[Scan-DC] State Dept’s new Training Center in Blackstone, Va.

[Alan Henney]

Interesting.  Fascinating reading.

Thank you... just getting caught up on my emails.
Alan


On Wed, Nov 27, 2019 at 5:44 PM John Wilson <w4uvv at comcast.net> wrote:

>
>
> *  I can give you some history which might help.  Blackstone, is located
> about 35 miles west of Petersburg, VA on Rt. 460 in Dinwiddie Co.  I was
> there several times doing satellite tv installations in the early 2000s. I
> received a call for a repair job from a couple who worked and commuted
> daily to Ft. Lee which had to be 60-75 miles.  I quickly looked at the map
> and it didn't seem that far.   However after one hour on Rt. 460 I still
> had not reached the Blackstone exit.  There actually is two exits on Rt.
> 460, one for Ft. Pickett and the other for Blackstone.   Ft. Pickett is a
> huge military facility mostly in a rural environment.  It mainly is for
> active duty Army and reserve active duty training support.   It is the
> military facility where Air Force troop carrier aircraft fly up from Ft.
> Bragg  to do their large scale parachute drops training.  Part of the
> installations training instructors and facilities managements are
> contracted out to private sector for the various jobs.  About 6-7 years ago
> the VSP built a large training complex for all VSP statewide divisions and
> other federal law enforcement personnel, by prior request, to practice in a
> closed track environment for vehicle pursuits and other maneuvers.  This
> VSP facility also has its' own 800 mhz. trs P1*
>
>
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>
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>
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> *but I am just out of range to monitor it.   It is unencrypted and can be
> heard mobile once in the Ft. Pickett area    I seriously doubt that the
> federal govt. would purchase new private sector land near Blackstone when
> Ft. Pickett has thousands of acres much of which are not developed.
> Blackstone is the only civilization close to Ft. Pickett.  The closest town
> to the west is Crewe, VA which doesn't have any relationship to Ft. Pickett
> because of it's distance.  Ft. Pickett also has MPs and restricted areas.
> There's more than enough room also for the CIA to have a rural private
> location possibly to encourage someone who does not want to talk otherwise
> be persuaded.   I'm surprised the CIA didn't establish a facility there
> years ago.  Anyway, common sense would dictate that the State Dept. would
> use part of an undeveloped section of Ft. Pickett and not close to
> Blackstone proper but don't bet on it.  It probably will be an installation
> based on the CIA facility at Camp Peary in James City Co. or the FBI
> Academy in Fredericksburg.  Either way if it requires a multi-month
> training course, the student might want to purchase his/her own DTV
> satellite tv system to temporary install.  Otherwise plan on his/her
> excitement being driving to Blackstone for a hamburger and watching the
> resupply truck for the Dollar Family store off load.  When it gets dark in
> Blackstone, most people are in their homes not out and about.  But it is
> pretty country with some nice homes with really large acreage with lots of
> peace and quiet.  But remember all of the prime land near Blackstone was
> purchased years ago.  It will be interesting to see where the location
> actually will be.  Apparently a contract has been signed to do some kind of
> construction. Having said all that I will not be surprised if the federal
> govt. purchases 500 acres of rural land on the southern side of the town of
> Blackstone as they can get.  The northern side is too close to Rt. 460 and
> not sufficient for a large complex installation.  John W4UVV  *
>
> Alan Henney wrote:
>
> Anybody know what freqs they are using?
>
> To Train Foreign Service Agents, You Must Build a Fake Town
> At a new State Department training center, survival lessons include fleeing
> ambushes, escaping burning buildings, and handling bomb threats.
> https://www.wired.com/story/state-department-virginia-training-center/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=onsite-share&utm_brand=wired&utm_social-type=earned
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