[Norway] Home Guard Rapid Reaction Forces Training - Riot Control

[Odinson]

KINGDOM OF NORWAY
TRAINING OPERATION
CLASSIFIED: SECRET & PRIVATE

__________________DEPLOYMENT LIST__________________​

HOME GUARD RAPID REACTION FORCES
[1] C-5 GALAXY
Fully fueled, basic medical supplies, water, food (replenished as needed for each flight)
[3] C-130J SUPER HERCULES
Fully fueled, basic medical supplies, water, food (replenished as needed for each flight)
[7] ROYAL AIR FORCE PILOTS
Uniformed, 7 per C-5 galaxy (aircraft commander, pilot, two flight engineers, three loadmasters)
[9] ROYAL AIR FORCE PILOTS
Uniformed, 3 per C-130J (pilot, co-pilot, loadmaster)
[5000] HOME GUARD RAPID REACTION FORCES*
Uniformed, combat fatigues and limited personal items in bags including standard-issue winter clothing. Non-lethal weapons transported include: CS "tear" gas canisters, pepper spray canisters, 250,000 rounds of plastic bullets, appropriate rifles and sidearms that can fire plastic bullets, riot shields, batons, riot "gear" (i.e. riot uniforms and visors). Lethal weapons included: bayonets to affix to their standard-issue rifles (and their standard issue rifles). Also, enough food and water and luxury items for two-weeks of training.
*345 per C-5, 92 per C-130J

________________DEPLOYMENT STAGING________________
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KINGDOM OF NORWAY
OSLO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, OSLO

____________________DESTINATION #1____________________
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KINGDOM OF NORWAY
SVALBARD AIRPORT, SVALBARD

____________________DESTINATION #2____________________
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KINGDOM OF NORWAY
PYRAMIDEN, SVALBARD

________________________MISSION________________________
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The Ministry of Defense issued a study on the readiness of His Majesty's armed forces to respond to "major civil unrest" and the ability of the armed forces to "restore order" in such an event. The conclusions of the study were mixed. Police forces, such as the 1000 Troopers with the National Mobile Police Service, would indeed be able to properly respond to riots or civil disorder. However, the report noted that the troopers would need time to mobilize since they are, by design, dispersed around Norway. This would mean that in a possible worst-case-scenario, if major riots sparked in a major city such as Oslo or Trondheim, there would not be enough time for Troopers to mobilize and immediately respond to the disorder. The report noted that while it would likely be seen as excessive to deploy and use active-duty soldiers for such a scenario, it would be seen as reasonable to use the Home Guard. The perfect troops to use in such a worst-case scenario would be the Home Guard Rapid Reaction Forces which are already trained to, by definition, rapidly mobilize and respond to emergency scenarios. The Minister of Defense, with permission from the King-in-Council and secret funding provided by the Storting in a private closed-door sitting, ordered the training operation to take place in the abandoned mining town of Pyramiden, which is located in the distant Norwegian holding of Svalbard. This location was chosen because of its urban setting in a desolate location. The King-in-Council has authorized the seizure of this abandoned town for this purpose.

The transportation of the troops and all supplies is being done via airlift from the Royal Air Force. The RAF's C-5 Galaxy and three C-130Js are being used to transport the troops, which are all headquartered in Oslo (at the time of the beginning of this operation) from Oslo's international airport to Svalbard Airport. From Svalbard Airport, the Royal Navy has privately chartered vessels to safely bring the troops (621 at a time) to Pyramiden. The mission of the first 621 troops to arrive is to erect a tent-city outside of Pyramiden which is where the troops will be staying. The tents include cots, thick blankets, sanitary facilities, mess halls, recreational areas, storage areas (for food and supplies), officers quarters, armories, and a headquarters. They all also have some form of safe heating. The building supplies and food are brought in with the first two shipments of troops. There are a total of 8 full shipments of troops (621 troops distributed between the aircraft each time) with the remaining 32 troops are brought on a single C-130J. These troops, and supplies, will be brought back to Oslo in the same fashion once the training is concluded. The pilots and crews were either given proper time to rest, or were replaced by other pilots, between flights.

