MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. — The 452nd Security Forces Squadron, March ARB, recently completed a week-long Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) training at the School of Infantry West (SOI West), Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.
The MOUT training was led by Maj. David McManis, the commander of the 452nd SFS, and Capt. Michael Brown, operations officer , who aimed to enhance their team’s tactical combat skills by simulating real-world combat situations in a mock mountain village.
"Our goal with MOUT training was to simulate real-life situations and create a shoot, move, communicate style of operation," explained Brown. "We want our team to respond to scenarios in an urban environment, analyzing the area and adapting to the unfolding situation. This type of training is crucial for our evolving mission and prepares us for larger strategic missions."
The unpredictable nature of the training ensured that the squadron is well-prepared to handle any situation they may encounter in the field.
“We blast music really loud, so it makes it hard to communicate and they have to use hand communication,” said McManis. “The training really takes them out of their comfort zone, and by the end of it, they're a ball of sweat. You're not lifting anything, but you're running, you're crawling, you're doing all these different things. It’s great training.”
During the training, the 452nd SFS Defenders were visited by Col. Erik L. Aufderheide, commander of the 452nd Air Mobility Wing, and Chief Master Sgt. Octavio Ortiz, 452nd AMW command chief, who played opposing forces in the exercises by turning their Operational Camouflage Pattern blouses inside out, putting on their safety gear, running across building tops, and diving into the prone position.
“Having that leadership come down and see what we do firsthand is super beneficial for us,” said Brown. “When they have questions about our operations, they can see first-hand what we're doing downrange.”
As the squadron continues to evolve and expand its mission, they are planning to incorporate different environments into future training scenarios, McManis explained. “We may be looking at jungle environments. There's a lot of different environments where we may be called upon to use these skills.”
McManis hopes that his teams’ completion of MOUT training will reinforce how seriously the 452nd SFS takes their responsibilities.
“There’s so much more to what we do that people don’t know about,” he said. Defending this base, preparing to go defend other bases in any part of the world at any time so that the mission can happen. Without the protection the mission can’t happen. We want to get the message out there that we take defending this base very seriously, and we’re going to continue to do so.
| Date Taken: | 06.25.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 07.24.2023 12:44 |
| Story ID: | 447922 |
| Location: | MARCH AIR FORCE BASE, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 75 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 452nd Security Forces Squadron Enhances Combat Skills With Military Operations in Urban Terrain Training, by SSgt Micah Coate, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
LEAVE A COMMENT