In many regards Technical Sergeant John Colby, Squad Leader, 720th Security Forces Squadron, is representative of many individuals who make up the United State Air Force Reserve. Like many, his service started in another branch of the U.S. military. Colby began his military career serving in Infantry, United States Marine Corps.
In May 2021, Colby was selected to be part of a new type of training initiated by the Air Force Reserve Command, AFRC, called Integrated Defense Leadership Course, IDLC. The concept was to teach critical Security Forces training and the new mindset of future battles under Agile Combat Environment, ACE.
After successfully graduating the initial beta class, Colby was asked to join the cadre and become a course instructor for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Much of the training executed at IDLC is similar to what Colby learned at School of Infantry, SOI, during his time in the Marines.
Additionally the medical training at IDLC focuses on Tactical Combat Casualty Care, pronounced “T-Triple C”. This new T-CCC training will eventually be pushed out to the entire Air Force.
By nature the Air Force Reserve requirement is one weekend a month, called a Unit Training Assembly, UTA, and two weeks a year, called an Annual Tour, AT.
Colby’s civilian job is as a firefighter/paramedic.
“Medical training is something that’s in my wheelhouse, so I’m able to help with the instruction on these skill sets,” said Colby. “I’ve been teaching tactical medicine for over 10 years.”
The entire course is about learning expeditionary skills common to Security Forces training.
Colby said, “the idea is to engage in more hours and training that is otherwise impossible during a UTA weekend.”
Regarding Colby’s experience in a deployed environment he said, “I completed four deployments with the Marines, three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. As an Air Force Security Forces Defender I deployed to Kuwait.”
Colby said the intention is to change the mindset of our Defenders and look at things a little differently.
“As defenders we are trained for expeditionary skills but a lot of the sustainment training we do at our home base focuses on the law enforcement aspect of being a Defender,” said Colby. “And this course is changing that up and looking at the model moving forward, with future combat and future engagements.”
Colby said, “we may not always go to a location that has a defined base. All the traditional permanent set-up that we’re use to.”
The course is designed for Reservists by Reservists. All of the cadre are either Traditional Reservists, TR’s, or full-time Reservists called Active Guard Reserve, AGR’s.
“Traditionally these types of courses has been designed for active duty personnel,” Colby said. “When reservists would come through the previous training course it wouldn’t always be tailored in a manner that benefited everybody the way IDLC is able to hone in on the specific needs of the Reserve.”
The graduates are able to improve their skills and take that experience back home.
Colby said, “everyone will leave with a report card that will show what they were trained on and how they did. So our units can continue to build on these skill sets during a normal UTA weekend.”
Upon selection in joining the best trained and experienced Defenders in the Air Force Reserve, Colby says, “It’s humbling to be invited to be amongst these top-tier experts, it’s just a fantastic experience.”
During the course, students were provided practical application of 52 training items from their Air Force Specialty Code Career Field Education and Training Plans. Earning over 190 hours of field instruction.
“By Air Force Instruction, we are supposed to train 218 hours annually on our core skill set,” said Senior Master Sgt. Jason Knepper, AFRC’s security forces training manager. “There aren’t enough hours in the Reserve days to accomplish that. On top of that, there aren’t the proper resources, locations and subject matter experts available at each Reserve location. Our units don’t really have the ability to meet all of our training requirements, so a centralized training course like this is crucial to maintain our warfighter readiness.”
The 720th Security Forces Squadron is assigned with the 943rd Rescue Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and they both are geographically separated from their parent wing, the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida.
| Date Taken: | 08.23.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 08.23.2021 17:58 |
| Story ID: | 403763 |
| Location: | DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 311 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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