SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Twelve Airmen from the 375th Air Mobility Wing recently completed the first rendition of a Warrior Airman Readiness course designed to enhance combat readiness and warrior ethos.
The course, held June 6-12, provided the Airmen with life-sustaining skills such as Tactical Combat Casualty Care, responding to direct and indirect fire, as well as gas mask and protective covering procedures.
“The intent was to come up with a course that would reinforce basic warrior skills while earning certificates for some of our readiness requirements,” said Senior Master Sgt. Stephane Beck, 375th Civil Engineer Squadron operations engineering superintendent. This hands-on course, he added, was a way to build onto the computer-based training modules for better “muscle memory.”
Currently, students have the opportunity to volunteer as the course is offered within their organizations. This can be advantageous for Airmen getting ready to deploy or coming due on annual career field specific training. Each course graduate will leave with the following certificates: CPR, TCCC, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and high yield Explosive, or CBRNE.
In addition to these certificates, the Airmen also trained in the cantonment area at Scott, which is modeled after a deployed base with minimal infrastructure. This by design, prepares Airmen for deployments and gives the training a realistic feel while still being in a safe and controlled environment.
Staff Sgt. Andre Boulware, a participant from the 375th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, said the course reminded him how to don the MOPP gear [protective wear], how to cover assets in the event of an attack, and how to [decontaminate] without a decontamination line.
“The most challenging part was being out in the field,” he said. “It was challenging because I am not an outdoor kind of person, but having a warrior mindset helped me overcome it. I was reminded that we have to practice how we fight – that our enemies aren’t worried about being comfortable.”
Feedback from the Airmen was positive and many said they felt more prepared for deployments, however, Beck said his team is already looking for ways to improve the training.
“We held this first class to generate some lessons learned so that we can grow the course in the future and make it better with each iteration. One of the great things about Scott Air Force Base is the level of innovation from everyone here. It's great to see, and [with this collaboration] we will ensure that we provide them the right level of training to [be prepared for real world deployments].”