Story and photos by Senior Airman Thomas Karol
86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs November 24, 2023
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Alexander Doudi, 569th United States Forces Police Squadron alarm monitor, simulates arresting an enemy combatant during a training exercise at the Vogelweh Military Complex, Germany, Nov. 7, 2023. As part of their training, members of the 569th USFPS faced off against simulated enemies and achieve certain milestones while under fire. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Thomas Karol)
BANG!
Senses are overloaded with light and sound. As the antagonist’s try to recover two members of the 569th United States Forces Police Squadron run in yelling “Show us your hands!”
The thoughts of fight or flight race through the enemy combatant’s mind. Hands shoot up in the air. No choice now but to surrender or perish.
Luckily it is only a training exercise. Additional 569th USFPS members move nearby with tactical precision while securing other objectives.
It is like a ballet of lethality, with the performers employing and honing the deadly arts with accuracy and ferocity.
U.S. Air Force Airman Porter Franklin, 569th United States Forces Police Squadron team member, fires a M240B machine gun with blank rounds during a training exercise at the Vogelweh Military Complex, Germany, Nov. 7, 2023. Members of the 569th USFPS used different weapon systems to ensure they can use multiple platforms if the need arises in combat situations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Thomas Karol)
The training scenario ends nearly as quickly as it began, and they set up to do it all over again. This marks another day of training in the books for the 569th United States Forces Police Squadron.
The unit must be ready for anything and go wherever the mission takes them. Training is critical to the success of the 569th USFPS mission and they must practice like fight.
“We conduct training like this regularly in order to keep our people in fighting condition,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Malik Laws, 569th USFPS training instructor. “We must ensure we are good to go in order to respond to anything. We train like we fight because our adversaries and environment are always changing, and we must find a way to stay ahead of the curve.”
Airman 1st Class Kwashun Hill, 569th United States Forces Police Squadron installation entry controller, and U.S. Air Force Airman Porter Franklin, 569th United States Forces Police Squadron team member, right, run to cover during a training exercise at the Vogelweh Military Complex, Germany, Nov. 8, 2023. Students enrolled in the 569th USFPS annual training event performed various tasks they may experience in a combat situation while in mission oriented protective posture gear. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Thomas Karol)
New fights mean new ways of thinking. The Airmen at the 569th USFPS are training for the fights of the future, and it starts with the more experienced Airmen training the newer ones for every possible scenario of which leaders can think.
“We are training our Airmen for future conflicts and what the wars of the future might entail,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Christopher Helmes, 569th operations flight chief. “We are shifting some of our operations to more of an air base defense style, so we have to train a lot to be able to implement new strategies.”
Laws and the other 569th USFPS instructors are training their members on multiple scenarios such as building clearance, repelling ambushes, indirect fire, team communication, tactical movements and more. He and his menagerie of capable instructors keep their team up to date on training requirements to be able to deploy where they are needed.
U.S. Air Force Airman Porter Franklin, 569th United States Forces Police Squadron team member, aims his M4 rifle at a simulated target during a training exercise at the Vogelweh Military Complex, Germany, Nov. 8, 2023. Porter and his fellow Airmen used gear such as gas masks to practice tactics and procedures conditions they may face in a real-world scenario during the 569th USFPS annual training event. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Thomas Karol)
“We have a diverse mission set here,” Laws said. “We are on and off base serving our community. Acting as ambassadors to communities abroad. We must ensure we come with our game faces on so we can do our best to protect and serve those who need it most. We cannot do that without good thorough training and an understanding of what we do day in and day out.”
The world is always changing and so are training requirements in the U.S. military. Laws said the worst thing any organization can do is sit still and rest on their laurels.
“Of all the adversaries out there, complacency is the one we should fear the most,” He added. “We work every day harder and harder to make sure we are better today than we were yesterday.”
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Gabriella Diaz, center, 569th United States Forces Police Squadron team member, defends a position during a training exercise at the Vogelweh Military Complex, Germany, Nov. 7, 2023. Diaz and other members of the unit participated in an annual training event where they tested their skills in order to become more effective security forces Airmen. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Thomas Karol)
Helmes believes the same and could not stress the importance of this training enough.
Helmes, although a student in the annual training course, led his team to success and passed the course. His hope is to see his unit implement their new skills to help protect the community and serve U.S. defense interests around the globe.
“We train like this to instill a standard of excellence in our squadron,” Helmes said. “We train like this to drill it into our heads and make it like muscle memory. We want it to be like clockwork and have our guys know what to do in these situations. This is one of the best teams I have ever worked with, and I cannot wait to see what our team will accomplish in the future.”
Whatever the future may hold, defenders like the ones from the 569th USFPS will train to confront them and protect and serve the community no matter where that community may be.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Aaron Flacon, center, 569th United States Force Police Squadron instructor, gives critiques to 569th USFPS members after a training exercise at the Vogelweh Military Complex, Germany, Nov. 7, 2023. Falcon’s function as an instructor at the 569th USFPS is to train, observe and correct students to ensure they receive the highest quality training and can retain it for use in the field. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Thomas Karol)
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Aaron Flacon, 569th United States Forces Police Squadron instructor, briefs 569th USFPS members before a training exercise at the Vogelweh Military Complex, Germany, Nov. 7, 2023. Falcon and other instructors are responsible for ensuring their teammates receive the most up to date training and are ready for day-to-day operations and deployments around the globe. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Thomas Karol)
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Katelyn Faust, 569th United States Forces Police Squadron patrolmen, clears a building during a training event at the Vogelweh Military Complex, Germany, Nov. 7, 2023. Faust and her fellow classmates had to employ skills such as clearing rooms and neutralizing simulated enemy combatants during the annual training event. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Thomas Karol)
Members of the 569th United States Forces Police Squadron pose for a photo after completing a training exercise at the Vogelweh Military Complex, Germany, Nov. 9, 2023. Members of the 569th USFPS learned and reinforced fundamental tasks such as combat, room clearance, reacting to indirect fire from enemy combatants and hostage rescue as part of an annual training exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Thomas Karol)
Twitter
Facebook
