Photo By Senior Master Sgt. Jarad Denton | Senior Airman Patrick Gereben, 790th Missile Security Forces Squadron convoy response...... read more read more
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CAMP GUERNSEY, Wyo. - The acrid smell of gunpowder lingered in the air as spinning rounds of hot brass peppered the rocky terrain of Camp Guernsey, Wyo.’s South Range, Oct. 16.
Airmen from F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo. waited patiently as targets popped up in the distance – only to be knocked down by a round from an M4 carbine.
During the second of a 10-day nuclear-convoy training exercise, called Road Warrior, the Security Forces airmen were given the opportunity to hone their sharpshooting skills on a U.S. Army qualification course.
“It is extremely important for Security Forces to be familiar with their weapons,” said Tech. Sgt. William Hinchcliff, 620th Ground Combat Training Squadron nuclear training instructor. “We want to get them time behind the gun, so they know every part of their weapon.”
Weapon familiarization allows the airmen to quickly react to the dangerous scenarios they train for during Road Warrior. In the event of the theft of a nuclear device, these Airmen are required to respond quickly to recover the resource. Hinchcliff said communication is the key to success during this training.
“Communication is everything,” he said. “It allows these Airmen to coordinate, respond and get back on target.”
Last year, during the ninth-annual Road Warrior, Hinchcliff said Airmen from F.E. Warren initially struggled with effective communication. During their first exercise, they were locked in a firefight for roughly three hours. However, he said, by the end of the training course the Airmen were able to engage the enemy and recover the resource in just under 45 minutes.
Senior Airman Sean Thornton, 790th Missile Security Forces Squadron convoy response force leader, represented F.E. Warren at Road Warrior, both in 2011 and this year. He said both Road Warrior exercises have given him the opportunity to mentally prepare for combat.
“This exercise really gets our minds ready for a combat situation,” Thornton said. “The more prepared we are, the more we can think through a situation.”
As Thornton readied himself on the firing line he said he reminded himself to stay calm and control his breathing. The rocky terrain of Camp Guernsey provided a different and somewhat challenging landscape for responding to a threat.
“We mostly have a lot of flat terrain,” Thornton said. “Road Warrior teaches us how to acquire a target and get on line over mountainous terrain.”
Thornton said despite the change in terrain he is eager to meet the challenges of Road Warrior.
“I’m ready to bring the same intensity to this exercise that I do to my every day job,” he said. “It feels good knowing this training will help provide safety and security to the American people.”
Editor’s Note: This story is part of a series highlighting Road Warrior X, the nuclear-convoy training exercise held annually at Camp Guernsey, Wyo.
| Date Taken: | 10.16.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 10.16.2012 17:54 |
| Story ID: | 96270 |
| Location: | CAMP GUERNSEY, WYOMING, US |
| Web Views: | 159 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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