Photo By Senior Airman Xaviera Stevens | U.S. Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Theodore Salyers, a member of the 247th...... read more read more
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TULLAHOMA, Tenn. – Airmen of the 247th Intelligence Squadron (IS), Tennessee Air National Guard, orchestrated and then executed Unkind Treachery, a field environment readiness exercise in Tullahoma, Tennessee, Sept. 4-8, 2024.
The exercise was built to provide applicable scenarios in which Airmen could learn and demonstrate their proficiency in the Readiness Airman Training (RAT) requirements.
The 247th IS trained in land navigation, weapons familiarization, patrolling basics, base defense, unexploded ordnance (UXO) identification, radio communication, and survival, evasion, resistance, and escape (SERE). As a morale event they also tackled the air assault course.
“Unkind Treachery, at its core, is about morale,” said Lt. Col. Harry Baker, commander of the 247th IS. “The Ready Airman Training is critical as the Air Force changes and we begin to think about great power competition. And when that directive emerged, we had some full-time guardsmen that said ‘hey, here’s a way we could do this, get us away from some of the computer based training, do some of this training in the field, build morale, really reconnect with what it means to be in the uniform.’”
The exercise covered 15 of the 18 RAT requirements through a combination of briefings, classes, and hands-on instruction.
“The purpose of the exercise is to complete the RAT requirements in a field environment, so to give a deployed feel,” said Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Andrews, all-source analyst instructor with the 247th IS.
Andrews, along with Maj. Cherie Logan, a flight commander in the 247th IS, transformed what was originally an online training course into an immersive, physical test of skills. They coordinated for 18 months behind the scenes, utilizing squadron resources and local partnerships.
“The online part was informative but obviously being out here and doing it is a much different experience,” said Staff Sgt. Christopher Carlson, a 247th IS fusion analyst. “I definitely think that anyone benefits from doing this training. I personally feel like this is something all of DSG [Drill Status Guardsman] should be doing.”
Baker said he knew the exercise was a success when he saw the commitment from his team to make the event the best it could be. In addition to completing the RAT requirements, the turnout was great, and he observed his Airmen challenging themselves to do their best and push past where they were comfortable.
“No matter if you are a cyber unit, an intel unit, an ops unit, you can all do this type of training,” said Andrews. “it’s definitely accomplishable, it just takes a lot of leg work on the front end. But if you plan this out two years in advance or so you can get your people out in the field and give them beneficial training.”
Andrews highlighted the 12 unique units that contributed to the exercise, including the Volunteer Training Site, the 118th Security Forces Squadron, the 118th Medical Group, the 134th Operations Support Squadron, Knoxville Search and Rescue, the Tennessee Army National Guard 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalion, the 118th Communications Squadron, the 118th Logistics Readiness Squadron, a 118th Wing chaplain, the 118th Wing Directors of Psychological Health, a 118th Wing finance specialist and the 247th IS itself.
| Date Taken: | 09.19.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.19.2024 09:45 |
| Story ID: | 481259 |
| Location: | TULLAHOMA, TENNESSEE, US |
| Web Views: | 45 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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Readiness Exercise
