Air Force's senior enlisted leader experiences pre-deployment training

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Bryan Swink
  • Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs
JOINT BASE McGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. (AFNS) --  The chief master sergeant of the Air Force visited the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center here April 26 and 27 to gain first-hand knowledge of Air Force and Army expeditionary skills training.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy visited the base for the second time in his current position and spoke with an array of training experts while attending both Air Force and Army hands-on, pre-deployment training.

The senior Air Force enlisted leader said that expeditionary training was the main topic of discussion when he visited deployed Airmen in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in November and December. He said that understanding what Airmen are learning and how to better accommodate their needs in a joint-tactics environment is a critical aspect of his position.

"(Deployed) Airmen shared what they considered to be the useful knowledge they obtained in pre-deployment training," Chief Roy said. "They also gave me insight into what training they didn't receive that should be implemented into the expeditionary training curriculum."

Today's deployment environment has evolved into a joint arena where members of each branch of service can expect to find themselves side-by-side with sister servicemembers. This facet of current operations drives a critical requirement for trainees to undergo joint tactics training at home. The concept has encouraged an array of joint courses which cross service-specific boundaries in order to prepare deployers.

The Army's Joint Expeditionary Training and the Air Force's Air Advisory Course, both conducted here, are two examples of pre-deployment training in preparation for the joint environment.

"These training courses, along with others, have been pivotal in the outstanding performance of our Airmen downrange," Chief Roy said. "Our sister services' senior leaders see Airmen as engaged ... and a big part of the solution set.

"Our partners tell us our Airmen think multi-dimensional," the chief said. "You can give an Airman a task and they not only think of a way to complete it, but find multiple solutions."

The four-tiered training system, along with the power-projection platform, builds on Airmen's foundational training, preparing them for deployment. This organizational structure is constantly adjusted to improve the quality of training.

"We are always finding ways to make the current training structure better," Chief Roy said. "With Airmen operating in the vicinity of the enemy, being shot at and exposed to (improvised explosive devices), safety is paramount for our servicemembers, and that begins at home."

Expeditionary Center members also provide training for unit deployment managers and installation deployment officers who prepare Airmen for deployment, deploy them and reintegrate them when they return. Although there are limited seats, the chief said he expects the information to get to all unit deploment managers.

"We want the participating Airmen to take the information back to their units to share the knowledge they gained here," Chief Roy said.

The training provides one element of a foundation from which myriad accomplishments are launched. Another essential element of a successful foundation is the unyielding support of family, which Chief Roy recognized while observing the training.

"We want to make sure Airmen's families know how much we fully understand and appreciate all of their efforts," Chief Roy said. "It's up to us as Airmen to make sure we continue to communicate with them and make sure they understand how important they are to this mission."