Hydrate

Senior Airman Heather Ignacek, of the 49th Security Forces Squadron, drinks from her canteen during a patrol at the three-day Brave Defender field training exercise April 27 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The exercise is the culmination of Air Force Materiel Command’s six-week security forces deployment training, administered by the 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron. GCTS instructors teach 10 training classes a year, which consists of improvised explosive device detection and reaction, operating in an urban environment, mission planning, land navigation, casualty care and more. More than 100 active-duty and National Guard Airmen attended this training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Look out

Airman 1st Class Dwayne Martin, of the 49th Security Forces Squadron, scans his field of fire while on patrol during the three-day Brave Defender field training exercise April 27 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The exercise is the culmination of Air Force Materiel Command’s six-week security forces deployment training, administered by the 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron. GCTS instructors teach 10 training classes a year, which consists of improvised explosive device detection and reaction, operating in an urban environment, mission planning, land navigation, casualty care and more. More than 100 active-duty and National Guard Airmen attended this training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Line in sight

Lt. Col. Scott Foley, the 633rd Security Forces Squadron commander, moves through the woods of Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., in search of a weapons cache during the three-day Brave Defender field training exercise April 27. The exercise is the culmination of Air Force Materiel Command’s six-week security forces deployment training, administered by the 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron. GCTS instructors teach 10 training classes a year, which consists of improvised explosive device detection and reaction, operating in an urban environment, mission planning, land navigation, casualty care and more. Foley, the former commander of the 96th Security Forces Squadron was just one of more than 100 active-duty and National Guard Airmen attended this training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Moving the wounded

Senior Airman Travis Turner, of the 49th Security Forces Squadron, is helped back to camp by his squad after he was injured in a simulated attack during a patrol outside the wire at the three-day Brave Defender field training exercise April 27 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The exercise is the culmination of Air Force Materiel Command’s six-week security forces deployment training, administered by the 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron. GCTS instructors teach 10 training classes a year, which consists of improvised explosive device detection and reaction, operating in an urban environment, mission planning, land navigation, casualty care and more. More than 100 active-duty and National Guard Airmen attended this training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Above & below

Airman 1st Class Dwayne Martin and another Airman from the 49th Security Forces Squadron, cover high and low as their squad moves across the road during a patrol at the three-day Brave Defender field training exercise April 27 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The exercise is the culmination of Air Force Materiel Command’s six-week security forces deployment training, administered by the 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron. GCTS instructors teach 10 training classes a year, which consists of improvised explosive device detection and reaction, operating in an urban environment, mission planning, land navigation, casualty care and more. More than 100 active-duty and National Guard Airmen attended this training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Danger crossing

Staff Sgt. Joshua Sampson, of the 49th Security Forces Squadron, covers his squad as they cross the road during a patrol at the three-day Brave Defender field training exercise April 27 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The exercise is the culmination of Air Force Materiel Command’s six-week security forces deployment training, administered by the 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron. GCTS instructors teach 10 training classes a year, which consists of improvised explosive device detection and reaction, operating in an urban environment, mission planning, land navigation, casualty care and more. More than 100 active-duty and National Guard Airmen attended this training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Check 6

Staff Sgt. Tyler Bassett, a guardsman from the 114th Security Forces Squadron, watches the six o’clock of his patrol during the first counter-insurgency operation of the three-day Brave Defender field training exercise April 26 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The exercise is the culmination of Air Force Materiel Command’s six-week security forces deployment training, administered by the 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron. GCTS instructors teach 10 training classes a year, which consists of improvised explosive device detection and reaction, operating in an urban environment, mission planning, land navigation casualty care and more. More than 100 active-duty and National Guard Airmen attended this training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Patrol

