MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Every career field within the Air Force requires its Airmen to be proficient at their jobs whether they are at home or deployed. For the 6th Security Forces Squadron, at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, leadership has banded together to create a SFS readiness training to meet this proficiency among their defenders.
“SFS readiness training is a three-day course compiled of tasks sent down to us from higher headquarters,” explained Staff Sgt. Jose Chamorro, lead instructor assigned to the 6th SFS. “Instructors within the squadron decided to take these taskings and create a three-day course that offers hands-on training and scenario-based training on integrated defense, and mounted and dismounted operations.”
According to Chamorro, the purpose of the readiness training is to address any training gaps defenders may have and prepare them for regional training.
“The only downfall to the defenders going to these regional trainings is they have strict time restraints,” said Chamorro. “Within these specific time blocks, instructors generally train, evaluate, and provide feedback.
“During training here, at home station, we can train, evaluate, train, evaluate, and continue training until the Airmen become proficient.”
The course is divided into three phases: crawl, walk, and run.
In the crawl phase, defenders spend an entire day in a classroom setting to address what they already know. This classroom portion provides them clarification on anything they may not quite understand.
Day two, the walk phase, consists of hands-on training.
Instructors possessing significant amounts of experience lead individual teams and work with them directly.
“Having this local training, allows it to be more personalized,” said Chamorro. “The Airmen know the NCOs and already have a rapport with them.
“They are able to hear more personal experiences and get hands-on training with those NCOs and be able to feel more comfortable asking questions.”
For the final phase, day three, defenders are expected to execute the knowledge they’ve acquired during a scenario simulation.
“Getting the Airmen proficient at conducting combat procedures and integrated base defense procedures, is our objective as instructors,” added Chamorro. “With the additional time we can spend on training, we can train to a higher standard.”
Aside from this course, defenders throughout the 6th SFS perform combat training throughout the year.
“I think this three-day course has been extremely productive,” said Airman 1st Class Aaron Carr, an entry controller assigned to the 6th SFS. “We also had a chance to work with other members from different squadrons.
“I don’t get to see many people due to my current schedule, so it’s been fun getting to work with personnel from medical, vehicle operations, and the communications squadron. This is a great thing for Team MacDill.”