JET Airmen: 'Fit to fight any given day'

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Bryan Swink
  • Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  Airmen often have a reputation of being "behind the scenes," never in the action, but persona is changing with Air Force's heavy involvement in joint tasking operations where Airmen are performing non-traditional jobs and missions alongside sister service members.

There are many Joint Expeditionary Tasked Airmen from various specialty codes deployed to southwest Asia today. Each of these JET Airmen received combat skills training at one of Army's four power projection platforms to learn the tactics and skills required to be successful in a combat environment.

"This training is critical for Airmen being deployed with the Army for the joint service taskings in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Lt. Col. John Hanlon, 602nd Training Group (P) Detachment 6 commander, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.

The 31-day JET training course provides Airmen the same training Soldiers receive to be successful in deployed environments. Detachment 6 trains approximately 50 percent of the Airmen going through Army CST.

"We are the largest power projection platform," said Colonel Hanlon. "We train 50 to 120 students per class and put out approximately 2,400 JET Airmen annually, with an increase scheduled for next year."

"Airmen focus on learning how to shoot, move, communicate and treat on the battle field," said Master Sgt. Tammy Birky, 602nd Training Group (P) Detachment 6 first sergeant.

The students cover a number of individual and specialized training areas, including rules of engagement, weapons familiarization, land navigation, unexploded ordnance/improvised explosive device training, high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle egress and rollover training, personnel and vehicle search, casualty operations, self-aid buddy care and combatives (hand-to-hand combat).

"We have the Army experts training our JET Airmen to operate in harm's way," said Sergeant Birky. "The training is so repetitive it establishes muscle memory which becomes second nature. This way of training builds confidence in our Airmen."

A large amount of the training is conducted using state-of-the-art equipment, but technology is not always reliable when down range. Students must be knowledgeable and proficient without the use of modern technology.

"The Army taught us land navigation -- both mounted and dismounted," said Senior Airman Courtney Beard, a 204th Intelligence Squadron intelligence analyst stationed here. "The mounted portion was done using a defense advanced GPS receiver while the dismounted portion was done the old fashioned way -- with simply a map and a compass. While counting our paces and navigating through the woods, we were expected to locate three different field sites."

Acclimation into a joint environment also begins at JET training. Most Airmen move directly downrange upon completion of the course.

"The Army environment is a culture shock to say the least, but I expect it to serve me well as I deploy to work with the Army," said 1st Lt Emily Meredith, the 802nd Force Support Squadron military personnel section chief at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. "I got a little better taste of how they do business and the differences from what I'm used to. I am grateful for the training, even though I hope I never have to implement the skills downrange."

Capt. Jeffrey Underwood, a Class A25W student who is a production cost analyst in the F-35 Program Office in Arlington, Va., is deployed to Afghanistan. As a financial reform officer, he is working with the Afghan National Police to resolve pay issues.

"Less than five days on the ground I was on a mission with our commander to Herat on a pay team visit," Captain Underwood said. "It was an eye opening experience - CST training was good preparation for what we encountered."

Colonel Hanlon has a motto that suits the attitude and readiness JET Airmen display at all times: "Fit to fight, any given day."