Photo By Airman Samantha Rossi | U.S. Airmen, assigned to the 14th Weapons Squadron, begin pre-flight procedures on an...... read more read more
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Developing a new generation of weapons officers
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. – Developing leaders, integrators, and instructors of instructors is the 14th Weapons Squadron’s directive at Hurlburt Field, Florida.
Recently, students completed their capstone special operations forces exercise in November, certifying joint-minded weapons instructors for multi-domain operations.
“The 14th WPS is Air Force Special Operations Command’s way to produce weapons instructors for the Special Operations Forces community,” said Capt. Kyle, a 14th WPS instructor. “It takes instructors and puts them through a leadership and integration course to allow SOF officers to speak both conventional Air Force and SOF.”
The 14th WPS, home to the Special Operations Weapons School, trains and graduates special operations weapons officers. Their curriculum molds students into professional integrators between U.S. Special Operations Command and the Air Force, preparing them to be effective leaders in complex, multi-domain environments.
The development of a special operations weapons officer is split into four phases:
The first phase encapsulates special operations forces-specific integration, with a focus on individual aircraft employment and specialized mission sets. The second phase is combat-specific integration, where students collaborate with various conventional Air Force assets to perform a variety of missions. The third phase is a special operations forces exercise where students perform missions in realistic scenarios, integrating ground forces, medical teams and rotary-wing assets The final phase, located at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, integrates the full spectrum of all weapons schools across the Air Force, working together to execute multiple missions from start to finish.
Since 2001, the 14th WPS has conducted SOFEX and certified 441 officers as graduates, or "patches," of the program. The exercise is designed to provide a full mission profile with realistic military training preparing students to execute tasks across a broad spectrum of environments, from humanitarian missions to combat operations.
One of the most pivotal parts of this pipeline is SOFEX, said Maj. Jerome, an instructor at the 14th WPS.
Both Jerome and Kyle emphasized the biggest takeaways from this phase are not just becoming fluent in weapons operations and mission execution. Rather, it’s becoming bilingual in both USSOCOM and conventional Air Force, giving students the ability to communicate effectively with individuals from different backgrounds and mindsets across the Department of Defense.
“We run SOFEX twice a year, every year; however, the missions we practice are always being updated to match real-world events and requirements,” said Kyle.
The exercise began with more than five months of training, culminating in a student-led mission plan, brief and execution. During this time, students spend 12 to 16 hour days preparing to carry out the simulated mission.
“The training that we do for the students here is multi-faceted,” Jerome explained. “We don’t just grade them on execution, we make them plan the mission from start to finish. At the end of the process, they must brief the mission to a senior leader to get signed off to do it.”
Col. Patrick Dierig, 1st Special Operations Wing Commander and 14th WPS graduate, served as this year’s senior leader.
“Col. Dierig is a graduate from the 14th WPS, our former commander, and still lives the mantra of being a patch – humble, credible, approachable,” Kyle noted. “He continues to mentor and instruct by coming back here and providing that mentorship. Acting as the simulated commander for this training was extremely valuable for all of us, but especially the students. They are getting feedback from a colonel. They’re getting that exposure now.”
This year, there was significant participation for the exercise across Air Force Special Operations Command and the greater Air Force as a whole. This included four special operations wings, eight squadron-level participants and multiple external agencies. More than 200 volunteers supported the scenario, acting as casualties and civilians on the ground. The simulated safety and extraction of the volunteers was in the hands of the students during mission execution.
According to Kyle, training doesn’t get more realistic than SOFEX.
“For this phase, the direct-action mission is the best part for me,” said Jerome. “The students must make it all the way across the country, set up an initial staging base, a forward staging base, figure out how to handle the people on the ground, and hit an off-site target. There are several moving pieces and so many different places where something can go wrong, so they have to adjust the plan on the fly and shift their approach.”
After the high-paced training and testing, the students of the November 2024 class successfully executed their mission, said Kyle.
After SOFEX, students will then move into the fourth phase of their training, the final test before becoming a “patch”. Once passing and graduating, alumni of the 14 WPS go on to become instructors themselves. Both Kyle and Jerome are prime examples of former students who continued the legacy of leadership and integration that the 14th WPS instructors uphold.
“Going through as a student and instructor, I've seen both sides,” Kyle said. “For me, my favorite part stays the same either way. It’s the integration and relationships we build here. It’s invaluable. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
Looking ahead, the school will continue to train and certify new students as professionals in their craft, able to operate and excel in a variety of changing and imperfect environments – certifying the next generation of leaders, integrators, and instructors of instructors.
Living by the 14th WPS mantra is something that is expected from all graduates. Kyle stressed that anyone who wears the patch should be someone you can and should rely on for help.
“Yes, [the 14th WPS] has made me a better officer, but it’s really made me a better person as a whole,” concluded Kyle.
| Date Taken: | 11.04.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.14.2024 16:11 |
| Story ID: | 485331 |
| Location: | HURLBURT FIELD, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 59 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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