Students Visit Master-at-Arms "A" School

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (NNS) -- Students from Judson High School's criminal justice class visited the Naval Technical Training Center (NTTC) at Lackland Air Force Base, Feb. 11, to observe first-hand the rigors of Navy Security Force training.

"It is a great opportunity for young students to be able to see what military law enforcement is like," said retired Chief Master-at-Arms and criminal justice teacher, Aaron Williams.

Judson High School, also known for being the "Home of the Rockets," is part of the Judson Independent School District located in Converse, Texas, which is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast from Lackland Air Force Base.

"I enjoy the opportunity to showcase the professionalism of both our staff and students, said NTTC Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Lee Alexander. "Supporting the local community by allowing high schools to see the command's high-speed technical training is a win for us as well the Navy."

Alexander also said hopefully some of these students will become future Sailors upon their graduation from high school.

Students had an opportunity to observe Sailors earn their certification in the use of oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray, more commonly known as pepper spray. OC spray is one of several non-lethal weapons used by Navy security force personnel to subdue a hostile suspect or defuse a hostile situation.

A Sailor must demonstrate his/her ability to perform select actions while under the effects of a direct OC contamination spray. Actions such as adversary takedowns, defensive techniques, and weapons retention while warding off a mock attacker. All of which are skills taught by the Navy's Master-at-Arms "A" School at NTTC.

Students also visited the Military Working Dog (MWD) training facility where they were shown the basics of what it takes to work with these highly skilled and well-trained animals. Deployed worldwide, these specialized teams of both dog and handler play a significant role in safeguarding U.S. military assets.

A dog's nose contains some 220 million more scent receptors, which far exceeds that of a human. Because of this, an MWD can detect items such as narcotics, explosives, arson accelerants, and so on with greater speed and efficiency.

About 140 students from Judson High visited NTTC and all of which is part of the command's outreach efforts to support the local community. Within the past year, the command has supported local events such as Navy Day at the Alamo, Graffiti Wipeout, and Habitat for Humanity.

NTTC Lackland is a component within the Center for Security Forces who provides specialized training to more than 28-thousand students each year and has 14 training locations across the U.S. and around the world.

For more news from and information about the Center for Security Forces, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/csf, www.netc.navy.mil/centers/csf/ or www.facebook.com/CENSECFORHQ#.

For more news from Center for Security Forces, visit www.navy.mil/local/csf/.