Grant County Sheriff's Deputy Todd McKinley displays weapons from the department's arsenal and weapons officers have confiscated. The Eagle/SSG JOHN DRISCOLL

BURNS – The Oregon Army National Guard conducted a military weapons familiarization class on Jan. 23 for members of the John Day Police Department, Grant County Sheriff’s Department and Prairie City Police.

The class was conducted by Sgt. Edward Lewis, assisted by SPC Jamison Anderson, members of Grant County’s Oregon Army National Guard Unit. Sgt. Lewis explained the capabilities of weapons – M16-A4 rifle, M-249 machine gun and the m-240 machine gun – and provided an overview of their maintenance and operation.

This training session was one of two classes to be organized by Grant County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Todd McKinley, armorer for the department. McKinley described characteristics of weapons currently part of the Grant County Sheriff’s Department’s arsenal. He displayed an assortment of weapons confiscated by the Sheriff’s Department during the past few years.

Undersheriff Jim McNellis explained the reason for the class, “We have some officers who are unfamiliar with these weapons. …Familiarization is a matter of officer safety and public safety.”

Officer McNellis further explained that Grant County law enforcement officers during the course of their routine activities are more frequently encountering situations involving weapons previously only associated with military organizations. He also said that since 9/11 the Homeland Security responsibilities have come to include familiarization with an even greater range of weapons.

“Our job is to hold the line until the SWAT teams are in place,” said Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer. “Four times in the past year we had to hold the line until the SWAT team arrived. …Every officer in the county needed to be trained.”