Photo By Master Sgt. Morgan Whitehouse | Security Forces Airmen from the 128th Air Refueling Wing, Wisconsin Air National...... read more read more
Subscribe
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Ala.- Approximately 30 Airmen with the Security Forces Squadron of the 128th Air Refueling Wing, Wisconsin Air National Guard, journeyed to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, for annual training July 8-23, 2018.
Job skill excellence and mission readiness are imperative to the success of the U.S. Air Force. Although Airmen from the Air National Guard, an essential component of the Air Force, have a fraction of the time to train due to part-time status, they continue to meet and exceed the same unrelenting standards of active duty due to a force-wide dedication to ‘Excellence in All We Do.’
Motivated to maintain the Air National Guard’s esteemed reputation, Security Forces Airmen from the 128 ARW participate in annual training to stay current and proficient in their career field. Typically, the 128 ARW SFS conducts annual training at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin, however, this year, the troops traveled thousands of miles northwest to train at JBER located in the country’s ‘Last Frontier:’ Alaska.
“Going to Alaska for training gave us the opportunity to practice planning and packing the appropriate gear and equipment to successfully deploy to another area of operations,” said Master Sgt. Joshua Justman, the unit training manager for the 128 ARW SFS.
A far cry from the low, rolling hills of Wisconsin, Alaska challenged 128 ARW SFS Airmen both mentally and physically with mountainous terrain, high elevation, and an inclement climate as well as tested their ability to adapt to nearly constant daylight due to the summer solstice.
Over the 15-day training mission, the Airmen learned, practiced, and mastered their skills in land navigation, firearm marksmanship, hand-to-hand combatives, and improvised explosive device detection and deterrence.
“The training here exposed us to new experiences outside of our normal duty operations,” said Justman. "Ultimately, this diversified our skill sets and made us more capable to accommodate a broader range of missions.”
Deploying for training to Alaska was the first time 128 ARW SFS Airman 1st Class Hannah Dennis traveled with the unit.
“Before leaving, I was anxious because I didn’t know what to expect,” said Dennis. “Once we got here and I heard what we were going to be doing, I got excited to try new things like driving in a Humvee convoy and qualifying on a machine gun for the first time. This is a type of training we almost never get to do back home.”
Security Forces Airmen from the 182nd Airlift Wing, Illinois Air National Guard also trained alongside the 128 ARW SFS Airmen.
“I have been with Security Forces at the 182nd for over two years now and this was the second time I have deployed for training with another unit,” said Senior Airman Blake Wascher.
Wascher was one of five Security Forces Airmen from the 182 AW that attached to the 128 ARW SFS to train in Alaska.
“I always get a little nervous before coming on these kind of trips because every unit’s dynamic is different and I'm the new guy,” said Wascher. “But the 128th welcomed me and my unit and we began to work together seamlessly from the start.”
Joint-unit training allows Airmen to give and receive feedback from their Security Forces counterparts stationed at different military bases. Furthermore, this allied effort also mimics a deployed task force that often consists of active duty, reserve, and guard Airmen, service members from other branches, and coalition partners.
“When units deploy, there needs to be instantaneous unit cohesion so that the mission can be accomplished as soon as possible,” said Justman. “That’s exactly what we aimed to train our Airmen to do here by having them work together with other units to achieve one goal.”
“The training here was awesome, but I think the most important thing I learned was how important team work is when deploying," said Dennis. “Almost none of us had been to Alaska before so we had to rely on each other to figure out how to get things done just like we would have to do if we deployed overseas.”
Through performing annual training in various locations and conditions, 128 ARW Airmen are equipped with the skills to always be ready to adapt, overcome, and succeed in any mission state-side or worldwide.
“Whenever we deploy somewhere, we want to put our best foot forward and represent our unit with honor,” said Justman. “I'm proud to say that the unit did just that here. It’s just like the stages of team building say, initially we went through our storming phase when we made mistakes, but soon began forming as a unit as we overcame those mistakes, and now we are performing as a highly-skilled, capable team ready for any mission that comes our way.”
| Date Taken: | 07.24.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 08.10.2018 10:26 |
| Story ID: | 288204 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, AK, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Defenders Train in the 'Last Frontier', by MSgt Morgan Whitehouse, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT