Photo By Cpl. Ryan Young | Sailors with the Electronic Attack Squadron 142's Quick Reaction Force, practice...... read more read more
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AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq — Each unit aboard Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, has to be ready at a moment's notice, to protect its facilities and personnel from unforeseen situations such as a bomb threat or an enemy intruder in their area. These Quick Reaction Forces are not established and set aside on standby to wait for a conflict. They are the working men and women of each unit who, at the sound of an emergency, drop their tools or leave their work sections and put on the role and responsibility of protector.
Getting each unit's QRF trained to accomplish that mission is a responsibility the Marines of Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 4 have consecutively insisted on holding.
"Before our previous deployment, we took training for a QRF very seriously and had begun establishing our squadron's force about five months before we deployed," said Staff Sgt. Barry Worley, the staff non-commissioned officer in charge of QRF training. "We trained so much that we began to teach the classes and slowly established instructors for a course. When we got here we noticed there wasn't much offered for additional QRF training so we took on the role."
During their last deployment, VMAQ-4 trained seven different squadron's QRF teams, totaling nearly 60 students, including students from other services such as the Army.
Now serving in Iraq again, the Marines of VMAQ-4 have 27 trained instructors and have been eagerly setting up courses to get their deployed counterparts trained.
"What we are doing is voluntary, we don't have to do this but it is needed," explained Worley. "It was somewhat of a slow start, but we now have squadrons sending us students for the courses again."
The course includes 12 hours of instruction on weapons systems, safety, detainee handling and how to debunk various situations such as multiple enemy intruders.
"We teach a little piece of the puzzle at a time and have them put what they learn together daily, with drills that exercise the skills they are learning and with a final live- fire drill on a range that helps to ensure the grasp of weapons handling and safety," said Worley.
Due to the additional work responsibilities each service member has, not all QRF personnel are able to attend the entire course offered by VMAQ-4. The instructors have made the course flexible enough to ensure these individuals get the essential knowledge they need to be a part of a QRF.
"We understand and adapt to each squadrons workload," said Worley "We prefer them to attend the entire course but some workloads just don't allow it."
With the month of June full of multiple QRF course training, it is apparent that the units aboard Al Asad have welcomed the training and are putting the voluntary course to good use.
"My squadron's QRF is full of volunteers, so everyone wants to be here getting this useful training," said Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Lee Goodner, a maintenance administration clerk with Electronic Attack Squadron 142. "Every Marine goes through a good amount of combat training while other services don't have as much. It is nice for them to offer us the knowledge they have."
The students are not the only ones taking time out of their work sections and away from their squadrons to take part in the course. Each instructor is a volunteer and helps with the course in addition to their responsibilities within their squadron.
"I still do my job out here with the aircraft; if my shop was slammed with work I would be there helping," said Sgt. Jeremiah Gamblin, the QRF maintenance section leader, who also works within the squadron as a powerline Marine. "I do this because I become a little better of a leader each time I teach."
The final goal set by the instructors is to train each squadron's QRF team well enough to go back to their units and establish a plan to make everyone safer and more prepared in case a serious security issue occurs.
"The big idea is that the better they are trained as a QRF team, the safer we are as a neighbor to them on this base," explained Worley.
| Date Taken: | 06.12.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 06.12.2009 12:31 |
| Story ID: | 34971 |
| Location: | AL ASAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 301 |
| Downloads: | 216 |
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