Training prepares security forces Airmen for deployment

  • Published
  • By Jake Shaw
  • 482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) --  Airmen of the 482nd Security Forces Squadron held a tactical training exercise here Dec. 5. The purpose of the exercise was to prepare them for a variety of possible scenarios if and when they deploy.

Convoy missions and urban operations are among the most common challenges for security forces Airmen in deployed areas, said Lt. Col. Mike Larkin, 482nd Fighter Wing’s security forces chief. He recently completed a five-month deployment to Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq, where he commanded the 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron.

Convoy attacks by terrorists using rocket-propelled grenades, improvised explosive devices and other weapons are responsible for many of the deaths and injuries in Iraq, he said. Servicemembers now have a training tool to prepare for the kind of assaults insurgents wage against patrols and convoys.

To begin preparing his troops for their deployed missions, Colonel Larkin planned the exercise to include convoy training, leadership mentoring, urban-operations training and media relations.

“The time to learn these skills is not when you get overseas,” said Master Sergeant Guy Gilbert, of the 482nd SFS. Sergeant Gilbert is a 29-year veteran who served as the operations chief under Colonel Larkin at Kirkuk. During the exercise, Sergeant Gilbert was one of several evaluators who taught the basics of convoy operations, route preparation, communication and defensive tactics. But one of Sergeant Gilbert’s key roles during the exercise was mentoring.

“They need to know what to do if something happens to their supervisor,” he said.

What does someone do if his or her squad leader is killed in action? Everyone has to be prepared to step up and assume a leadership position, and “if you wait until you’re overseas to become a leader, it might be too late,” Sergeant Gilbert said.

The mentoring process was simple; during the exercise, everyone took turns playing the role of squad leader. As the squads headed out on their convoy missions, they were hit by enemy fire. Evaluators like Sergeant Gilbert frequently changed the position of squad Airmen. An Airman might role-play as a supply troop one minute, and five minutes later he or she would become the squad leader.

Squad leaders were responsible for directing convoy missions, keeping their troops on the correct route and making split-second decisions that would affect their lives.

Staff Sgt. George Alexander, another evaluator during the exercise, grilled squad leaders throughout the day with three questions: “What’s your route, how much ammo does each squad member have, and how are you communicating during the convoy?”

At the end of the day and after several dry runs, two separate squads headed out on a simulated convoy. But, before arriving at their destination, the convoys were attacked by enemy forces. Squad leaders on the convoys were forced to make the decision to either keep moving or stop and engage the attackers.

The simulated attacks occurred on an empty street, with insurgents firing on the convoys from abandoned buildings. The attack, set up by the exercise evaluators, gave troops the opportunity to practice their urban-fighting skills.

After entering the building, troops rescued four “prisoners of war” and one “civilian” who were injured during the firefight. Then, the troops were confronted by simulated reporters, who gave the troops a taste of what they can expect if they are ever confronted with journalists in a combat zone.

At the end of the day, Sergeant Gilbert and the rest of the evaluation team said the key to convoy operations is situational awareness; they have to know when to stop and engage, and when to keep going. The criticism was much more specific for the urban-training exercise.

Urban fighting requires teams to enter buildings or areas using a funnel method. Once the initial entry point is secured, all teams enter through that point and funnel into the building, they said.

Though short in duration, the training was wide in scope and excellent preparation for potential combat operations, Colonel Larkin said.

“Many of our folks are newly promoted and have not yet deployed. Today’s training gave these folks a small taste of what it’s like to be a (deployed security forces Airman),” he said.