ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Monday, February 10, 1997              TAG: 9702120011
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 1    EDITION: METRO 
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: KIMBERLY O'BRIEN (CHARLOTTESVILLE) DAILY PROGRESS 

TOUGH TRAINING - BECOMING A STATE TROOPER TAKES MORE THAN SITTING IN A CLASSROOM

They came out of a cloud of smoke, coughing, hacking, their eyes red and streaming tears, loud cries of agony coming from their mouths.

Making their way to an open field, they stumbled, catching themselves, some spitting, some vomiting, all gasping for air.

As the tear gas dissipated in the blowing wind, their faces almost came back to normal. But they would feel the effects in their lungs all day.

It's said that a person's life will never be the same after attending Basic Trooper School at the Virginia State Police Academy in Richmond.

That could be true.

The training, the education, the ``real-life'' examples all are put together in a package that eventually produces a bona fide Virginia state trooper. Walking through tear gas is one of the things each student who passes through the academy walls must do.

``It's just like choking,'' said Todd Claiborne, a trooper trainee from Blacksburg and president of the academy's 94th Basic Trooper School class, of walking through tear gas. ``You feel like you're going to die.''

The state police began formally training troopers in 1932 at the National Guard Training Camp in Virginia Beach. Nine years later, basic training was started at the administrative headquarters in Richmond. Training was seven weeks long.

As the department of the state police has grown and changed, so has the training. Today, basic training lasts 32 weeks, including 26 weeks at the academy and six weeks of field training. It's one of the longest and most intensive state police training programs in the country.

The students are trained in a quasi-military manner and are expected to show respect to their superiors at all times.

Every minute of their day is strictly regulated, from wake-up time at 6 a.m. to lights out at 10 p.m.

There are room inspections every morning, during which a

superior officer comes by and checks for cleanliness - no dust on windowsills or blinds - and that the beds are made up exactly right.

The blanket must be exactly 18 inches from the top of the bed, and the sheet must be in a 6-inch fold over the top of the blanket.

Rules are strict: Beds are not to be sat or laid upon during the course of the day. The trainees can keep one framed photograph of a loved one (including pets) on their bureaus. Television is not allowed, but an exception was made for Super Bowl Sunday.

Demerits can be given for the most mundane thing, such as not eating everything on a plate at mealtime. Trainees must walk in single file, hands and feet in synch, wherever they go. Most of the day is spent at attention.

Only on Friday evenings are they set loose, free to visit home until lights out Sunday night.

During the first half of the six-month-long training, the troopers are in class for much of the day, broken up by military drills, riot training and physical training. By the 20th week, the classroom time is relaxed, allowing the students to work more in the field.

But studies are central to the training of a state trooper. Trainees are taught about 116 subjects, from how to write a speeding ticket and fire a gun to how to process a murder scene and respond to a riot situation.

By the time they graduate, students will have taken about 100 tests, and failure is not an option.

Hands-on practical training includes defensive driving and mock court trials. Students learn how to shoot in every situation, including at night with only flares or blue police lights for illumination.

They also must ready themselves mentally to take a life, if necessary.

``We can't dictate when they're going to encounter a life-threatening situation,'' said Sgt. Roger Clifton, a firearms instructor. ``They have to be ready for anything.''

LENGTH: Medium:   81 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  AP. 1. During a room inspection (above), a sergeant uses
          a ruler to ensure that a bed has been made up properly. A student 
          (right) stretches with his classmates during a physical training 
          class in Richmond. Trainees of the 95th basic graduation class sport
          their class motto on the back of their sweatshirts. 2. For trainees 
          at the Basic Trooper School at the Virginia State Police Academy in 
          Richmond, most of the day is spent at attention. color.