835th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion Soldiers train on riot control techniques

By: Silas Allen
Missouri National Guard Public Affairs

Sgt. 1st Class Mitchell Armstrong explains the proper way to hold a riot baton to members of the headquarters company of the 835th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion.
Jonathan Schulte stands at the front of a line of a formation during the 835th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion's riot control training.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The headquarters detachment of the Missouri National Guard's 835th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion trained on riot control techniques at its monthly drill.

The unit receives escalation of force and riot control training annually. Sgt. 1st Class Mitchell Armstrong and Staff Sgt. Michael Copley, bothof the Columbia-based headquarters detachment of the 175th Military Police Company, provided the training.

Armstrong said it was unlikely that the unit would ever use the training on a mission on American soil, but it could be useful during deployments.

"I've been in for 23 years, and the only riot I've ever been in was in Iraq," Armstrong said.

Because the unit is located in Jefferson City, Armstrong said it is also possible that the unit could be called upon to support civilian authorities if an emergency were to occur at either of the prisons in Jefferson City.

In September of 1954, the unit was involved in such an incident. During a riot at the old Missouri State Penitentiary, 3,600 inmates at the penitentiary took control of much of the prison and set fire to a number of buildings. Gov. Phil Donnelly ordered all Jefferson City-based units to assist the state police in quelling the riot.

During the training, a handful of members of the unit were designated to act as rioters. Armstrong and Copley taught the unit a number of formations used in riot situations. Each formation is used for a different purpose: one to break a line of rioters, one to pull rioters off of a wall, one to move a crowd to the left or right and one to extract a single person from a crowd.

The unit used the playground at the old Southwest Elementary School as a training ground. Because the school building is adjacent to the unit's armory, it provided an opportune location. During the training, Armstrong emphasized that the unit's role was to prevent rioters from destroying property or hurting anyone, not to move against peaceful protestors or to harm anyone.

"Your job is to impress and intimidate the rioters so they'll disperse and go home without hurting anyone," Armstrong told the unit. "We're not here to hurt people. We're just here to break up the formation of the rioters."

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