Deployed security forces Airmen keep skills honed

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Thirty-nine Airmen from the 380th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron employed training tactics Friday to clear a "hostile" area of "enemy forces" at the compound here.

Members of the 380th ESFS practiced clearing enemy personnel from urban areas during fire-team training in and around buildings at the security forces compound. More than 110 Airmen ran the course over a one-week period.

Some members of the team posed as terrorists who were disguised as street sweepers and civilians. They were placed sporadically on sidewalks and in rooms throughout the area, some with weapons and some without. The actors were used to test the team's ability to peacefully take down and secure targets with minimal force while protecting innocent civilians.

"I love this training," said Airman 1st Class Patrick Richard, fire team member. "I enjoy the morale it inspires. I hope my teammates and I -- from (Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio) -- are doing our part to raise morale for the squadron, too."

The trainees used team movements and formations such as moving around corners of buildings while securing the areas around and above them.

"It's really important for us to become more familiar with team movements and formations in urban surroundings," said Airman Richard. "The training keeps us sharp in case we encounter any of these scenarios in the future."

The various fire teams took turns going through the set, making their way through breezeways and stairwells into small, dark cluttered rooms. The security forces Airmen had to keep their senses sharp as they encountered a man sweeping the sidewalk with a "dummy gun" hidden in the waist of his trousers.

The weapons used by both the good and bad guys are unserviceable weapons. The trainers ensure the scene is 100-percent safe leaving no room for error.

"Our first concern is for the safety of our Airmen," said Tech. Sgt. Chad Roberts, 380th ESFS assistant flight chief. "Our second concern is to make sure our security forces members have every tool possible to do their job."

Sergeant Roberts said the safety aspect follows naturally if the training is done right. He watches over the training and prepares fire teams before they enter any "hostile areas."

The sweeper and his partner were apprehended but a sniper on a nearby roof went unnoticed. A trainer approached the team and discussed tactics on how to respond to the gunman.

The four-man team pressed forward and performed formation tactics around the corner of a building. They discovered an armed man laying under a grated floor in a breezeway. Their application of the training enabled them to immobilize the man while sustaining no injuries to the team.

"As a whole, the training makes us stronger as wingmen and as protectors of the United States," Airman Richard said. "When we do actual hands-on activities it brings us a sense of readiness that allows us to use our minds and interact with simulated fire teams."

The final step in the training brought each four-man team to a room at the top of an outdoor stairwell. The Airmen got into position and simulated tossing a flash-bang grenade into the room before entering. Three gunmen were apprehended in the room.
The scenarios must be kept realistic and challenging to keep the trainees interested and to test their strengths, according to Sergeant Roberts. "I look forward to every opportunity to pass experience and knowledge on to the Airmen," he said. "Eventually some of these younger security forces members will be replacing me. I hope they approach it with the same motivation."

The 380th ESFS takes the responsibility to defend the installation, its tenants and assets seriously. The members train every day while at work during their deployment here via exercises while also conducting formal monthly training such as the fire-team training.

"There are experienced people here and those who are on their first deployment, too," acknowledged Airman Richard. "They depend on security forces to bring them back home to their families."

The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing maintains its mission and fulfills the air tasking order each day. The 380th ESFS Airmen will continue to hone their skills to ensure the assets and the people who perform the ATO will remain secure.