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NORTH OGDEN, Utah – Fifteen Airmen from four Air Force combat
camera squadrons and the Air Force Public Affairs Agency trained
together during an Advanced Weapons and Tactics Training course in
North Ogden, Utah, Sept. 6 - 12.
Airmen completed a 120-hour
program conducted by the Steven R. Watt: Strategic and Tactical
Special Operations Training and Services, Inc., customized to train
Airmen in strategic and tactical operations, and prepare them to
operate in high-risk environments.
Gary Barnes, SRW Inc. lead
instructor, said though most people think combat camera or public
affairs Airmen are usually in a deployment location that are not
considered high threat, it is possible these Airmen could find
themselves in very risky situations.
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Geoff Perrin, Steven R. Watt: Strategic and Tactical Special
Operations Training and Services Inc. instructor, instructs combat
camera Airmen in clearing buildings during Advance Weapons and
Tactics Training at the Swanson Tactical Training Center in North
Ogden, Utah, Sept. 9, 2014. The primary objective of the seven-day
AWTT course is to train Airmen in individual survival skills and
prepare them to operate in high-risk environments. (U.S. Air Force
photo by Senior Airman Marianique Santos)
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“There is evidence in the recent past that combat camera
attached to special operations teams in Afghanistan have
come under an immense amount of fire and fortunately
performed very well,” Barnes said. “Combat cameramen are at
an increased risk because every time a member is attached to
a unit, they usually have not spent a lot of time training
with that unit and still go wherever that unit needs to be.”
The combat camera mission is to acquire still and motion
imagery in support of classified and unclassified air, sea
and ground military operations all over the world. According
to joint doctrine, combat camera imagery is a fundamental
tool for decision-makers throughout the U.S. government.
“This is the first opportunity in recent memory that all
four combat camera squadrons, both active duty and reserve,
have come together for a joint combat arms training event,”
said Maj. Greg Hignite, 2nd Combat Camera Squadron
commander. “Combat camera airmen are not only at the top of
their craft with their public affairs skills; they need to
be ready to perform their given mission in the most austere
environments. Our airmen are afforded unique training
opportunities, such as AWTT, to prepare them to operate with
and document our nation's most lethal fighting forces.”
During the span of the course, Airmen were trained in
hand-to-hand combat, weapons manipulation, small unit
tactics, convoy operations, mission planning and more. After
each module, a performance test was conducted to ensure the
Airmen grasped the material.
Barnes said the training
is based on the combat triad, which consists of technical
skill, physical preparation and the combat mindset. The
course also emphasized weapons training.
“We wanted
the Airmen to work with their tools every single day –
meaning their M4 rifles, M9 pistols, their bare hands and
their minds,” Barnes said. “We want them to be comfortable
in manipulating their weapon systems and conducting basic
hand-to-hand combat so we can move to more advanced
concepts.”
In addition to individual skills, Airmen
were exposed to basic mission planning to help them
understand the process of preparing and conducting
operations in combat theaters. They learned small unit
tactics for both urban and rural environments, which
consisted of bounding movements, clearing rooms and close
quarter battle.
“My favorite part of training was the
CQB, especially during the field training exercise,” said
Senior Airman Andrew Walck, 3rd Combat Camera Squadron
aerial combat broadcaster. “I enjoyed it because we were
able to work as a team and apply all the tactics and
techniques we learned throughout the week. It also allowed
us to gain a perspective on what our role as combat camera
would be if we attached to Special Forces units in combat
theaters.”
On the final, seventh day of training, all
Airmen participated in a field training exercise where the
skills they learned throughout the week were put to the
test.
“I think everybody did great,” Barnes said. “It
was a very steep learning curve for a lot of folks, and
there were certainly a couple of days where the stress
continued to build. People started to get fatigued, but
everybody came through, performed at their best and were
highly motivated. When you have highly motivated students,
it makes it pleasurable for us instructors.”
Airmen
finished the course and went back to their respective home
stations with experiences and knowledge they can pass on in
future deployments and operations.
“This week-long
training sharpened our combat edge and provided each Airman
a set of skills to build on as they progress in their
on-going, combat-focused training,” Hignite said. “Each of
the squadrons brings a different perspective and experience
to training, but in the end we all share the core mission of
combat documentation. Being able to share best practices on
camera equipment, along with weapon tactics, techniques and
procedures, will pay big dividends going forward.”
By U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Marianique Santos
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2014
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