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Security forces members from all over U.S. Air Forces in Europe enhanced their mounted operations skills Nov. 14 and 15 as part of a two-week Creek Defender course in Baumholder.
During the exercise, students were taught how to attack and engage the enemy while mounted in their Humvees. The Creek Defender course is designed to train and prepare SFS members for missions and tasks downrange. Students endured several scenarios and exercises that put them in situations where they had to react quickly to reach mission success.
“Students going through the course need to be able to recognize improvised explosive devices and know how to respond should one detonate while on a convoy in a deployed environment,” said Staff Sgt. Avonte Seabrooks, 786th Security Forces Squadron Creek Defender instructor. “A squad’s rapid reaction time could mean the difference between life or death.”
Eighty-four students were issued weapons, battle gear and other equipment that would be used throughout the course. They were then broken up into squads where they selected a squad leader and began planning for their first of 10 different scenarios.
“We have all the weapons and equipment we need. Now we just need to come up with our strategy and prepare to learn as much as we can from the cadre,” said Tech. Sgt. Will Stevens, 422nd SFS, Royal Air Force Croughton, England, Squad Two team leader. “This isn’t an easy course, but necessary.”
After equipment issue and safety briefings, students were quickly pushed into combat situations such as convoys, reaction to IEDs, vehicle recovery and mounted patrols. Throughout each scenario, cadre instructed and discussed strengths and weaknesses of the squad with each squad leader.
“It’s essential that we reach as many students as possible,” said Tech. Sgt. James Slavens, 786th SFS Creek Defender instructor. “This training saves lives. Every time a student graduates the course, I know he or she is equipped with the knowledge they need to complete the mission in the Area of Responsibility.”
Like many deployment training scenarios, students were pushed to meet and exceed
training standards.
“We make this course as real-world as possible,” said Tech. Sgt. Mike Herman, 786th SFS Creek Defender instructor. “This is a tactical training environment. We train and push students to the edge now so that they can be successful later.”
At the end of the two-day mounted operations exercise, squads gathered and reviewed what they had learned and benefited from throughout the course.
“We’ve learned the crucial fundamentals so we can survive in the AOR,” said Airman 1st Class Yazmine Nash, 423rd SFS, Royal Air Force Alconbury, England. “Now we’re able to take what we’ve learned during mounted operations and apply them downrange without hesitation.”
Though the course was strenuous, the teams banded together to finish this portion of the Creek Defender Course successfully.
“At the beginning of this exercise we barely knew each other, but we realized we would need to get to know one another and work hard as a team to complete the mission ahead of us,” Sergeant Stevens said. “This squad performed great the past two days, and I’m proud of the knowledge we gained and missions we accomplished.”
