MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, S.C. --
The Provost
Marshal’s Office aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort received federal
accreditation Feb. 18. The recognition came after a 17-month observation from
Headquarters Marine Corps through a modified course of inspections and criteria
used for high-tempo municipal police forces.
“It is the Marine
Corps’ recognition of our efforts and a credit to the Provost Marshal’s Office,”
said Maj. Eduardo Pinales, the Provost Marshal for MCAS Beaufort. “Receiving
this award allows our department to say we are a professional, accredited
department and we meet all the needs of the installation commander by providing
security and safety of the installation to the best of our ability.”
HQMC
representatives visited Beaufort on several occasions during the accreditation
process to evaluate each service section within PMO. The representatives
addressed the strengths and deficiencies within each section throughout the
process.
“We have an
expected standard to demonstrate proficiency in our daily jobs and we have met
that standard here today,” said Pinales. “It is because of the hard work of
every section and the individual Marines in those sections that we have made it
to this level of excellence.”
In honor of the
accomplishment, representative of the deputy commandant of Security Plans,
Policies, and Operations Security Division, Lt. Col. Jan Durham, presented a
plaque of recognition to Col. Peter Buck, the commanding officer of MCAS
Beaufort.
“When you focus on
achieving those standards, it gets the Provost Marshal, his military policemen and
police officers back to the fundamental things they’re supposed to be doing on
a regular basis: weapons qualifications, use of force adherence, upholding
regulations,” said Durham. “Those tier one standards are at the core of
what we do.”
In order to be
eligible for accreditation, PMO had to meet or exceed the specified curriculum,
which is comprised of a series of basic criteria drafted from accreditation
programs of larger municipal police forces. This model requires each
department to pass specific standards, from armory weapon and ammunition
storage, to physical security surveys throughout the entire installation.
Recently, the implementation of the criteria throughout all military services
has put the Marine Corps in a position to set the example.
Upon gaining
eligibility, the deputy commandant for Plans, Policies, and Operations Security
Division Director makes the final decision in the accreditation process.
Fightertown’s PMO not only exceeded those requirements, but also demonstrated
that their department can indeed perform when it comes to force protection.
“Being an
accredited institution is absolutely critical for several reasons,” said Durham.
“At every installation, the commander has responsibility for security, safety
and law enforcement for that particular base, and the majority of those
responsibilities are executed by military police officers.”
The role of PMO is
to maintain the security of the air station and ensure good order through
enforcing regulations. The military police maintain constant vigilance over
MCAS Beaufort, Laurel Bay, and Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island at all
hours of the day and night to ensure the safety of its residents and
visitors.
“I want to thank
each end every Marine for their hard work towards this achievement,” said Buck.
“It is a credit to our entire base.”