6/13/2012 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
The Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph 902nd Security Forces Squadron hosted two exercises June 7 from two of its separate operations. One demonstration honed members' firearms and communication skills while the other put military working dogs to the test.
Shoot, Move and Communicate
Two security forces members participated in a training course called Shoot, Move and Communicate, which paced them through various barriers to respond to a high-threat target.
According to Senior Airman Celina Reyes, 902nd SFS police services, the training is an annual requirement by the military that helps keeps everyone on the squadron proficient in firearms usage.
The course, once inactive, was brought back by the Air Force in 2010, Tech. Sgt. Keith Hartman, 902nd NCO in charge of training, said.
During a session, SFS members defensively move throughout a "sustainment course of fire," crouch at marked barriers and communicate every move with each other, Hartman said.
"The course hones their reaction to the perceived target and their ability to react to various situations, such as weapon malfunctions," he said.
To recreate a weapon malfunction during the training, the instructor shouted commands to members while they fired their M4 - an assault rifle - at their targets and quickly shifted to firing their M9 - a pistol.
Paint-tipped rounds were fired during Shoot, Move and Communicate.
Reyes, who has participated in the training, said the amount of interaction on training grounds greatly benefits members once they are on the job.
"It's intense," she said. "[The instructors] are yelling at you, but once you go through it, you get over the jitterbugs and you're OK. Practice makes perfect."
The most crucial lesson instructors hope to teach members is how to successfully communicate with each other during a high-threat situation.
The two participating members who fired rounds in different bursts were instructed to inform each other when one of them was out of ammunition so the other could respond with covering fire.
"We teach our members how to talk to each other, which is really important because it's the difference between covering your partner and getting him shot," Staff Sgt. David Shea, 902nd SFS training instructor, said.
Pertinent to the mission is keeping security forces hydrated and in shape because they have to carry extra equipment like firearms, body armor and helmets, Hartman said.
Practicing at Randolph means having to deal with extended summer heat waves, but Hartman reminded that security forces are prepared to operate in multiple climate conditions.
"Making everything come together and helping everyone reach their mark is the hardest part," Harman said. "But it's satisfying to know that we help everyone learn their limitations here on the training fields so we can modify and improve them to become better during their duty."
Military working dog bite-work demonstration
On another training field at Randolph not necessarily designed for creatures walking on two legs, the 902nd SFS MWD section is busy perfecting the skills of dogs assigned for police work.
The military working dogs the base receives - typically German shepherds and Belgian Malinois - are selected from the 341st Training Squadron's MWD Program at Lackland. The program at Lackland dictates whether a dog will specialize in patrol, narcotics or detection work.
Regardless of what kind of work each dog will perform, they are exercised at least five times a week at the kennels in the obedience yard, which resembles an obstacle course.
There, 902nd SFS handlers are able to build rapport with their assigned dog by pacing them through the field, teaching them commands and, as many handlers attest to, playing with them to have some fun.
"Building a relationship with the dog is the most important thing a handler must do," Tech. Sgt. Santiago Bernal, 902nd SFS MWD section NCO in charge, said. "If the dog doesn't listen to them in the obedience yard, they won't listen to them outside of it."
A few of the military working dogs showcased their ability to perform bite work with specifying commands from handlers. All of the dogs in the kennels are taught how to bite a target pointed out by their handler.
This meant that a few of the handlers had to gear up for a bite in a modified garment that helps protect them from the dogs' teeth during demonstrations.
At the breath of a verbal command or at the signal of a physical command from their handler - and there are several of them - the dogs are ready to pounce on their target.
"Dogs are opportunists," Staff Sgt. Darrell Williams, 902nd SFS MWD trainer, said. "They'll bite whatever is presented to them. If someone were to run from them, whatever limb is outstretched is what they will bite."
Not every body part is always protected in the modified suits at the kennels, including the hands and head, but handlers are prepared and trained to outstretch certain parts like their arms or chest for the dogs' practice.
"It's an adrenaline rush (to take a bite)," Senior Airman Clinton Patton, 902nd SFS MWD handler, said. "Working with these dogs, though, is what makes this career field so much fun."
Dogs are paired with their handlers based on personality matches.
Some dogs respond well to strict instruction, while others are more laid back, Bernal said.
"We have to feel out the dog to see what works for them," he said.
"The longer a team is put together, the better suited they will be to work together for the mission," Williams said.
Military working dogs do not need to be alphas to be top-notch at their job.
"We actually get great results with betas," Bernal said. "More submissive dogs tend to be some of the best attack dogs because they work hard for their handlers."
However, certain personality traits of alphas are ideal.
"We like alpha personalities because they are more aggressive and confident dogs," Williams said. "It will take more work on our end to build rapport with them to let them know the handler is 'the boss,' but all of our dogs will get the job done."