Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Airmen holding rifles are in formation.Airmen assigned to the 20th Fighter Wing perform tactical combat movements during multi-capable Airman training at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., Oct. 17, 2023. The MCA course challenged Airmen from various career fields to push themselves beyond the expectations of their primary duties in order to build a more agile and lethal force capable of doing more with less in a contested environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Steven Cardo)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Shaw AFB leads the way with MCAPublished Oct. 28, 2023
                    
                    By Airman 1st Class Steven Cardo
                    
                    
                    20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
            **SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AFNS) --****ShawAir Force Base**held amulti-capable Airman training course Oct. 16-20, aimed at preparing Airmen with the skills necessary to conduct tasks outside of their primary duties. Two Airmen drag a simulated patient while under evaluation.Airmen assigned to the 20th Fighter Wing drag a simulated casualty to safety under the sound of gunfire during multi-capable Airman training at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., Oct. 19, 2023. The MCA course challenged Airmen and Soldiers to provide tactical combat casualty care under the sound of simulated gunfire to test their abilities to perform life-saving procedures, problem-solve and complete mission requirements under highly stressful circumstances. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Steven Cardo)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res

    










The MCA course provided 20th Fighter Wing Airmen of various ranks from career fields such asmaintenance, civil engineering and administrative services, a thorough training in support of the Agile Combat Employment **model**. This training is necessary as the Air Force moves toward employing smaller teams thatare able to perform a wider range of duties with limited resources in contested locations worldwide. “The wing saw a need for us to get after themulti-capable Airman program, so we started compiling the necessary knowledge, skill sets and tools and developed a course from it,” said Tech. Sgt. Cody Johnson, 20th Security Forces Squadron trainer and MCA cadre. “As students came through, we saw a need for a longer course that incorporated more tasks and expeditionary skills. We’re teaching them how to ‘shoot, move and communicate,’ establish defensive fighting positions, tactical combat casualty care along with a stress test and other things of that nature. With each class that comes through, even with each day being rigorous in nature, the students’ feedback is that they want it to be longer. They definitely want to start pushing themselves even more than we are pushing them.” An Airman looks through foliage as he constructs a defensive fighting position.Master Sgt. Christopher Brunsman, 20th Operations Group first sergeant, works with his team to construct a defensive fighting position during multi-capable Airman training at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., Oct. 17, 2023. The MCA course at Shaw AFB invited first sergeants from across the wing to participate and better familiarize themselves with the practices and techniques being taught to the Airmen they serve, making them a vital resource in educating their squadrons on the expanding Agile Combat Employment and MCA initiatives. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Steven Cardo)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res
    
    Airmen in a group receive instruction from an MCA intructor.Tech. Sgt. Michael Garrison, right, 20th Security Forces Squadron weapons and tactics chief and multi-capable Airman training cadre, instructs a group of Airmen on MCA fundamentals at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., Oct. 17, 2023. The MCA course provided 20th Fighter Wing Airmen of various ranks from career fields such as maintenance, civil engineering and administrative services, a thorough training in support of the Agile Combat Employment model. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Steven Cardo)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res
    
    An Airman looks through a compass viewfinder during an exercise.Senior Airman Anthony Tecson, 20th Civil Engineer Squadron pavements and heavy equipment specialist, uses a compass to chart landmarks while learning expeditionary skills during multi-capable Airman training at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., Oct. 17, 2023. Airmen were trained and evaluated on fieldcraft techniques, tactical combat casualty care, combat movement and various other expeditionary skills to expand their knowledge beyond their primary duties, better preparing the 20th Fighter Wing for the Agile Combat Employment model of force generation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Steven Cardo)
            
            
            Photo Details /
                Download Hi-Res The MCA course challenged Airmen to push themselves beyond the expectations of their primary roles, test their leadership abilities and complete mission requirements under stressful circumstancesin order to build a more agile and lethal force capable of doing more with less. 
 “It was a really complex training spread over five days and in this short time we learned what it meant to be amulti-capable Airman,” said Capt. Agnieszka Gaertner, 20th FW Legal Office chief of military justice and MCA trainee. “We learned M4 rifle fundamentals, combat formations and how to care for wounded in the battlefield. It has helped me a lot to improve as a leader. I led a squadron consisting of 16 Airmen and together we learned how to work as a team and to be good followers and leaders, building the fundamentals of warfighting.” 
 The 20th FW currently conducts the longest MCA training across **Air Combat Command**and aims to expand the course to include a more thorough academic curriculum and immersive training environment. MCA trainers within ACC are working closely together to compare results and develop a stronger course to implement across the wider Air Force, paving the way forward to a more agile and lethal military force.Shaw AFB 



MCA 



Ace 



training 



Joint Training 



LR 



USAF 



AF 



Air Force 



ACC 



One Team One Fight 



20FW 



20SFS 



TCCC 



agile force 



M4 



Teamwork Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil