Security Forces participate in Patriot Defender Published May 31, 2006 By SrA Jonathan Jones 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind -- Intense; preparation. These two words summarize the training that 13 members of the 434th Security Forces Squadron recently received while attending the Patriot Defender course at Camp Swift, Texas The course is a 12 day Air Force Reserve Command exercise for security forces that is required every three years. In addition, this year the AFRC has included chaplains in the training where they receive ground combat skills training and chaplain service specific training, while providing “real world” spiritual guidance to the students. “This is basically training for ground combat,” said Tech. Sgt. Scott Yaden, team leader and member of the 434th Security Forces Squadron. The 434th SFS was part of the alpha flight, which was made up of four other security forces squadrons from Colorado, Ohio, and Texas. In addition, the flight was made up of flight leaders, first sergeants, squad leaders, and fire team leaders that took classes which emphasized leadership skills, so they can effectively lead troops when deployed, Sergeant Yaden said. Broken down into three phases, the training consisted of various exercises testing map and compass, land navigation, night vision, confidence course, patrolling, convoy operations, and military operations in urban terrain — a 22 hour field training exercise, clearing and defending an area. The final training exercise lasted 60 hours. The students demonstrated the skills learned during phases one and two by defending a sector, conducting patrol operations, and convoy operations. “The techniques learned here are lessons learned over there [Iraq],” said Tech. Sgt. George Sartor, an instructor with the 610th SFS Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Texas. These lessons are applied to the course, so that younger airmen will have the skills when deployed, added Staff Sgt. Michael McCovery, an instructor with the 610th SFS. “The most exciting part [the training] is being here with the troops; just having fun with them. We have a lot of younger Airmen, and helping them learn is the best part,” said Tech. Sgt. David Rooke, fire team leader and member of the 434th SFS. Tech. Sgt. David Douglass, fire team leader and member of the 434th SFS, was proud of his team’s performance after completing the land navigation exercise. His team included 434th SFS members Senior Airman Patrick Barringer, Senior Airman William Wright, and Staff. Sgt. Shenika Poindexter. “My favorite part [the training] so far was the confidence course,” Sergeant Poindexter said, while Airman Wright preferred firing the M-4 rifle. During the convoy operations class, the younger airmen were encouraged to construct their own convoy. While junior and senior non-commissioned officers may have more experience in convoy operations, having the younger airmen step up and provide their ideas allows for change that improves the overall quality of the security force’s operations Air Force wide, said Staff Sgt. Larry Sanchez, an instructor and member of the 610th SFS. For the 13 Grissom members, the preparation was indeed intense.
