Photo By Jaclyn Lyons | Master Sgt. Jeremy Morey, security forces supervisor assigned to the 109th Airlift...... read more read more
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New York Air National Guard Airman 1st Class Anton Konev normally sits behind a computer, tracking the personnel records of the 109th Airlift Wing’s Airmen.
Now Konev, and nine other 109th Airmen, have a new qualification; augmentees to the 109th Security Forces Squadron.
The ten Airmen took part in a special class held from Sept. 16 to 20, 2024 that honed their marksmanship skills and taught them the roles for use of force.
It was training, and a qualification he was happy to get, Konev said.
“Usually, I am sitting at a computer for my job - this gives me a different perspective and the ability to be more well-rounded as an Airman,” he said.
The new skills will also give him a chance to pull more duty-time and enhance his Guard pay, said Konev, a personalist in the wing’s Force Support Squadron.
Security Forces Airmen assigned to the 109th Airlift Wing, New York Air National Guard, conducted the week-long course to train augmentees to equip them with the necessary tools to operate effectively alongside full-time security forces personnel.
The course is a wing-driven program, developed by the security forces squadron to backfill when needed.
Airmen can volunteer to be part of the augmentee force, a group of volunteers who can be on call to support the unit during critical staffing shortages, ensuring mission readiness when it matters most, explained Master Sgt. Jeremy Morey, the security forces day shift supervisor.
“We are trying to build a backup defense force in case we (Security Forces) get called to larger operations. With the augmentee force, if we do have additional defenders pulled, the wing and these augmented defenders can cover down on day-to-day operations at the installation.” Morey said.
Morey explained that the course is five days long.
Two days are spent on weapons training, with Airmen qualifying on the M18 and the M4 rifles and then three days focus on use of force and day-to-day duties, including how to manage the front entrance gate and respond to emergencies on base, he said.
Capt. Matt Begin, security forces officer, explained that the augmentee force is a one-year program- with an annual refresher required each year.
Airmen can volunteer for as much or as little as they like once certified.
Begin said there are short-term full-time employment opportunities or single annual training days available when additional manning is needed.
“We are always looking for help and base defense is always our number one priority when it comes to security forces- we are here to defend the resources and our assets to include our personnel,” Begin, said.
“This is a great opportunity for us to share our mission set and share what we do as well as get some volunteers who may not normally get to be exposed to doing this activity day-to-day, we all get to learn how to shoot and how to contribute to the fight in basic training and then get our spin-offs from there- but this brings folks back to the basics of maybe why they enlisted,” he said.
| Date Taken: | 10.10.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.10.2024 13:47 |
| Story ID: | 482928 |
| Location: | SCOTIA, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 229 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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