At times they squabble like brothers, but in the end there's a family-like bond. We try and facilitate that camaraderie because in law enforcement and within the State Patrol itself we think of ourselves as a family. Part of producing that family feeling is a closeness that you get while going through basic training. The training tradition began in 1937 at Camp Ashland, a bare bones military camp. The Patrol moved its training to the current Air Park facility around 1970.
Training is longer now.
It was just five weeks during the Camp Ashland era. But the philosophy of military-style training is similar. Something new is a formal set of core values. They're a daily part of training. I carry those core values in my pocket with me.