Creek Defender course prepares students

A convoy of HUMVEEs transport Creek Defender students to a training facility, Oct. 15, 2013, Baumholder, Germany. Students participating in the Creek Defender course must pass a 24-section evaluation to prepare them for deployed environments around the world. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Jordan Castelan)

Creek Defender course prepares students

Airman 1st Class David Vasquez, 355th Security Forces Squadron creek defender course trainee, fires a slap flare during a night combat tactics class, Oct. 15, 2013, Baumholder Air Field, Germany. Vasquez was part of a 98-student class undergoing training to prepare them for deployed conditions around the world. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Jordan Castelan)

Creek Defender prepares defenders

Published Oct. 16, 2013
By Airman 1st Class Jordan Castelan
86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- Creek Defender cadres from the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing, operating out of Baumholder, began to ready 98 security forces members at the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa's only Ground Combat Readiness Training Center, before deploying throughout the world.

Cadres are tasked with ensuring all security forces members are capable of performing 24 core security forces tasks, ranging from nighttime operations, fire control measures and urban operations. Creek Defender readies 900 to 1,200 deployers of all ranks every year.

"This is the only location suitable for such an in depth and realistic level of training," said Senior Master Sgt. Brian Johnson, 435th Security Forces Squadron operations superintendent. "We train up 1,200 defenders a year, eight to nine classes per year and are responsible for training nearly a quarter of all SF's deployers before they reach their overseas locations."

The GCRTC shoulders the responsibility of ensuring a fully capable environment to build team and leadership capabilities for their students, as well as meeting an Air Force level theater entry requirement.

"Students have to go through our class before being allowed entry to their theaters of operations," said Tech. Sgt. Shane St Laurent, 435th SFS GCRTC flight chief. "We provide an opportunity for every Airman to strengthen their team-building experience and build the leadership skills necessary down range."

Skills enforced at the GCRTC to ensure a safe and successful mission are drilled into the forefront of every student's mind to form quick and decisive decisions.

"We are reaffirming the muscle memory of all the defenders here," said Tech. Sgt. Christopher Alcala, 435th SFS GCRTC operations NCO in charge. "The classes should enforce everything they've already been trained on, fine tune the motions they run through and end up possibly saving lives."