Fort Huachuca, Arizona – Four soldiers from the 18th Military Police Detachment were certified for Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) after attending a three-day course conducted by the Sierra Vista Police Department.

The three-day course was held June 7-9 at the Sierra Vista Police Department, with police from multiple agencies including the 18th Military Police Detachment, Sierra Vista Police Department, Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, and Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office. officials gathered.

“Learning from other agencies as military police is one of the best things for us,” said the sergeant. Jesus Medina. “They are handling more cases, and they are doing it every day. We deal with things occasionally, so if it is an issue that we deal with infrequently, we have to develop and learn new skills. “

The course began with an overview of what students will learn over the next three days. Students learned precedents, what clues to look for in suspected DUIs, and how to build good reasons to support the suspicion.

They investigated the three steps leading up to a DUI arrest. These stages include sightings of moving vehicles, personal contact, and pre-arrest inspections. The first day ended with an overview of the concepts and principles of standardized field sobriety testing.

The three tests that make up the standardized field sobriety test are single leg standing, gait rotation, and HGN.

In the one-legged stance, the officer has the suspect balance on one leg and count aloud, paying attention to the suspect’s balance and ability to follow directions. In the walk-and-turn, the suspect took nine straight steps from heel to toe, then rotated on a line, then took nine steps back from heel to toe.

In the HGN test, officers moved an object in front of a suspect’s eyes to determine how smoothly the suspect’s eyes followed the object, and how well the suspect’s eyes performed when held at maximum lateral deflection. Assess the twitch and determine the point at which the eye twitch begins. .

“I had to learn how to file a case to support allegations that the subject was a DUI,” Medina said. “We practiced walk-and-turns and one-leg stances, but the main focus of the course was the HGN.”

On the second day, students continued to practice HGN, listen to presentations, and participate in a dry lab with screen projections of police officers performing HGN tests on suspects wearing Oculus lenses, paying attention to the cues presented by suspects. bottom.

On the third day, preparations were made for the final face-to-face examination of the suspects. They took several exams, then heard from attorney Christina Guerrero about the laws that gave the gendarmes the confidence to carry out their duties.

The day ended with officers conducting HGN tests on volunteers who had consumed alcohol and were in various levels of intoxication.

“When I was talking to [attorney] Now I have 100% confidence in my work,” Medina said. “She explained her law thoroughly, and hearing it from someone who prosecuted the case was beneficial to her work.”

After completing the course, soldiers gained new knowledge that helped them advance their careers, providing them with skills that will help them when they may eventually leave the Army and pursue careers in law enforcement. It also gave me the opportunity to network with local law enforcement officers.

“Any knowledge is good knowledge,” said Capt. Tracy Belli, commander of the 18th Military Police Detachment. “It’s a national credential, so if you quit the military and choose to go private, you can take this credential to other states. I love giving my soldiers a lot of stuff.” [training] Take as many chances as you can. “

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Fort Huachuca is home to the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence, U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command/9th Army Signal Command, and supports over 48 tenants representing a diverse and multidisciplinary workforce. Our unique environment includes 946 square miles of restricted airspace and 2,500 square miles of protected microwave ovens, which are critical elements of our national defense mission.

Located in Cochise County in southeastern Arizona, about 25 miles north of the Mexican border, Fort Huachuca is a frontier military installation with a rich history. Founded in 1877, the fort was designated a national landmark in 1976.

We are the home of the Army.Learn more about https://home.army.mil/huachuca/.