Airmen learn convoy skills

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman James C. Dillard
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) --  The grizzled, old retired Army instructor imparted combat wisdom to his students, as if he were reading directly from the combat bible.

The most important thing he wanted them to take away from the training was when they drive into combat areas, they better look like death coming down the road. A threatening target is much less inviting than a meek one.

The students were at the end of a five-day course. Each of them was covered in countless layers of sand, and they looked like they had been through days of combat. Despite lack of sleep, fatigue and poor living conditions, their eyes were bright with excitement and relief. It was finished.

But, the true test was just beginning.

The course, held by Military Professional Resources Inc., is taught in the middle of nowhere in Southwest Asia. The course’s basic function is to teach servicemembers how to survive while conducting convoy operations in potentially hostile locations. People from all military branches have gone through the course at some point.

“Without a doubt, this program will help saves lives,” said John Fracassini, an instructor for MPRI and retired Army Special Forces member. “I think it’s absolutely critical for them to take this course. It enhances their survivability, as well as the odds of mission accomplishment.”

For the Airmen in the course, the training will be put to direct use. Deployed from bases worldwide, the Airmen are part of a program to augment Army convoy operations in Iraq.

The instruction includes both classroom and field training. Mr. Fracassini said one is equally as important as the other.

“It’s in the classroom where they gain an understanding of the fundamental procedures,” he said. “If they don’t have that understanding, they won’t have the proper perspective when they go out and perform in the field.”

Both portions of the course work in tandem to maximize the effectiveness of the training.

Technical Sgt. Bryan Larson, who is deployed from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., said he appreciated the opportunity to take the course.

“We’re really going to need the training for convoy support in Iraq,” he said. “The training has been awesome. We’re learning a lot of things most (Airmen) don’t know.”

During the final day of training, the students are put through the live-fire exercise. The exercise takes allows the Airmen to apply what they learned in the classroom.

Master Sgt. Walter Voltz, who is deployed from Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., was acting as a convoy commander during a live-fire training exercise.

“Practicing these drills will help saves lives,” he said. “It’s vital for combat operations.”

Instructors monitored their progress, noting which vehicles are able to maintain their course heading while effectively firing on targets.

No one was returning their fire, but the instructors taught them in the classroom what they needed to do if they were engaged by hostile forces.

The course included training the Airmen what they should do if an assault on a convoy results in injuries. The Airmen practiced securing an area, treating the wounded and assessing their condition. They also learned how to set up a landing zone for medical evacuation.

“The fundamentals we’re learning keep us better prepared for contingent operations in Iraq,” said Staff Sgt. Lawrence Prieto who is deployed from Peterson AFB, Colo. “A lot of us haven’t gone through this training, and we needed to.”

But armed attacks are not the only threat the course deals with. It also introduces students to improvised explosive devices.

“A good portion of the training is geared toward learning how to deal with IEDs,” Mr. Fracassini said.

One drill they put the students through is a detection drill, where they learn to spot an IED before it detonates, and what to do if one explodes and damages a vehicle.

Regardless of what branch of the military Americans are serving in, those fighting in Iraq and Southwest Asia have one common goal: staying alive. Learning to see there is less of a defining line between the services is part of learning to achieve this goal.

“The Iraqi people need our help,” Sergeant Larson said. “Whether you’re [in the] Air Force or Army, it doesn’t matter. In the end, we’re all one military … fighting the same war together.”