as “the south meets Brooklyn.” Travis, being from the heart of Cajun country, had an accent typical of what television portrays about Louisianans. Then Davis had a mix of the two. Most of the others from the same state all talked and acted alike. I guess that is just one more thing that makes Louisiana so unique, our not-so-subtle differences across the state.

Week 1
During the first week, we were required to give a variety of presentations, ranging from 1 minute to 50 minutes. First, there were the 1 minute presentations. These consisted mainly of an introduction of yourself and your department. The 2 minute presentations consisted of a story starting with, “So, there I was …” These gave us an insight about the work habits of our fellow classmates. Next came the 5 minute “How To” presentations. Most consisted of recipes and hunting methods. However, a few of us took them to another level with a comedic approach, such as “How to prepare instant oatmeal” or my personal favorite, “How to eat an Oreo cookie.” Finally, the remainder of the week consisted of preparations for the 50 minute presentations. These consisted of Boating Safety related topics. By the end of the week, I don’t think anyone had a problem with public speaking.

Week 2
During the second week, we put the public speaking aside and focused more on field training. We started with boarding procedures and D.W.I. enforcement. Next, we moved on to weapons law and identification. There were a variety of fully automatic weapons and common terrorist weapons such as hand held surface to air missiles on display for us to see and study. Next came water survival. Although the LDWF academy taught us the same methods of survival, we also performed some partner exercises in covering armed subjects while swimming to safety. The rest of the week consisted of boating accident investigation, marine theft, and navigation rules. I must say, most of the information presented was a refresher for us from Louisiana, however we learned some new ways to look at what we do in the field.

Overall, Travis, Davis, and I had a great time. We spent our last night having a class party at the Chief’s Mess. It was one final chance to socialize with our new friends and our instructors. One final chance to look back on our two weeks and laugh about the things that we did. And when it was all said and done, we learned a few things, but most of all we relished the fact that we had a chance to meet fellow police officers from across the country. Although we all come from different departments, backgrounds, climates, and experience, we are all the same when it comes to serving our community by protecting them on our waterways, and educating them on a safe boating experience.