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Preparing more than 1,000 security forces members for deployments every year falls on the shoulders of less than 20 cadre from the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing operating out of Baumholder, Germany.
The cadre are there to guide security forces Airmen to reach their optimal capabilities.
Senior Airman Jesse Koritar, 435th Security Forces Squadron combat tactics technician, ensures all security forces members passing through his class are capable of performing 24 core security forces tasks, ranging from nighttime operations, fire control measures and urban operations.
“This is the type of training environment where mistakes are allowed and improved upon,” Koritar said. “We aim to mold everyone into a squad leader so safety will never be an issue.”
Cadre use class members to shape even the lowest ranking Airman into a leader. Koritar instills student-driven lessons inside his teaching structure.
“We always aim to leave an impact,” Koritar said. “There is already years of experience and multiple deployments completed within every squad arriving here. Cadre facilitate and guide the learning and refreshing process. The knowledge to complete the mission is already instilled in every defender that passes through; we just reaffirm and consolidate what they already know.”
Confidence built within each other and within a squad is paramount to the Creek Defender course. Using the squad to teach and better itself pushes each group of defenders to believe in themselves no matter what they might face.
“Trust is the most important aspect we emphasize here,” Koritar said. “Once the trust is built in each squad, guiding them to be where they need to reach is simple. It’s how we operate here to complete our mission and secure a safe area of operation while deployed.”
Building toward a safe deployed location is why cadres like Koritar strive for perfecting any flaws while teaching. Bringing home every last service member safely is their goal.
“There are a lot of stressful situations anyone can face while deployed,” said Airman 1st Class Marcel Baca, 100th Security Forces Squadron Creek Defender student. “I feel much more confident in my ability to tackle these situations after going through this program. Cadre, like Koritar, really pushed us to find the answer we needed by looking inside ourselves.”
