Recruits build comfort level with their ‘constant companions’
Week 15: Oct. 22-28, 2017
Practice, practice, practice. Take a break.
Practice, practice, practice. Take another break. Then practice, practice … well, you know.
Seeing a trend here?
Practice was the name of the game during Week 15 of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Recruit School, as class members logged several days of range time with their Sig Sauer P229 RDAK duty  pistols. The training was exhaustive because it was a buildup to the pistol qualifying tests awaiting recruits at week’s end.
While conservation officers typically work alone, one constant companion is the .40-caliber side arm on their hips. Conservation officers have a genuine bond with their pistols, and for good reason. They are essential tools that may be called upon to dispatch an injured animal, protect innocent citizens or save the officer’s life. If that day comes, the situation’s outcome depends heavily on the conservation officer’s mastery of his or her pistol.
It’s a relationship based on confidence and respect. Officers must develop the self-assurance and skills to properly handle the pistol while always being mindful of its formidable capabilities. This comes with training and experience.
A conservation officer must be thoroughly familiar with the weapon: how it feels in the hand, how it performs, how to handle it and how to maintain it. The partnership is forged in Recruit School and remains unbroken throughout a conservation officer’s career.
Week 15 was far from the first time recruits trained with their handguns. The Sig Sauers actually have been incorporated in recruits’ training regimens since Week 9. Since then, they have devoted many hours to practicing with the weapons, not to mention countless after-hours sessions in which they did “dry firing” drills and worked on other handgun fundamentals on their own time.
But it was in Week 15 that recruits were responsible for proving they could put all of their pistol skills together in order to meet Michigan’s law enforcement standards. It was an intense week in which the class continued to train extensively in safety, marksmanship and reloading techniques the best way possible – by methodically firing round after round, hour after hour, day after day, under the expert supervision of veteran conservation officers.
The legal process
After checking in at the academy Sunday evening, the class got a feel for what most of the new week would bring as  Conservation Officer Richard Stowe provided instruction on cleaning techniques to keep the Sig Sauer handguns operating at peak effectiveness.
But before becoming fully immersed in pistol training, recruits spent Monday and Tuesday getting a close-up look at the legal system in action. Monday began with instruction by Conservation Officer Chris Holmes on procedures for search warrant preparation and submitting warrant requests to the prosecutor’s office.
The class then visited the Eaton County Sheriff’s Office and received a jail tour by Capt. Robert Jordan. The captain took time to explain the jail’s operations and answered recruits' questions.
Leaving the jail, recruits walked to the Eaton County Circuit Court and sat in on an actual legal proceeding with Judge John Maurer on the bench. Once the court was adjourned, the judge and two assistant prosecuting attorneys –  Brent Morton and Chris Anderson – conducted a mock trial for the recruits. A recruit was selected to play the role of a witness on the stand, and the trial was based on a scenario the class participated in the previous week. The prosecutors questioned the recruit about her actions at the scene and on the report she had written about the scenario.
Search and seizure
The next day, recruits returned to the classroom for additional legal training from retired Michigan State Police inspector David Greydanus. Recruits learned the laws pertaining to search and seizure, which fit in perfectly with the previous day’s instruction on search warrants.
Range time
Handgun training was the order of the day Wednesday. Each recruit fired more than 1,000 rounds during the next two days in preparation for the qualifying tests that began Thursday night.
Under the guidance of seven DNR Law Enforcement Division firearms instructors, recruits trained hard to pass the Law  Enforcement Division’s qualification course and meet standards set by the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards. A lot of pressure was on their shoulders. Failing to qualify would mean the recruit cannot carry a handgun as a police officer in Michigan – and the recruit would be dismissed from the academy.
Like every other aspect of the academy’s training, instructors made clear there can be no compromises when it comes to firearms proficiency. “Discipline starts as soon as you open your eyes in the morning and continues through the trigger pull until the threat is eliminated,” Cpl. Brad Dohm told his students.
Fairness for victims
After qualifying with their weapons, recruits wrapped up the week Friday with an overview of laws pertaining to victims’ rights. In Michigan, every crime victim is informed of his or her rights regarding the suspect in the case. As future law enforcement officers, the recruits must learn how to consider and include victims’ rights in their investigative work.
Each week at the academy poses new mental and physical challenges. Week 15 was no different. But by relying on the professionalism of their instructors, their own determination and the support of one another, recruits pressed onward, keeping their eyes on the ultimate prize.
Subscribe to the weekly conservation officer academy blog, which also will be posted on the Michigan DNR Facebook page. View previous blogs from Recruit School #8.
/Note to editors: Accompanying photos are available below for download. Caption information follows.
On_target: A recruit fires his Sig Sauer P229 duty pistol during Week 15 training at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Recruit School. Recruits logged plenty of range time during the week before taking their pistol qualifying tests.
Expert_guidance: A veteran conservation officer makes notes and prepares to offer feedback on a recruit’s performance during pistol training. Conservation officers must be proficient with the firearms they carry, including their Sig Sauer P229 duty pistols.
On_the_stand: A recruit takes the stand during a mock trial in Eaton County Circuit Court. With Circuit Court Judge John Maurer on the bench, participating prosecuting attorneys took turns questioning the recruit about a training scenario she and her class participated in the previous week. The mock trial gave recruits a chance to see the legal system in action.
In_the_courtroom: Brent Morton, senior assistant prosecutor for Eaton County, listens to testimony during a mock trial as conservation officer recruits observe. The mock trial was part of an overall in-person learning experience that gave recruits a close-up look at the legal process.
Firing_position: After assuming a shooting stance, a recruit prepares to engage his target as he goes through marksmanship training. Recruits fired more than 1,000 rounds apiece with their Sig Sauer P229 handguns as they prepared for their pistol qualifying tests.
Lining_up: Under the supervision of veteran DNR firearms instructors, recruits gather on the firing line to test their handgun marksmanship during Week 15 of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Recruit School./
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.
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