Fighter Wing trains for contingency operations

  • Published
  • By SrA Malissa Armstrong
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  Gunfighters practiced their wartime skills during a Phase II Focused training exercise, Dec. 4 - 8, 2017, here.

The Phase II Focused exercise is aimed toward giving individual units the chance to tailor contingency training to best fit their needs.

"This is a phase-II-focused because we're focusing the training on the future," said Master Sgt. James Mulhall, 366th Fighter Wing Inspector General exercise planner. "This is compartmentalized unit-level training led by the units and is internal to each unit which will give them the necessary preparedness and training to be able to exercise a future Phase II."

A Phase I is the "prepare to deploy" part of the exercise series. It focuses on the "deployment" of a large amount of personnel and equipment. Phase II follows up with the employment of these assets in a deployed environment. The training exercise focused on specific goals, known as desired learning objectives.

"All units were required to give us their desired learning objectives," Mulhall said. "Once they gave us those DLOs, we ensure they're properly executed with a daily (Wing Inspection Team) briefing."

"If we get this down now, when the time comes, muscle memory will kick in and our Airman will know what to do," said Staff Sgt. Riostasia Johns, 366th Security Forces Squadron wing inspection team member. "This has also helped them work as a team and get familiar with their gear."

Gunfighters reacted to chemical-attack scenarios and conducted post-attack and reconnaissance sweeps.

"Our guys practice as we play," Johns said. "We know at the drop of a hat we may be called to apply the training we have in order to effectively execute the mission."

"This is the walk stage," Mulhall said. "The next step is the run stage."