WESTOVER AIR RESERVE BASE, Mass. --
As a June 19
exercise unfolded, several security forces Airmen huddled around SrA. Jennifer
Perlera.
Perlera
headed up the unit control center. She was among the 439th Security
Forces Squadron’s young leaders who ran the exercise themselves, part of annual
tour tactical training.
“The exercise scenarios are continuous.
Everything comes through me and I direct them where to go,” said Perlera, as
she clutched a land mobile radio and awaited further exercise inputs.
Senior SFS Airmen
delegated the exercise’s leadership roles and cited time as a central factor in
doing so.
“These are
our future leaders,” said Senior Master Sgt. Anthony Giardini, 439th
SFS operations superintendent. “They’re
faced with some real challenges today.”
Westover’s
Dogpatch training area functioned as a mock air base. The training was designed to remind the Airmen
of being prepared for approaching deployments for many Westover units.
“This is the
closest you can get without being deployed,” said SrA. Kenny Ramos, a security
forces specialist who kept watch for “intruders” near the base perimeter. “CBTs
only do so much for you. There’s nothing like old-fashioned hands-on training.”
Scenarios
included processing enemy prisoners of war, detaining prisoners, identifying
improvised explosive devices, driving buses, and cleaning weapons. Senior NCOs monitored the progress of the
exercises, and periodically provided advice and guidance.
“We have a
lot of experience here,” said Senior Master Sgt. Daniel Howard, SFS first
sergeant. “Many of our NCOs have
deployed several times already. They know the newer Airmen may be headed out
for the first time. This is an opportunity to pass along that knowledge.”
The field
exercise training wrapped up June 20.
“We’re
tasking NCOs with tasks that would normally be for someone with another stripe,”
Giardini said. “Our enlisted are stepping up.”