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NEWS | April 16, 2019

Defenders commit to initiative with field training exercise

By Senior Airman Anthony Nin Leclerec 633rd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

In their commitment to the Reconstitute the Defender Initiative, the 633rd Security Forces Squadron conducted a field training exercise April 11, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.

Secretary of the Air Force, Heather Wilson, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. David Goldfein, and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright proclaimed 2019 as the Year of the Defender. Air Force leadership was asked to provide support to the efforts of the career field and initiate reconstitution efforts.

The intent of RDI is to establish requirements, update policy, advocate for resources necessary to restore full spectrum readiness and retain tactical advantage as to never give the enemy a fair fight. The three lines of effort within RDI are: Restore Readiness; Revitalize our Squadrons; and Increase Lethality and Close Requirement Gaps.

“The 633rd SFS is directing its training to complement the National Defense Strategy which focuses our sights away from the terrorist threats over the last nearly two decades and toward a more conventional threat,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Francis Feeley, 633rd SFS NCO in charge of training. “These quarterly 72-hour, high-intensity field training iterations will help ensure our Airmen receive realistic training, team building and especially provide our NCOs the tools they need to lead a skilled Security Forces Squad toward any potential battle environment.” 

Three 13-man security forces teams, with junior enlisted and NCOs as their team leaders, were challenged with base security operations, entry control point operations, dismounted patrols and land navigation to meet the training requirements.

“We're out here as defenders to ensure that we get our deployment readiness training and provide a positive environment for junior enlisted and NCOs that are inside of our unit, and build squad cohesion,” Feeley said. “We are turning our career field around to respond to a near-peer threat. Training for deployment readiness is one of the key items we’re hitting, and these field training exercises will help enhance our defenders’ abilities in a deployed environment.”

Security Forces is the Air Force’s largest enlisted career field. Their primary mission is defending America’s resources regardless of location, mission and command. They must be capable of amassing a force that can fire and maneuver to defend against any threat to the U.S. and its allies.

According to Feeley, this is only the beginning of creating a stronger force. With each upcoming iteration, they move in the right direction towards revitalizing the squadron.