Photo By Tech. Sgt. Michael Smith | Members from the U.S. Air Force 824th Base Defense Squadron and 736th Security Forces...... read more read more
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When a situation takes place on the other side of the planet and you need emergency assistance, there’s one organization always ready to deploy at a moment’s notice… Air Combat Command’s 820th Base Defense Group.
They are the Air Force’s only unit containing global response squadrons; responding globally is just what they did, as they participated in the first Pacific Air Forces joint and bilateral security forces field training exercise.
“This is the first time the 820th has set foot in a training environment into PACAF,” said 1st Lt. Mason Smiedendorf, 824th Base Defense Squadron. “We have jungles and swamps in South Georgia, but it’s nothing like Guam. We never know where we might get sent as global response; it can be in the sand one day and the jungle the next so it’s best that we are prepared.”
Preparing for new environments wasn’t the main training objective for members of the 820th BDG. According to Smiedendorf, the primary goal was to get the chance to work side by side with the Royal Australian Air Force and Japan Air Self-Defense Force to increase interoperability in the Pacific.
“Anytime we have the opportunity to network and go outside of our own unit is great,” said Tech. Sgt. Timothy Gallagher, 824th BDS. “In this day and age, we are deploying with other countries and stationed in the same area as them, knowing how we both operate to complete the mission is a great thing all around.
“The language barrier took a little getting used to, but we all work fairly similar to each other so it wasn’t too bad. We learned a few things from them and they learned a few things from us. I think we should never pass up an opportunity like this to train side by side with other nations we may have to work with in future operations.”
The field training itself was based around a scenario involving militia training local villagers into become opposing forces by using guerilla warfare type tactics, mortar strikes and improvised explosive devices. To complete the operation friendly forces had to successfully respond to a variety of task in the humid jungle environment of Guam.
“It’s important to be interoperable; if something does happen it’s important to already have that common ground and discover if there are differences so you can work on them,” said Master Sgt. Sean Burke, PACAF A4S action officer. “I think one of the most important things that we have learned that even though we live across the ocean from them we are not that different, there are a lot of things that we do the same.”
According to Burke, he never had the opportunity as a young Airman to participate in multinational or joint training and that is why he thinks it’s critical for members of the 820th BDG to be able to operate in an FTX like this to gain and share knowledge on a tactical level.
“It was a new experience for me entirely,” said Senior Airman Rufus Hackney, 824th BDS. “Usually back at moody we don’t have this type of climate, so being able to go from what we usually train in takes it to a whole new level.
“I learned a lot being out there with those guys in the jungle. It was amazing to witness how all the units operate differently but we can still come together and become a perfect blend.”
Not being a typical security forces squadron, training missions like the Cope North SFS FTX help to strengthen the skillset of the 820th BDG, and to continue the mission of providing high-risk force protection and integrated base defense for expeditionary air forces globally.
| Date Taken: | 03.16.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 03.23.2017 12:53 |
| Story ID: | 227850 |
| Location: | ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, GU |
| Web Views: | 71 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Testing the Global in Global Response Force: Cope North SFS FTX, by TSgt Michael Smith, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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