Once all troops were assembled at Pyramiden, and the tent city was done being built, the training would begin. The mission of the Training Operation was this: "To train all five regiments of the Home Guard Rapid Reaction Forces in 'Riot Control'."

Total cost of Training Exercise: $100,000,000

 

[Odinson]

The assembly of the Home Guard Rapid Reaction Forces went as planned. The tent city outside of Pyramiden was successful, and it now had the proper resources to sustain the troops and their leaders throughout the training exercise. Major General Ivar Olhouser ordered Brigadier Anton Haugerud, who held command over the Rapid Reaction Forces, to personally see to the training of his troops in the areas of riot control. Brigadier Haugerud took this responsibility seriously, and round up all five-thousand of the troops for a speech the evening before training would officially begin. He informed them that they would be training and learning around the clock, almost as if this were another bootcamp, with PT in the early morning followed by hygiene time, classes, educational exercises, and presentations in the evenings - each soldiers was also, of course, afforded three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.



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Training Schedule
Part 1: Understanding Norwegian Police and Law Enforcement and How They Operate; History of Riot Control
Part 2: Riot Control Agents (RCAs): Pepper Spray, Tear Gas, and the Chemistry of These Products
Part 3: Plastic Bullets, How to Properly Use Them, Live Fire Exercises
Part 4: Bayonets and How to Use Them
Part 5: Riot Shields and Batons
Part 6: Riot Control Formations and Intimidation Tactics
Part 7: Live Exercise



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PART 1
Understanding Norwegian Police and Law Enforcement and How They Operate​

The soldiers participating in the training operation would soon learn that it was only going to become more intense, and interesting, as time went on. Part 1 was not complicated. It was a comprehensive education program on the different factions of Norway's police forces, including its different special agent programs and responsibilities, as well as how their ranking systems worked since they were similar to, but not the same as, the military's. Emphasis was put on those police forces that would likely have a presence in riot scenarios, such as the national police and the Troopers who already had this specialized Riot Control training. It was explained that if a scenario ever occurred where the Home Guard Rapid Reaction Forces were deployed to perform Riot Control, it would likely be due to and immediate and unexpected mass-demonstration which the police would not be able to handle, or it would be to assist police forces who were overwhelmed by on-going riots/demonstrations. In either circumstance, the Home Guard would likely take control of the situation but would still be required to work with and, in some cases, alongside the police.

Another section of "Part 1" was a detailed history of riot control from the failures such as the Boston Massacre to more complex macro scenarios like the Irish Troubles. Presented partially in video format, partially in lectures from history professors and military/police experts, and partially in mapped-out layouts that detail what to never do in operations such as these. This second section of Part 1 was done at the time of day judged to be the least tiring for the soldiers so that they would all be awake. At the end of this section, study packets were issued and then later an exam was given to see how well the soldiers retained the information from each subsection.

 

[Odinson]

PART 2
Riot Control Agents: Which, What, Why, and Use​

Part 2 of the training revolved around Riot Control Agents (RCAs) which are used to subdue crowds. If used properly, they can be incredibly effective. The first subsection of Part 2 was in the classroom. The soldiers were explained what the different kinds of RCAs are (i.e. pepper spray and tear gas). On a more complex level, they were given some basic chemistry lessons on why RCAs had such notable effects on the human body. The soldiers were also told what to do if these were ever used against them. An example of when this could happen would be if a tear gas canister was thrown back at officers, or if a random rioter had their own pepper spray. Procedurally, that officer would need to be considered a casualty and taken behind the line, and whatever rioter did it would need to be arrested for assault. Next it was explained what scenarios justified the escalation to the use of RCAs and why they should not be used at more minor events.

The second subsection of Part 2 was more... interactive. First, they were all able to train in throwing tear gas canisters and using pepper spray. They were taught how the direction of the wind is important, and that it's easy to hit more than one person with pepper spray which can sometimes make a crowd even more angry. After having some fun, the soldiers now had to take a sample of their own medicine. Every single soldier had to go stand inside of a tear gas chamber and endure the effects of the gas. Once they recovered, they then also had to endure being pepper-sprayed. The effects of being pepper-sprayed were more intense, so this part was concluded after that, and the soldiers had the rest of the evening to recover. Medical was on scene to make sure no one was actually permanently injured. The officers noted that evening, none of the soldiers used Tabasco on their food.

