Leadership from the field: Security Forces trains hard to fight harder

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Roswell Sartwell
  • Third Combat Camera Squadron
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas --  An expert speaker on leadership and leadership training once defined a leader as someone who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way. That is exactly what the Combat Leadership Course, Level II, Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis did for 42 Security Forces Airmen in 26 days.

Staff Sgt. Luke Wyszomirski, a Security Forces patrolman from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, attended the course and explained what challenges the curriculum required and what can be learned.

"The combat leader's course is a hard-hitting, fast-paced scenario-based training," Wyszomirski said.

"Basically, the (Security Forces Academy instruction) cadre will put you in situations where you need to conduct operations orders, learn how to react to near and far ambushes, and organize and execute dismount and mounted operations in urban terrain situations. They give you tools. You set the missions up by fire team and then you go out and execute."

The leadership course is open to noncommissioned officers and first and second lieutenants from across the Security Forces career field. Students come from Air Force commands in the U.S. and abroad to attend the course.

The first week is spent in the classroom learning Security Forces operations. The second week covers practical field skills, such as moving as teams and squads. The third through the sixth weeks are all practical - conducting missions in the field.

Tech. Sgt. Joseph Petruzzi, an instructor with the Combat Leadership Course, part of the 343rd Training Squadron, explains the value of the leadership portion of the training at Camp Bullis.

"We give them extensive training on operational orders and troop leading procedures," Petruzzi said.

"It's vitally important, especially to the noncommissioned officers that go downrange. It gives them a perspective on the planning phase and the execution of a mission; and an idea of what their commanders are looking to execute on the ground."

In order to do that, Petruzzi explained, the training built into each scenario has to be realistic. Scenarios are built from experience gleaned downrange - current tactics, techniques and procedures.

"Our course emphasizes the green side of the house - the Army's infantry tactics. A lot of our guys do outside-the-wire missions with the Army - the Army is requesting Air Force Security Forces personnel to augment their units."

"From day one up until now it's all about learning," Wyszomirski said. "Nobody's a subject matter expert and that's why we're here. Cadre will teach us things. We take the things that they teach us with some of the experiences that we've had. We put it all together when we go out there and we try and make a product that is successful. Like I said, it's all about training."

And that training is designed to save lives under pressure.

"That's why we are here," Wyszomirski said.

"If we make a mistake downrange - we lose personnel - a significant impact on mission success. We cannot afford to have that happen. We make the mistakes here so we don't make them downrange."