MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- The 908th Operations Support Squadron wrapped up three unit training assemblies’ worth of Ready Airman Training with a comprehensive exercise Sept. 7, 2024, at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.
The purpose of the exercise was to demonstrate the squadron’s commitment to developing Airman warrior ethos and generating lethal readiness.
"The idea for the exercise came from a meeting with the commander, where he wanted us to incorporate Ready Airman Training. I brainstormed a few concepts and we ultimately decided on a base defense exercise,” said Tech. Sgt. Jesse Liethen, a survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialist with the 908th OSS. “From there, we designed it to align with the Chief of Air Force Reserve’s tasking order, the 908th Flying Training Wing's mission, vision, and priorities and every aspect of RAT.”
The training exercise followed a phased approach: crawl, walk, run. They planned, practiced, executed, and evaluated.
During the July UTA, they crawled.
Squadron members completed an array of computer-based trainings covering the laws of war, integrated base defense, active threat response, weapons handling and tactics, basic, tactical and cross-cultural communication, chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive ordnance hazards, comprehensive airman fitness, information and influence of environment awareness, tactical combat casualty care and and survival, evasion, resistance and escape tactics.
According to the exercise’s planners, it's essential to anticipate real-world threats and train appropriately. Gaining insight into what they might face in a deployed environment builds confidence, giving Airmen an edge if and when they ever find themselves in those conditions.
"I intentionally didn't assign roles,” said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Lehmkuhl, 908th OSS commander. “During both the planning and execution phases, I made sure to remove supervisors from the exercise. The goal was to promote a multi-capable Airman and next man up mentality. By excluding those with senior rank or supervisory positions, we ensured the focus was on executing mission-type orders and developing leadership at all levels."
This required extensive planning and collaboration with various entities. Coordinating the schedule, securing props, equipment, and volunteers, as well as spectators and evaluators, all took careful effort. As Liethen explained, the cooperation and assistance from different organizations across Maxwell was instrumental in the planning, development and execution of the training exercise.
“The Officer Training School, for example, permitted us to use their facilities and loaned us training weapons and ammunition,” he said. “By borrowing equipment and utilizing training sites on base, we were able to conduct this entire exercise at no additional cost to the Wing.”
In August UTA, they walked.
Liethen kicked off the August UTA weekend with an in-depth overview of the exercise’s learning and evaluation objectives. He addressed concerns and explained how the combination of CBT, hands-on training and integrated stress inoculation would be used to assess and strengthen their skills.
Following the introduction, and for the remainder of the training weekend, senior leaders provided briefings and demonstrations covering roles and responsibilities, safety protocols, rules of engagement and a detailed timeline breakdown of the exercise scenario.
In September, it was time to run.
The squadron began the UTA receiving an intelligence briefing and a review of exercise, which started with routine OSS operations and escalated into a simulated attack on a forward operating location. A new task or stressor was introduced every few minutes, including rocket launches, explosions, communication failures and injuries.
Participants took defensive positions, responded to multiple firefights and medical emergencies, established casualty collection points, requested helicopter support and swept the base for threats. While active participants exercised their skills, senior leaders observed and evaluated their responses, actions, and whether they demonstrated leadership qualities.
The event was made more realistic with support from other units across the Wing, such as the 908th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and 908th FTW MH-139A Grey Wolf Helicopter aircrew.
The exercise concluded with the operating location secured, patients stabilized and capabilities and capacities exercised.
The squadron then gathered for a debrief and assessment of the stress inoculation, providing an opportunity for all to offer feedback, address questions, and reinforce camaraderie, boosting their excitement and confidence in future missions together.
Only a few participants had previous experience with this type of training. For the others, this had been their first opportunity to truly practice some of the skills they joined the military to develop.
“This was my first exercise of this nature,” said Staff Sgt. Nicole Williams, exercise participant. “I felt it was really well executed and would accurately reflect real-world scenarios. A major challenge we encountered was communication. The comms weren’t functioning as smoothly as expected, which is something you might experience in real-world scenarios as well, so it turned out to be a positive because it forced us to adapt.”
According to the evaluators, the exercise was a success, showcasing the squadron’s ability to deliver bold, agile and dedicated Airmen supplying superior combat capabilities in a high-pressure, realistic scenario.
Lehmkul praised the squadron’s Airmen and how the exercise showcased their lethal ability to be ready now while transforming for the future.
“We don't accept excuses,” said Lehmkuhl. “We have a baseline requirement for our institutional forces to uphold the standards demonstrated today through Ready Airman Training. There’s always room to balance maintaining baseline readiness as an Airman while fulfilling your assigned duties. We planned and executed this exercise organically at the squadron level while also executing our primary mission - the stand-up of the Air Force’s sole MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter flying training unit.”