435 SFS kicks off exercise Frozen Defender

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Estaban Gonawicha, 435th Security Forces Squadron ground combat readiness training center instructor, poses for a photo before exercise Frozen Defender in Grostenquin, France, Jan. 14, 2020. Frozen Defender tests the squadron’s capabilities in a contested environment under harsh conditions. Gonawicha was equipped with an AT4, an 84-mm unguided anti-tank weapon, which could be used to disable armored vehicles. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Devin Boyer)

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435 SFS kicks off exercise Frozen Defender

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Andrew Gibson, 435th Security Forces Squadron ground combat readiness training center course chief, pulls rear security while walking to a rally point during exercise Frozen Defender in Grostenquin, France, Jan. 14, 2020. Frozen Defender tests the squadron’s capabilities in a contested environment under harsh conditions. Volunteers from the 86th Security Forces Squadron participated in the exercise to provide opposition forces for the 435th SFS Defenders. The opposition forces concealed themselves in the wooded areas surrounding the site. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Devin Boyer)

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435 SFS kicks off exercise Frozen Defender

U.S. Airmen assigned to the 435th Security Forces Squadron carry their supplies to a rally point during exercise Frozen Defender in Grostenquin, France, Jan. 14, 2020. Frozen Defender tests the squadron’s capabilities in a contested environment under harsh conditions. The Defenders quietly entered the training site in formation while providing security from all directions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Devin Boyer)

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435 SFS kicks off exercise Frozen Defender

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Quintan Ortega, 435th Security Forces Squadron contingency response fire-team leader, leads a squad to a rally point during exercise Frozen Defender in Grostenquin, France, Jan. 14, 2020. Frozen Defender tests the squadron’s capabilities in a contested environment under harsh conditions. The training location is among several sites which are shared between the U.S., French and German air forces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Devin Boyer)

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435 SFS kicks off exercise Frozen Defender

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Daniel Waller, 435th Security Forces Squadron ground combat readiness training center course chief, carries a rucksack containing the necessary equipment for exercise Frozen Defender in Grostenquin, France, Jan. 14, 2020. Frozen Defender tests the squadron’s capabilities in a contested environment under harsh conditions. The exercise challenged the Defenders’ ability to deter potential threats and ensure the safety of their fellow Airmen. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Devin Boyer)

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435 SFS kicks off exercise Frozen Defender

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Tidwell, 435th Security Forces Squadron contingency response fire-team member, tests his rifle before exercise Frozen Defender in Grostenquin, France, Jan. 14, 2020. Frozen Defender tests the squadron’s capabilities in a contested environment under harsh conditions. Tidwell and his comrades were equipped with blank rounds to improve the realism and immersion of the training. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Devin Boyer)

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435 SFS kicks off exercise Frozen Defender

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Anthony Salvione, 435th Security Forces Squadron ground combat readiness training center instructor, sorts through supplies before exercise Frozen Defender in Grostenquin, France, Jan. 14, 2020. Frozen Defender tests the squadron’s capabilities in a contested environment under harsh conditions. The 435th SFS Defenders came prepared with cold-weather gear to combat the lower temperatures which allowed them to train longer, and perform night operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Devin Boyer)

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435 SFS kicks off exercise Frozen Defender

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Mark Melchiori, 435th Security Forces Squadron contingency response fire-team leader, hoists a rucksack over his head after stepping off a bus for exercise Frozen Defender in Grostenquin, France, Jan. 14, 2020. Frozen Defender tests the squadron’s capabilities in a contested environment under harsh conditions. The 435th SFS Defenders must be physically prepared to carry more than 70 lbs of equipment into these environments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Devin Boyer)

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435 SFS kicks off exercise Frozen Defender

A U.S. Air Force combat arms instructor assigned to the 435th Security Forces Squadron, right, hands a smoke grenade to a Defender in preparation for exercise Frozen Defender in Grostenquin, France, Jan. 14, 2020. Frozen Defender tests the squadron’s capabilities in a contested environment under harsh conditions. To provide realism to the exercise, the squadron utilized blank rounds and smoke grenades. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Devin Boyer)

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435 SFS kicks off exercise Frozen Defender

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Estaban Gonawicha, 435th Security Forces Squadron ground combat readiness training center instructor, arrives to Grostenquin, France, with his comrades for exercise Frozen Defender, Jan. 14, 2020. Frozen Defender tests the squadron’s capabilities in a contested environment under harsh conditions. Upon arrival to Grostenquin, Gonawicha and his comrades had to carry their supplies across the terrain while providing security along the way. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Devin Boyer)

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435 SFS kicks off exercise Frozen Defender

A U.S. Air Force heavy-machine gun operator assigned to the 435th Security Forces Squadron provides security for his comrades during exercise Frozen Defender in Grostenquin, France, Jan. 14, 2020. Frozen Defender tests the squadron’s capabilities in a contested environment under harsh conditions. The 435th SFS Defenders use a myriad of weapons to ensure they are ready to face any adversarial threat. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Devin Boyer)

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435 SFS kicks off exercise Frozen Defender

Published Jan. 17, 2020
By Staff Sgt. Devin Boyer
86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

GROSTENQUIN, France -- U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Estaban Gonawicha, 435th Security Forces Squadron ground combat readiness training center instructor, poses for a photo before exercise Frozen Defender in Grostenquin, France, Jan. 14, 2020. Frozen Defender tests the squadron’s capabilities in a contested environment under harsh conditions. Gonawicha was equipped with an AT4, an 84-mm unguided anti-tank weapon, which could be used to disable armored vehicles. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Devin Boyer)