GUARD GETS ANTI-DRUG TRAINING

Guam's war on "ice" isn't just fought by the feds and the
police.

There's a military component to the fight against the spread of
crystal methamphetamine, which is the drug of choice for almost every
addict on the island.

The Guam National Guard plays a supporting role in the drug war, and
some of the local Guard members went through further training that
ended yesterday.

Paul Stevens and David Korus of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal
Apprehension taught the "Meth Awareness" course.

Stevens and Korus have taught the course throughout the country via
the Midwest Counterdrug Training Center of the National Guard.

The Guam National Guard, Guam police, the Guam Customs and Quarantine
Agency and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations sponsored
the training, which was held at Fort Juan Muna.

Meth lab Part of the training was to help participants recognize signs
of a clandestine meth laboratory, said Air National Guard Master Sgt.
Gerry Lunod.

In recent months, cases filed in court have mentioned alleged "ice"
labs on Guam, including at a Tumon hotel, at an Agana Heights house
and at a Sinajana house.

The training also offered information for first responders about how
to safely enter a suspected meth lab, what protective gear to wear,
what to do if a first responder sees hazardous chemicals and how to
clean up, Lunod said.

The National Guard, Lunod said, also helps to raise community
awareness, including talking to young kids about the ill effects of
addictive drugs.