Brave Defender trains Kandahar-bound Airmen

  • Published
  • By Samuel King Jr.
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  As a security forces Airman, you've just arrived for your deployment to the Joint Defense Operations Center at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan. The Airman you replaced left early so there's no transition period. You've only been at your desk for five minutes when an alarm sounds and bombs are incoming. You have a responsibility, a job to do... what's the first step?

Twelve deployers bound for Kandahar exercised this and similar scenarios here, March 20 - 23. The Afghanistan-specific training was facilitated by the 96th Ground Combat Training Squadron. It is a separate element to the standard 17-day Brave Defender training all security forces Airmen accomplish prior to a deployment. This is only the fourth KAF class the 96th GCTS has offered and is the last one as the squadron begins to stand-down operations for a deactivation this summer.

"Although the security forces career field hasn't officially transitioned to mission-specific JDOC training, Brave Defender recognized the need, leaned forward and developed a much-needed course," said Maj. James Habeck, the Brave Defender commander. "It's now officially recognized by the Air Force Security Forces Center as a requirement to attend prior to working in the KAF JDOC."

Senior Master Sgt. Earl Wormley, a recent JDOC battle captain and former Brave Defender instructor, returned to his former squadron to help provide guidance on the current KAF status to the deployers.

"The JDOC training ensured the success of my tour," said Wormley, now with the 96th Security Forces Squadron. "Specifically, this training allowed Airmen to familiarize themselves with the geographical terrain, the ergonomics of the deployed location, NATO construct, JDOC language, and most important the specific force protection checklists and experience working with other countries. With the complexity of the mission and the dynamics of working in a joint environment, the training scenarios we learned prepared and honed our core competencies and abilities to exercise command and control."

The course consists of two days of indoctrination briefings and training and two days of exercise scenarios. Afterward, the group joins up with their Brave Defender class for the standard training.

The JDOC course introduces the deployers to area and crash maps, local standard operating procedures, joint, coalition and host nation relationships and challenges. The exercises provide high tempo command and control training using current intelligence for the location and create an environment mimicking the Airman's operations center surroundings.

Senior Master Sgt. Michelle Helpenstell, a reservist with the 446th Security Forces Squadron from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., said she benefitted from the hands-on scenarios using the actual equipment and systems that would be down range.

"I expected to get a good solid understanding of what would be expected of me as a battle captain, but this course exceeded my expectations," she said. "You will never be 100 percent prepared until you do the actual job, but this course has given us the ability and skills to better understand what we need to do to effectively run a JDOC."