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With the Air Force’s continued emphasis on developing and maintaining an expeditionary force, the 435th Construction and Training Squadron brought together expeditionary combat support members from across the Air Force for an intensive seven-day training regimen known as Silver Flag.
“The training is set at a walk-crawl-run pace,” said Capt. Natalie Chounet, 435th CTS training flight commander. “The first day, there are classes and after that, more hands-on training. The last day, the Airmen have to apply everything they learned while being evaluated on their performance.”
During Silver Flag, Airmen underwent field training and also learned how to operate heavy equipment and perform repairs for recovery of a simulated air base attack that damaged the airfield. Leaders were also tasked with planning and operating a tent city for 150 people.
“The same equipment used to simulate a deployment for these training scenarios is the same or similar to the assets we train on. So, when Silver Flag students return to their home stations, they are familiar with these aspects of operational response exercises and inspections,” Chounet said. “Air Force wide, the mission impact is simple: We ensure civil engineers and force support are capable of performing their contingency operation responsibilities before arriving downrange.”
Whether Airmen are preparing to support the mission or lend aid to an ally in need, Silver Flag training ensures the Airmen participating will be ready.
