Readiness troops train for the future

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Brian Ferguson
  • Air Force Print News
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo (AFPN) --  Civil engineering readiness troops from around the Air Force are getting some advanced training here, learning new techniques for dealing with chemical, biological and radiological threats.

Instructors teaching the classes are creating a realistic environment for students, whose career field could some day lead them outside the wire in Afghanistan or Iraq.

"Readiness troops are responding in (Operation Iraqi Freedom) and (Operation Enduring Freedom) on a regular basis, outside the wire, supporting coalition command," said Tech. Sgt. James Smith, readiness technician. "We are giving them advanced tactics, techniques and procedures to use in the ever changing transformation of our career field."

Based on lessons learned from actual responses in OIF and OEF, instructors have tried to tailor many of the scenarios to actual events.

"Commanders in the field have identifies a need for this type of response," said Sergeant Smith. "If we can assess insurgents capability, we can take steps to mitigate the threat."

Scenarios included possible terrorist activity, as well as radiolical, biological and chemical threats. Students respond to rooms set up with simulated chemicals and explosives, attacks and weapons caches.

"This is a fairly new course, and we are trying to make it realistic to the environment they could be facing," said Sgt. Smith.

Students were given these scenarios after almost two weeks of classroom training where they designed plans to deal with situations like these.

"When the students arrive, none of the pre-planning is done for them. The students have to build their own contingency plan," said Sergeant Smith. "This type of training allows the junior staff sergeants to hone and build their skills.

Six classes have been through the newly revised two week, 80 hour course, and these students are taking knowledge back to their bases to teach other readiness troops the skills they have learned.

"The feedback that we've gotten from the students is that they've learned so many things coming through here, that they feel better prepared for when they have to deploy," said Sergeant Smith.

"If they come across a situations that we've set up here," he said, "they will be prepared. They can respond to the situation, get the job done and continue the mission."