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SFS Airmen take part in force-on-force training

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Montse Ramirez
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  A cloud of green smoke, the sound of a screeching fire-alarm and gun shots all sound off at once. Hindrances aside, 509th Security Forces Squadron members strategically move into the warehouse to terminate their threat.

More than 100 security forces Airmen took part in an annual force-on-force training exercise June 18 at the weapons storage area at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.

"The purpose of the exercise is to give security forces members a more realistic scenario and understanding of how real events could unfold," said Tech. Sgt. Kyle Choate, 509th SFS assistant NCO in charge of training . "We train as much as possible because we want to instill muscle memory into these guys. We want it to be second nature to them."

Security forces are required to do at least one exercise a year, he said. They try to exceed the standard with doing as many as they can in a year, but can be a complex task with the high operations tempo.

Sergeant Choate said the proactive attitude they have about exceeding the standard is what helped them obtain the 2009 Outstanding Large Security Forces Squadron unit award.

"In this training we have a (simulated) enemy inside the WSA shooting blanks, which allows our guys get a feel for shots fired," said Sergeant Choate. "It gives our assault force leaders and our area supervisors an idea of something to prepare for."

It is very important for security forces members to know how to react in case of chaos occurring he said.

"Aggressors firing blanks forces the Airmen to move and communicate more than usual," said Sergeant Choate.

The training is meant to put young Airmen in charge and see how they handle being placed in leadership positions.

"We want all our guys to know the same thing," said Sergeant Choate. "If a technical sergeant out on the field goes down, a senior airman or an airman first class needs to know what needs to be done. This lets our young Airmen be the leaders of tomorrow."

An Airman who did just that was Senior Airman Trevor Kious, a security forces member who was part of the backup force team, took charge when the initial entry force team was defeated.

As soon as Airman Kious saw he was the highest-ranking member standing, he quickly started to delegate and call out orders to his fellow Airmen. Soon after, the three simulated enemies were terminated.

"It's what we do on a daily basis; we have to perfect it," said Airman Kious. "We must protect our priority resources. Once we know what we need to do, it's an adrenaline rush. You just go through it step-by-step "

With final shots fired and the cloud of green smoke now a mere memory, security forces members prep for their debrief.

"Everything went like clockwork," said Sergeant Choate. "They really impressed us."