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Travis begins combat skills training

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Candy Knight
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Imagine you're in a non-traditional Air Force role, driving a convoy through a deserted portion of Southwest Asia, when suddenly, the sound of gun fire crackles the air.

What do you do?

The 60th Security Forces Squadron has recently begun a two-day combat skills training course designed to teach Travis Airmen exactly what to do when in a combat situation.

"The goal of our course is to provide our students with a basic skill set that they can draw on if they are ever exposed to a force protection situation while deployed," said Tech. Sgt. Tyler Brown, course instructor.

According to Sergeant Brown, in accordance with Air Force and Air Mobility Command regulations, all Travis Airmen will attend combat skills training once every twenty months.

Travis' course in divided into two sections.

The first section is standard classroom instruction where students are taught individual combat movements, combat troop formations, hand signals, low and high crawling, and various combat skills.

"Basically this is a crash course on combat survivability," Sergeant Brown said.

After the classroom portion, students must demonstrate the lessons they've learned during an all-day field training exercise.

After being divided into two separate units, the squads must first decide on a squad leader.

According to Sergeant Brown, in a combat situation, the squad leader is typically the highest ranking individual.

However, to ensure everyone knows how to lead in a combat situation, course instructors randomly select squad leaders, regardless of rank.

"We try to ensure that everyone, from colonel to airman basic, knows and understands what must be done in order to survive," he said.

As the squads head out into the field on a random area survey mission, they are "attacked" by "insurgents," played convincingly by volunteers from the 60th SFS' Ravens. The Ravens are part of a special 60th SFS' flight that provides security for aircraft and aircrew who fly into hostile areas where there is little to no security protection.

For added realism, both the students and "insurgents" are armed with modified M-16s rifles and blank ammunition. The "insurgents" are also equipped with "hand grenades."

According to Sergeant Brown, the reason for the realism is to see how the students react.

"We gave them the tools, now it time to see how they used them," he said.

After battling the "insurgents," the students are given a quick lesson in the proper handling of prisoners of war.

The course's realism and its importance has not been lost on the students.

"My only complaint is that it isn't long enough," said Staff Sgt. Adam Crockett, 60th Contracting Squadron. "It puts me in more of a stressful situation than I'm use to, but it is very beneficial and practical."

"Because we (Airmen) are no longer in the 'rear with the gear,' but in the middle of combat, this is an important course for Airmen to have because it teaches you how to act quickly and make clear, and sound decisions when under fire," said Lt. Col. Glen Savory, 60th Mission Support Group deputy commander. "It's also a lot of fun."

Sergeant Brown added that the ultimate purpose of the course is to give the students the proper techniques and skills to react to a combat situation with good judgment and common sense.

"We want them to return home to their loved ones safe, alive and with honor," he said.