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Street Fighter 101: Training for Battles of the Future
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Story and photo by Senior
Airman Stephen Hudson
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Members of a support
squad provide rear security for another squad as it enters a building
looking for opposing forces in an exercise at Camp Blanding.
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CAMP BLANDING, Fla. — Members of the 820th Security Forces Group from
Moody Air
Force Base recently descended on the Florida National Guard’s training
site at Camp Blanding to sharpen their skills in urban warfare.
This type of training has become vital to the U.S. military in recent
years with the Marines
and the Army
leading the way, and now the Air Force has begun training their ground
forces for the battlefield of the 21st century.
“We put them through a variety of scenarios designed to test basic skills,
then we throw in different situations to see what their decision-making
abilities are,” said Master Sgt. Robert Derrick, who oversees training
for the group. “Our main goal is to ensure they get the best training
they can and stay ahead of our enemies as far as tactics and techniques.”
Besides MOUT (Military Operations in Urbanized Warfare) training, the
143 airmen split into different areas to train at the automated rifle
range and land navigation course, said Derrick.
In carefully orchestrated attacks, the airmen moved through the 16-building
MOUT training facility looking for Opposing Forces (OPFOR) in the Florida
heat. The OPFOR was made up of members from the 820th who acted as “aggressors”
from the fictional Hiz Biz Islamic Front.
Under the watchful eye of observers, the squads made their way from building
to building engaging the aggressors in the different scenarios.
Senior Airman Edward Staystork, an assistant fire team leader, leaned
forward at the ready with his M-16A2 pointed toward a building with aggressors
in it. “Hey, I saw someone moving” called out the squad leader over the
din of the firefight.
As part of the scenario, the OPFOR had fallen back, regrouped and attacked
the unsuspecting teams.
Once the training was over, the squad leaders went over what went right
and wrong with their teams.
An assault force from the 820th Security Forces Group prepares to storm a building at the Camp Blanding Military Operations for Urbanized Terrain (MOUT) training facility.
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To the members of the 820th this is not the typical
training for security forces squadrons. “We are charged with a little
bit different job than the rest of the Air Force," said Senior Airman
Daniel Tyler, a radio telephone operator. “With the operations tempo and
the way we do things now, it is necessary to have an organic force within
the Air Force to do this type of security.”
Tyler added that air base ground defense is the main mission for the 820th
and is more in line with what the Army does.
The 73,000-acre Camp Blanding is the Florida National Guard’s training
site and supports training for National Guard and active-duty units from
throughout the United States, military from foreign countries, and state,
federal and local law enforcement agencies.
“Camp Blanding provides realistic training facilities for units who are
getting ready to deploy for real world contingencies,” said Capt. Cecil
Cauley, a range control officer. “Camp Blanding is great for training
because we have a variety of terrains: everything from simulated desert
environment to low land woodlands and swamp.”
According to Derrick, members of the 820th are preparing for deployment
to an Operation Enduring Freedom location later this year. “If there’s
a hot spot in the world and the Air Force wants the best anti-terrorism,
force protection unit in place then they call the 820th,” Derrick said.
© 2004 Defend America. All opinions
expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily reflect
those of Military.com.
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