 

[Odinson]

PART 3
Plastic Bullets, How to Properly Use Them, Live Fire Exercises
​

The following day included lessons on and with plastic bullets. Part 3 began with explaining how plastic bullets worked, how they were different from rubber bullets, and what made them non-lethal. Great emphasis was put on explaining when it would be necessary to even issue plastic bullets and what kind of injuries they could cause, even though they are not lethal. The soldiers were relieved to hear that they would not be shot with rubber bullets today. Each one would, however, be given the opportunity to use them in live-fire exercises and be able to see the damage they cause up-close. The courses also explained the difference between firing a plastic bullet and a real one, such as how far they could travel before they were no longer reliably accurate. After training with plastic bullets, they switched gears and practiced with bayonets for the rest of the day.

PART 4
Bayonets and How to Use Them

​

It isn't common knowledge amongst most people that bayonets are still a weapon issued to and used by modern day militaries. While hand-to-hand and up-close combat is exceptionally rare in modern warfare, bayonets nevertheless still can be effective for these rare scenarios, or more especially when dealing with riots or massive crowds. Gleaming, pointed pieces of metal sticking off of already intimidating assault rifles has been shone in the past to deter crowds from attacking police and soldiers. The soldiers were given a history of the bayonet, and then they were trained in groups on how to attack and fight with them, as well as how to intimidate a crowd with them when working as a unit.

 

[Odinson]

PART 5
Riot Shields and Batons
​

All troops were issued riot shields and were showed how to properly use them to protect their bodies and their comrades from different kinds of threats. It was also explained under what conditions the riotshields would fail or be useless, and when they would be most effective. Some minor sparring was also done to show how the shields can also be used as a weapon. Batons were also issued. The troops were taught when to use them, and when not to use them. Some basic sparring was done to allow the troops to have some practice.

PART 6
Riot Control Formations and Intimidation Tactics

​

Now that the troops had been given a solid history of different aspects of riot control and were also trained with some of the equipment, they were now given a grand explanation and history of riot control formations and intimidations tactics. Fantastic examples of intimidating police and then lackluster LEOs who couldn't control a crowd were shown. The troops were then shown specific formations that they had to learn because they would need to implement them later. They were shone everything from how to maintain a line to how to arrest individual suspects and bring them behind the line without losing the overall formation. Different kinds of formations were also shown and taught to the troops. It was explained when they would need to be used, and in what conditions they worked best.

PART 7
Live Exercise

​

The final part of the training was a live exercise. Four-fifths of the troops were designated "rioters" while the rest were in their riot gear. This exercise was done multiple times until everyone was allowed to be on the side of the "good guys" once. The rioters were given instructions on how to approach the soldiers who were geared up, and how to present different threats to them. The soldiers then had to respond to the situation. They were given different goals such as: holding a line, advancing a line, and apprehending suspects. Tear gas, pepper spray, or actual physical violence were not used, but simulated. Plastic objects were thrown at the soldiers to simulate rocks or bottles, however it was nothing that could harm them. Over several exercises, the soldiers were able to learn what worked, what didn't, and how they could control a situation even with inferior numbers.


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After the conclusion of the training, the soldiers were congratulated by Brigadier Anton Haugerud who was in charge of the training exercise. That night, the troops were fed fried fish and were able to enjoy themselves. The following morning, the troops packed up the tent city and returned home from where they came in a very similar fashion in which they got there. The aircraft were fully fueled and manned, as originally described, and all equipment was brought back to Oslo International Airport just as it had been brought to Svalbard. The exercise was now complete, and Norway's Home Guard Rapid Reaction Forces were now trained in Riot Control.

 

[Odinson]

Training Complete​

 

[Jamie]

⌈ NATIONAL ECONOMICS ⌋ Billed

THREAD HAS BEEN CHARGED​