So you want to join the military police? Well then, get ready to get blasted with a a level-one contamination of oleoresin capsicum. In plain English: You’ll be pepper sprayed in a very painful way. And then you’ll have to work out!
It’s just part of the training. The United States Air Force requires all first term security response members to take a hit of pepper spray, so that they’re prepared to defend themselves in the event of an enemy attack with oleoresin capsicum. It also gives them an idea of what the non-lethal weapon can actually do. The US Air Force explains the above photo:
A required certification for all security forces personnel, level-one training consists of spraying an individual from ear to ear, across the brow while eyes are closed, with a half second to one second spray from an OC canister, 36 inches from the subject’s face. The individual must then open their eyes, complete the five assessment stations and make it to the decontamination point on their own.
Other military law enforcement agencies have similar requirements for pepper spray training. “The Soldiers are learning the direct effects of how the spray feels. This will allow them to understand how their subjects are feeling if they ever have to use it in a real world situation, and hopefully, will teach them self-control when using it,” says US Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Lillard. “But more importantly it will teach them that if they ever get accidentally sprayed during a conflict, they will be able to fight through the effects of it and continue with their mission.”
U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Steven R. Doty