CAMP SHELBY, MS (WDAM) -
Law enforcement officers and business people from all over South Mississippi joined the Army National Guard at Camp Shelby to tour a new training area.
The Combined Arms Collective Training Facility, or CACTF, is a $10.5 million, state-of-the-art complex that offers realistic, fast-paced urban operations training. Dozens of cameras positioned throughout the facility allow soldiers to record their operations.
Thursday, a National Guard special forces unit conducted a simulated hostage rescue at the facility. And nearby, a S.W.A.T. team from the Gulfport Police Dept. trained at the recently-upgraded live fire shoot house.
"The CACTF sits on 14 acres and it's 35 buildings," said Lt. Col. Rick Weaver, director of plans, training, mobilization and security at Camp Shelby. "In the 35 buildings, we have 193 cameras on the inside and 3 cameras that will do 360 degree rotation with infrared capability, so even at night, you still are able to record everything you need," Weaver said.
"It's state-of-the-art, everything we could ask for in a training facility this provides for us," said Chris Loposser, commander of the operations division at the Gulfport Police Dept. "This is something that we would never be able to build on our own," he said.
The live fire shoot house was built for $3 million and opened last May.
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The $10.5 million Combined Arms Collective Training Facility was completed in December.
