Defenders train to fight

BOISE, ID, UNITED STATES

03.10.2015

Story by Senior Airman Cassidy Morlock 

124th Fighter Wing

BOISE, Idaho - Airmen from the 124th Security Forces Squadron recently participated in an annual Shoot, Move and Communicate exercise. The specialized training took place at the Combined Arms Collective Training Facility (CACTF) located within the Orchard Combat Training Center (OCTC) near Gowen Field, Idaho.

Close Quarters Battle training begins with Tech. Sgt. Mathew Quinlan, a security forces craftsman, walking the Airmen through different building clearing tactics such as “pieing” a doorway, staying out of the fatal funnel, door kicks, use of door prying tools, and movement between buildings.

“My goal is to keep Close Quarters Battle tactics aggressive and simple. I have found that the more “rules” instructors give troops, the worse they perform.” Quinlan said. “We have a lot of studs (men and women alike). I like to let them think for themselves and come up with their own answers in a combat environment. I’m trying to build fighters not followers.”

The fire-team tactfully maneuvers down the stairs of the old police station where the airmen have already encountered and destroyed two active shooters. The overwhelming stench of rotting flesh burns through your nose, culturally appropriate music playing outside and the shrieking sound of a child crying. The fire team clears old jail cells, and they find a secret torture room with dead bodies and a lifelike infant hooked up to wires.

“Adding smells changes everything. When you pass through a meat market and smell the meat or enter a room with dead bodies and smell rotting flesh, hear babies crying, and music playing your senses go nuts,” Quinlan said. “It helps prep our troops for the realities they might face when deployed. Being prepped in advance will also help them adjust better to life after seeing combat.”

Tech. Sgt. Michael Jenkins, a security forces craftsman, led his training covering an active shooter scenario inside a building. Airmen were faced with fire immediately upon entrance, where they had to distinguish and destroy the lone shooter among a large group of people.

“The overall primary objective of our Shoot, Move and Communicate training is to teach and practice team communication and tactics,” Jenkins said. “The use of the CACTF, combined with the dye marking cartridges allows us to create a more realistic atmosphere to train force on force.”

“With the help of the CACTF, we were able to include some ‘stress inoculation’ into all of the training. This will assist our warriors in negotiating various situations and conditions, should they arise, during a real world gun fight.”

Senior Airman Jessica Farrias, a security forces journeyman, led a group of Airmen through a basic skills course covering how to safely and effectively handle their weapon in close quarters, load and reload in a possible hostile situation and maneuvering techniques.

“SMC is an important part of our training because it allows us to be able to efficiently communicate, tactically maneuver, and neutralize the threat with any force that we integrate with, whether it involves other branches of military or civilian police forces.” Farrias said. “This way the 124 SFS unit can make an effective decision to detect and defend against any enemies.”

• Date Taken: 03.10.2015
• Date Posted: 04.15.2015 11:07
• Story ID: 160028
• Location: BOISE, ID, US