Navy Region Northwest (NRNW) swore in 15 new police officers during a graduation ceremony for Class 2008-1 on board Naval Station Everett and at Smokey Point May 9.

The graduation was the culmination of a grueling 10-week course designed to give the new officers all the skills they’ll need to perform their job.

“We survived Navy Region Northwest Police Academy 2008. Back in March it seemed like an eternity, 10 weeks; how were going to make it? But here we are,” said weapons trainer and class leader officer Gary Goodenbour. “The youngest of us is aged 20, and the highest age-challenged officer is 58. That is a class with over 185 years of combined military and law enforcement experience, and you can see that this is not your typical academy. At first, we didn’t know each other’s names, but now, it seems like we can anticipate each other’s actions.”

The academy, which is run very much the same as a city or state police academy, focuses on the basics of law, self-defense, conflict-resolution, and customer service. The graduates went through 400 hours of training at NAVSTA Everett, as well in classrooms at Navy Support Complex, Smokey Point.

“I helped them do the pepper spray training, which was fine as long as I’m not the one getting sprayed,” said Chief Warrant 3 Robert Studyvin, Naval Radio Station Jim Creek Officer-in-Charge. “The best thing right now is the officers have the authority to do what they’ve been doing for some time. Many of them were working as security guards, but filling law enforcement billets, so now they have the authority and certification needed for their jobs.”

This is the second time NAVSTA Everett has had an academy campus, but it’s been about five or six years, said Earl Louks, NAVSTA Everett Police training officer.

“The academy gives instruction in criminal and civil law; they’re taught self-defense and weapon draws, as well as customer service and conflict resolution,” said Louks. “We offer basically the same police academy as the Everett Police Department, or Washington State Patrol, except that our jurisdiction is the base, so there are few differences.”

Due to manning shortages in the master-at-arms job rating, there has been need for an increased number of civilian police officers on many shore facilities in the Northwest. This graduation will mean for many of these men and women, careers, job security, and a way to help out their military counterparts.

“I did 20 years in the Navy, and I have been working as a security guard at Jim Creek,” said Officer Greg Gorman. “I enjoyed the instructors, the academy was great. It is important to have Navy Region Northwest police officers because everybody should know the laws that pertain to them.”

“It’s great that this training gives them authority as a policeman instead of a security guard,” said Cmdr. Donald Leingang, NAVSTA Everett executive officer, who was the guest speaker at the graduation. “Going through 400 hours of training, and now wearing the shield of an officer, makes it more official. These guys have been training hard, and they deserve to wear it.”