Insurgents ensure security forces are ready

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Steve Bailey
  • 301st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
NAS JRB FORT WORTH, Texas --  U.S. Military security forces are trained to be ready always – period.
     This was put to task Nov. 5 when the 301st Fighter Wing went head to head with the Lewisville S.W.A.T. team in a 24-hour test of security forces training conducted within a bare-base urban terrain environment.
     Picture this: A lone insurgent has taken position in an abandoned building where repeated automatic weapon fire is then directed towards a U.S. security forces team patrolling the area. The team that is trained to take evasive actions, works systematically to locate the intruder, return fire, secure the area, surround and enter the building, and then wait for the “all clear – intruder down.”
     Repeated scenarios like this one, along with nighttime firefights, attacks, and rescue activities, were just a few of the events that rounded out the weekend’s exercise.
     “The purpose for the weekend was to provide realistic training scenarios enabling the wing to keep at the forefront of their readiness capability,” said Tech. Sgt. Ron Zumwalt, 301st Security Forces Squadron and event team coordinator.
     Joining the event were several other 301st agencies including teams from the 701st Medical Squadron and the 301st Civil Engineer Squadron. Together they worked, alongside the Lewisville S.W.A.T., testing their offensive and defensive measures. “We couldn’t have asked for better support from Lewisville – they provided us with realistic intruder scenarios that will only go to strengthen our abilities,” Sergeant Zumwalt said.
     The exercise location was depicted to team players as an area which had been utilized as a weapons and munitions cache by local indigenous enemy forces for the past 36 months. However, during the past 30 days, local intelligence sources have revealed that the site has been abandoned for no known reason. Intelligence sources believe the forces have intentionally left the site, knowing that coalition forces will attempt to utilize the area.
     Sergeant Zumwalt explained once the forces entered the exercise location, they keyed on successfully performing these tasks: military operations in urban terrain; full spectrum threat reduction; leadership decision making in a non-traditional environment; integrated base defense; small unit tactics; integration of civilian law enforcement elements; and interpretation of intelligence data from various sources.
     “We did a great job in performance and in learning specific training methods,” said Sergeant Zumwalt. “Our mission was to deploy to a Forward Operating Location in support of on-going coalition force actions – this, I believe, we did successfully.”
     The security forces training during the exercise was similar to that received during ground combat skills which included: rules of engagement specific to the mission; patrolling techniques; land navigation; use of night vision devices; camouflage techniques; actions on enemy contact; combat patrol actions; small team (fire team) tactics; preparation and execution of situation report; and explosive ordinance reconnaissance.
     “We accomplished what we set out to do this weekend – this makes us ready, either for the next planned exercise or for the real thing, Tech. Sgt. Zumwalt said. “Either way, we’re ready.”