71st SFS trains new augmentees

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Frank Casciotta
  • 71 Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Nine Airmen from different squadrons around Vance wrapped up security forces augmentee training March 24 by fighting off their instructors with practice batons.

Members of the 71st Security Forces Squadron train 24 augmentees annually to bolster their numbers in case of emergency.

One of the last training exercises before the augmentees are certified requires them to arm themselves with a practice baton and go toe-to-toe with one of their instructors. Practice batons are padded fiberglass rods.

The purpose of the bout is for the augmentees to get practice using a baton for self-defense.

"The actual training against (the instructor) was more realistic than I expected, because the pace was so fast," said Airman 1st Class Eduardo Garcia-Santiago, a 71st Comptroller Squadron customer service technician. "The trainers weren't out to get us, but they are relentless and overwhelming at times."

Instructors don a Monadnock training suit, a padded suit marked with red, green and yellow.

Each color represents a type of strike zone on the body, said Staff Sgt. John King, the 71st SFS unit training manager. Red zones are no-hit zones. Yellow zones are secondary target areas due to strike ineffectiveness or risk of injury to the assailant, and green represents primary target areas.

"Sergeant King's classroom training helped with the actual training exercise" said Garcia-Santiago. "Things like the proper stance and chambering the baton."

Chambering the baton means to position the baton over the shoulder before striking for the most effective impact.

"The reason we put on the suit and chase them around is to teach them to defend themselves with a baton against an aggressor, so as trainers, we have to assume (the aggressor) role," said King.

After completing the training, the newly minted augmentees will support the Defenders if the force protection condition is ever raised to Charlie, said King. During these times, security forces Airmen perform additional patrols and man additional posts.

"I have more respect for the skills security forces members have, and how well they are trained," said Garcia-Santiago. "I don't think half the people here could do what they do."