Photo By Tech. Sgt. Michelle Alvarez | Airmen assigned to the 156th Security Forces Squadron train more than 70 Soldiers...... read more read more
MUÑIZ AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Puerto Rico (June 1, 2018) – Airmen assigned to the 156th Security Forces Squadron trained more than 70 Soldiers assigned to the 755th MP Co., Puerto Rico Army National Guard on airfield security and operations here ahead of a deployment to Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras later this year.
Senior Airman Luis Rivera, one of the security forces specialists conducting the training, said the Soldiers learned a variety of skills necessary for securing an airfield.
“We’re going to be training them in airfield defense, how to respond to emergencies on the airfield, how to drive on an airfield, and all the stuff involved in protecting an airfield,” Rivera said.
The biggest challenge, Rivera said, was the short length of the training and the amount of topics covered.
Master Sgt. Jose Fontanez, operations superintendent for the 156th SFS, agreed.
“We go through [technical] school and it takes weeks to become sufficient in certain security operations and we only have 4 days to train these people,” Fontanez said.
The 156th SFS is planning to send Airmen to Honduras during the 775th’s tour to conduct refresher training in order to ensure the highest level of proficiency for the soldiers.
In the past, Tech. Sgt. Oscar Cataquet, the unit training manager for the 156th SFS, traveled to Honduras to conduct the refresher training with some of his airmen.
Cataquet hopes to do the same on this deployment.
“That’s the plan that I’m trying to [implement],” Cataquet said. “We train them now, then we give them a refresher once they’re in place.”
Spc. Jaime Jusino, a military police officer with the 755th, said the training was extremely useful. Jusino deployed to Honduras before without this particular training and was grateful to have it now, so other Soldiers who are not familiar with the environment don’t “go in blind.”
“You have people who’ve never been on an airfield, so they don’t know the hazards,” Jusino said. “It’s good for them to get some inside information on how things are done on an airfield, or an airport.”
The rapport between the Soldiers and Airmen was warm and friendly.
Capt. Enrique Lugo, commander of the 755th MP Co., worked with the Air Force on a number of occasions, including taking a WC-130H Hercules assigned to the 156th Airlift Wing to the U.S. Virgin Islands to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
He said working with the Air Force is always easy and this training was no different.
“The communication was very good and everything has run very smooth,” Lugo said. “So far, it’s been a very good experience.”
Airman Rivera concluded the respect for his Puerto Rican Army National Guard counterparts was mutual.
“The Army is great people to work with,” Rivera said. “They are very motivated.”
| Date Taken: | 06.01.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 06.02.2018 12:49 |
| Story ID: | 279183 |
| Location: | CAROLINA, PR |
| Web Views: | 309 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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