Airman 1st Class Austin Feenstra, a guardsman from the 114th Security Forces Squadron, was part of the first counter-insurgency operation of the three-day Brave Defender field training exercise April 26 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The exercise is the culmination of Air Force Materiel Command’s six-week security forces deployment training, administered by the 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron. GCTS instructors teach 10 training classes a year, which consists of improvised explosive device detection and reaction, operating in an urban environment, mission planning, land navigation casualty care and more. More than 100 active-duty and National Guard Airmen attended this training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Vehicle inspection

Staff Sgt. Kyle Larson, of the 802nd Security Forces Squadron, checks around the edges of a vehicle for suspicious materials during an inspection at the three-day Brave Defender field training exercise April 26 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The exercise is the culmination of Air Force Materiel Command’s six-week security forces deployment training, administered by the 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron. GCTS instructors teach 10 training classes a year, which consists of improvised explosive device detection and reaction, operating in an urban environment, mission planning, land navigation, casualty care and more. More than 100 active-duty and National Guard Airmen attended this training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Underneath

Airman 1st Class Aaron Williams, of the 802nd Security Forces Squadron, checks the undercarriage of the vehicle for suspicious materials during an inspection at the three-day Brave Defender field training exercise April 26 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The exercise is the culmination of Air Force Materiel Command’s six-week security forces deployment training, administered by the 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron. GCTS instructors teach 10 training classes a year, which consists of improvised explosive device detection and reaction, operating in an urban environment, mission planning, land navigation, casualty care and more. More than 100 active-duty and National Guard Airmen attended this training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.) Staff

Guardsmen

A dismounted patrol stops outside of their camp while on their first counter-insurgency operation of the three-day Brave Defender field training exercise April 26 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The exercise is the culmination of Air Force Materiel Command’s six-week security forces deployment training, administered by the 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron. GCTS instructors teach 10 training classes a year, which consists of improvised explosive device detection and reaction, operating in an urban environment, mission planning, land navigation and casualty care and more. More than 100 active-duty and National Guard Airmen attended this training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Entry control

Staff Sgt. Ryan Hushour, from the 22nd Security Forces Squadron, holds the entry control point gate open for the first mounted patrol of the three-day Brave Defender field training exercise April 26 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The exercise is the culmination of Air Force Materiel Command’s six-week security forces deployment training, administered by the 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron. GCTS instructors teach 10 training classes a year, which consists of improvised explosive device detection and reaction, operating in an urban environment, mission planning, land navigation casualty care and more. More than 100 active-duty and National Guard Airmen attended this training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Up on the roof

Airman 1st Class Chris Caputo, Capt. Yogi Lebby and Airman 1st Class Aaron DeForge, of the 46th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, talk with Habitat for Humanity coordinators while shingling the roof of a newly built home in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., April 21. More than 10 46th AMXS members worked four hours on the roof of the home. Maintenance squadron volunteers participate in Habitat for Humanity projects two to three times per month. (Courtesy photo/Senior Airman Alexander Blench)

Bloody masterpiece

Eric Alexander (left) and others became ‘bloody’ realistic victims for an April 19 mass casualty exercise thanks to the 96th Medical Group’s moulage team. The team turned more than 40 volunteers into ‘horror movie’ realistic victims of an aircraft fire. The team’s “art” provides a sense of realism in exercises that medics and first responders may encounter in real-world accidents. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Creating shrapnel

Airman 1st Class Thomas Howard, of the 96th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, cuts down amount of the simulated shrapnel from Senior Airman Krystle Miller’s face prior to a mass casualty exercise April 19. The 96th Medical Group's moulage team turned more than 40 volunteers into ‘horror movie’ realistic victims of an aircraft fire. The team’s “art” provides a sense of realism in exercises that medics and first responders may encounter in real-world accidents. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Wounded warrior

Staff Sgt. Edward Borges, of the 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron, has a large bloody gash placed onto his arm prior to a mass casualty exercise April 19. The 96th Medical Group moulage team turned more than 40 volunteers into ‘horror movie’ realistic victims of an aircraft fire. The team’s “art” provides a sense of realism in exercises that medics and first responders may encounter in real-world accidents. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

More blood!

