Exercise preps Airmen for urban ops

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kenny Holston
  • 435th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
BAUMHOLDER, Germany --  "Move, move, move!" Shouted the security forces fire team leaders as their squads busted down doors, raiding houses and buildings during an urban operations course Nov. 17 and 18.

The two-day course was part of the overall two-week long Creek Defender course, hosted by the 786th Security Forces Squadron at the Regional Training Center, Sembach Annex, Germany. Creek Defender is conducted two to three times each quarter with intent of preparing security forces personnel for deployment. Each course is broken up into segments - this two-day segment focused on urban operations.

The first day began with 90 security forces troops' falling into formation for an overview of the training to come and what was expected of them throughout the course.

"The training these Airmen will receive during these few days will directly aid them in conducting the mission when deployed," said Tech. Sgt. Mike Herman, 786th Security Forces Squadron Creek Defender instructor. "We expect a robust performance and high tempo participation out of everyone."

After the initial course briefing, Airmen broke into squads and dispersed to stations where they were instructed on different aspects of urban operations. Each station contained a different type of building or house students would have to sweep or raid.

During these operations, the Airmen were made to use several different urban tactical training methods such as "stack," where a fire team of four or more Airmen line up one behind the other in an extremely tight file formation against the house or building they're about to raid. Each Airman had their weapon at the low ready position and waited for instruction to move from their fire team leader.

Another tactic the Airmen practiced was clearing. The method is used to clear houses or buildings while looking for enemy and weapons caches. Each Airman covers one another while moving swiftly through buildings, pointing their weapons at blind spots, like corners, entrances into rooms and stairways.

"Students must be precise with each movement when assaulting on a house or building," said Staff Sgt. Joseph McDowell, 786th SFS Creek Defender instructor. "We never know what's waiting behind that door. Fire crews must be loud and move with speed, surprise and balance of action."

As the exercises progressed, the students became more comfortable with the techniques and were given scenarios to respond to. One example--"Hostile holed up in Residence" -where students had to quickly respond to a report that an armed insurgent had fled into a residential building.

It was the student's job to clear an entire block of buildings in search of the insurgent that fled. During this scenario, students were also timed and forced to move quickly. After finding and detaining the insurgent, students where briefed by their evaluators about their strengths and weaknesses.

"When security forces responds to scenarios like this in a deployed environment they're usually Intel driven," said Sergeant McDowell. "We must react as quickly and accurately as possible so as not to let the insurgent or enemy get away."

While students worked through the five scenarios given to them, they also dealt with "live" enemies. The enemies, or Op 4, were volunteers from different squadrons at Ramstein that helped to make each scenario more realistic. The Op 4 crew was equipped with the same weapons as the students, which consisted of M4 rifles and yellow smoke bombs. Students also dealt with several simulated improvised explosive devices, such as pressure plates and booby-trapped houses.

"Squad 2 pressed through several tough scenarios," said Airman 1st Class Meza, a student in the course. "But we pulled together and worked as a team to execute each mission set in front of us. I'll definitely be able to take what I've learned the past few days and use it in the AOR."

Once all the scenarios were complete, the squads were debriefed on their performance throughout the exercise.

"All of the students performed well throughout the course duration," said Capt. Jason Hardy 786th SFS Regional Training Center officer in charge. "Each Airman participating in the course really needed the training. Not all of the students started off at the 100 percent level, but each of them definitely worked up to that level towards evaluation time.

The captain added that during this particular course, the students had to deal with the additional stress of cold temperatures, "but they remained motivated and ready to go, completing all tasks in front of them."

The course was vital, as most of the Airmen participating will deploy in less than six weeks and be called to apply their tactical warfighting skills and methods downrange.