TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Tyndall Air Force Base continues to take steps towards readiness in contingency settings, most recently, by hosting Home Station Readiness Training for the 325th Force Support Squadron at Tyndall’s Silver Flag training site.
The HSRT teaches critical skills to Airmen in the services, personnel and force support officer career fields to support deployed operations and personnel. The course covers mandatory support from laundry and lodging services in the field to mortuary affairs.
“The HSRT is paramount to supporting bare base and contingency situations,” explained Staff Sgt. Carolann Nordberg, 325th FSS readiness and plans craftsman. “If the FSS cannot situate lodging, accountability and food operations, members on the base will go tired and hungry. Also, [organizations] in deployed environments [operate] out of the shelters that we build, and without them, we wouldn’t have anywhere to work.”
The 20-hour course outlines how to manage food rations in isolated locations, accounting for meal service finances, as well as how to provide safe-to-eat food with less equipment than when on home station. Although there is great emphasis on meal preparation, keeping Airmen fueled for the fight is not the only focus of HSRT.
HSRT also addresses contingency mortuary operations. The students are instructed on how to preserve remains for identification, preserve evidence surrounding the death and to ensure remains return to the United States as soon as possible.
“It may sound morbid at first, however, what I found most important [during HSRT] is how delicate and important the procedures are when it comes to accounting for member casualty,” said Airman First Class George Kline, 325th FSS retentions technician. “How we take care of our fallen members in the military is important, not only for the members dignity and respect, but out of respect of their service, friends and family members.”
In addition to learning the best ways to support the mission down range, members of the 325th FSS got the opportunity to strengthen their relationships while performing activities such as tent building.
“Accomplishing the tasks given to us created a good team building exercise for all of us,” recalled Kline. “With the new unit deployments being implemented and knowing my team, I feel more than prepared when it comes to supporting our mission on our next deployment. When it comes to delivery, the 325 Force Support Squadron is ready.”