A 96th Medical Group moulage team member applies more blood to a victim's face prior to the mass casualty exercise April 19. The moulage team turned more than 40 volunteers into ‘horror movie’ realistic victims of an aircraft fire. The team’s “art” provides a sense of realism in exercises that medics and first responders may encounter in real-world accidents. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Easy does it

Tech. Sgt. Matthew Scott, an emergency medical technician with the 96th Medical Group, and Eglin firefighters move a victim of a simulated aircraft fire onto a stretcher during a mass casualty exercise at the Northwest Florida Regional Airport April 19. The scenario called for emergency units from Eglin, Okaloosa County and the airport to respond to an aircraft on fire containing more than 40 passengers. Response, communication and accountability were among many procedures under evaluation at the exercise. Inside the airport, employees were tested on their response to an influx of friends and family members looking for information about the accident. The Federal Aviation Administration mandates this type of major accident exercise execution every three years. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Airman intern

Staff Sgt. Michael Osborn, of the 16th Electronic Warfare Squadron, was approved for an internship with the 96th Force Support Squadron to complete his bachelor's degree in sports management. He will spend approximately 10 hours per week helping with the various fitness classes offered by the fitness center. He will also help plan two of Eglin's largest sports events - the Gate to Gate run and My 1st Tri. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Hands-on training

Tech. Sgt. Brandon Sullivan, an aircraft armament systems technician with the 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, is using a portable maintenance device loaded with joint technical data and plugged into an F-35 life-sized trainer during a weapons familiarization course. Training indoors allows for deliberate training for the maintainers without having to take a real jet off the flight line thus competing with pilot training. Later training on the flight line is streamlined due to the preparation on the mock-ups. The 17-day weapons familiarization class was the first-ever weapons course completed since Eglin’s F-35 Academic Training Center began commencement of formal training Mar 19. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Karen Roganov)

Class in session

Airmen from Eglin’s 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron; and three F-35 units, the Air Force’s 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron; the Navy’s Strike Fighter Squadron 101, and the Marine Corps, Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, take an Autonomic Logistics Information System Supply Course at the F-35 Academic Training Center. The four-day familiarization class was the first-ever ALIS supply course completed since the ATC began commencement of formal training Mar 19. The students were introduced to the main tools they will learn more about in ALIS. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Karen Roganov)

AFMC NCO of the Year

Congratulations to Staff Sgt. Linn Knight, of the 96th Civil Engineer Squadron, on winning the NCO of the Year award for Air Force Materiel Command. Knight used her skills as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal journeyman to successfully complete 55 munitions development tests and ensure $820 million of research and development projects were executed on time. She also provided technical support to the U.S. Secret Service in Washington, D.C., protecting President Barack Obama. (Official photo)

Airman intern

Staff Sgt. Michael Osborn leads the Airmen of the 16th Electronic Warfare Squadron in their physical training at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Osborn was approved for an internship with the 96th Force Support Squadron to complete his bachelor's degree in Sports Management. He will spend approximately 10 hours per week helping with the various fitness classes offered by the fitness center. He will also help plan two of Eglin's largest sports events - the Gate to Gate run and My 1st Tri. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Eglin’s Instructor of the Year award winners

Blaise Durante, the Air Force deputy assistant secretary for acquisition integration (left) and Maj. Gen. Kenneth Merchant, the Air Armament Center commander (right), present the annual Air Armament Academy’s Blaise Durante Instructor of the Year awards April 2 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The winners were Robbie Norris, for the college of science and technology category (not pictured); Wanda Riley, for the college of acquisition category; Peggy Shepherd, for the college of installation, sustainment and management category; and Jerry Griffith, for the college of test and evaluation category. The instructors were recognized for their contributions to professional education. The Air Armament Academy was established in 2003 to ensure Eglin personnel have a wide variety of training opportunities available to promote effectiveness in the workplace. (U.S. Air Force photo/Kevin Gaddie)