Mildenhall SF members receive realistic deployment training

  • Published
  • By Karen Abeyasekere
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE MILDENHALL, England (USAFENS) --  Crawling around the wet grass in England may not, at first glance, compare much to being downrange in hostile territory, but for 13 members of the 100th Security Forces Squadron here, it felt pretty real.

Spending between 12 to 15 hours each day at the Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, training complex March 21 to 25, as the Airmen rode around in Highly Mobile Multi-Wheeled Vehicles, with their faces covered in camouflage paint, they confronted ambushes and dealt with improvised explosive devices.

Though the drizzly weather might be different here than in Iraq, the combat readiness skills they were learning are as close as possible to those used downrange, said Senior Airman Robert Horton, 100th SFS, who spent six months in Iraq last year.

“This training is very accurate to what I’ve experienced downrange. Being out here (at the Mildenhall training complex) is a good training tool and has definitely improved my skills,” he said. “It definitely gets you in the mind-set you need when you’re about to deploy.”

The combat readiness force training is a five-day course, held two weeks each month. It was developed by the squadron two years ago to support the 123 hours required to meet annual training standards. According to Air Force Instruction 36-2225, Security Forces Training and Standardization Evaluation, all SFS members are required to have 123 hours of ground combat skills.

“We provide localized training, and we’re the only unit in (U.S. Air Forces in Europe ) to have its own combat readiness force instructors,” said Senior Airman Dustin Goodwin, one of two training instructors for the course.

There are different levels of training, including Creek Defender, at Sembach Air Base, Germany , and Level 2 training in the United States. Mildenhall training complex is a great asset to the squadron’s training, and also saves money, said Airman Goodwin.

The instructors teach ground combat skills by using their own personal experiences of being downrange and attending a week-long “train-the-trainer” class at Sembach AB.

“Downrange, the terrain is different (than here), but we teach these guys as though they’re going to the desert,” said Senior Airman Russell Whitmore, Combat Readiness Force training instructor. “We set up scenarios and teach them how to react when they’re being attacked, or see explosive devices. We train like we fight and fight like we train –– aggressively, but safely. We want to bring as many troops as we can back home, but we also have to ensure the mission gets done.”

The week-long training also includes nighttime patrols, use of night vision goggles, and a reconnaissance patrol, during which the troops have to go outside friendly lines to get information, and bring it back to higher headquarters.

“Folks who’ve been downrange give us critiques and feedback on the training we’ve given them and how they implemented it there,” said Airman Goodwin. “Their information means we can change our training as necessary, so folks deploying in the future get the ‘real deal’ guidance they need. (People) who’ve deployed to Iraq before often say how realistic our training is.”

The entire squadron, from the Airmen right up to the commander, realizes how important this training is to those deploying.

“I’m not going to send these (Airmen) downrange without the best weapons and the best training,” said Lt. Col. Paul Harris, 100th SFS commander. “This training helps build my confidence level, knowing my people are prepared for all eventualities.”