News United States Air Force
 CSTR proof of concept tests Defender unit-led training, equipment deliveryPublished July 30, 2023
                        
                        By Debbie Aragon
                        
                        
                        Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Public Affairs
                **TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) --**
                The******Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center******moved another step forward in establishing combat support training ranges across the enterprise with a security forces-focused proof of concept exercise at the**Silver Flag**site on **Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida**,July 17-28.

As part of the CSTR concept, the exercise tested the delivery of Defender unit-led combat skills training using low-density, high-demand equipment at a new site.

Florida’s **801st RED HORSE Training Squadron**Silver Flag site is primarily used for civil engineer combat training.

One Airman places a tourniquet around the upper arm of another Airman.Airmen from the 96th Security Forces Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and the 78th SFS at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia, practice applying tourniquets as part of a Tactical Combat Casualty Care course during an Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Combat Support Training Range Proof of Concept event at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., July 21, 2023. During the 10-day event, the 96th Security Forces Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and the 78th SFS at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., tested the delivery of Defender unit-led combat skills training using low-density, high-demand equipment at a new site. (U.S. Air Force photo by Emily Misfud)
            
            
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    A security forces squad watches for "combatants" in a fieldSecurity Forces Airmen secure the perimeter as part of a small unmanned aerial system recovery mission during an Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Combat Support Training Range event at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., July 26, 2023. During the 10-day event, the 96th Security Forces Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and the 78th SFS at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., tested the delivery of Defender unit-led combat skills training using low-density, high-demand equipment at a new site. (U.S. Air Force photo by Emily Misfud)
            
            
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    Airmen load a "casualty" into a simulated helicopterSecurity Forces Airmen transport a simulated casualty for evacuation following a small arms attack as part of an Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Combat Support Training Range event at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., July 26, 2023. During the 10-day event, the 96th Security Forces Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and the 78th SFS at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., tested the delivery of Defender unit-led combat skills training using low-density, high-demand equipment at a new site. (U.S. Air Force photo by Emily Misfud)
            
            
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Currently, security forces deployment training is only available at the Air Force Security Forces Center’s Desert Defender Ground Combat Readiness Training Center at**Fort Bliss, Texas**, because it uses equipment categorized as low density, high demand, meaning it’s only at select overseas locations or the Fort Bliss training site because of cost-effectiveness, said David Clifford, AFIMSC expeditionary and readiness training lead analyst and CSTR action officer.

The Tyndall proof of concept exercise involved two squads of 13Defenders from the 78th Security Forces Squadron at **RobinsAir Force Base, Georgia**, andthe 96th SFS from **Eglin AirForceBase, Florida**.

Map of the U.S. with notes about three overseas locations mentioned in related articleMap displays the current proposed locations for the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center's Combat Support Training Ranges initiative. The initiative, being tested during several events organized and funded by AFIMSC this summer, focuses on delivering fully equipped, multi-functional installation and mission support training sites across the Department of the Air Force. The CSTR sites within 400 miles of most installations, would give commanders the flexibility to conduct unit-led training without having to travel long distances with troops and equipment. (U.S. Air Force graphic by AFIMSC Public Affairs)
            
            
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**Andersen AirForceBase, Guam**; RAF Feltwell, England; and **Ramstein AirBase, Germany**.

Helping commanders maintain readiness and ensuring Airmen are prepared to deploy and win future wars is the focus of the CSTR initiative, said Col. Lance Turner, director of AFIMSC Expeditionary Support and Innovation Directorate.

“We don't get to win wars because of what the previous generation of Air Force leaders did,” Turner said. “We win wars because of what we are doing today and how we are preparing Airmen today. That's what this is all about.”

Leaders use the terms “sets and reps,” Clifford said. “The CSTR locations will allow our agile combat support Airmen to complete unit-led training ... sets and reps ... on low-density, high-demand equipment unit type codes in austere field conditions.

“That’s what this is about ... prepping our ACS Airmen for the next high-end fight against near-peer competitors in distributed operations and theaters,” Clifford said.

Airmen kneel on the ground loading bullets in magazinesAirmen load ammunition into magazines to prepare for their next simulated mission during an Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Combat Support Training Range event at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., July 25, 2023. During the 10-day event, the 96th Security Forces Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and the 78th SFS at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., tested the delivery of Defender unit-led combat skills training using low-density, high-demand equipment at a new site. (U.S. Air Force photo by Emily Misfud)
            
            
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    Airmen walking to a central starting locationSecurity Forces Airmen gather for a simulated mission during an Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Combat Support Training Range Proof of Concept event at the Silver Flag training site at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.,  July 25, 2023. During the 10-day event, the 96th Security Forces Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and the 78th SFS at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., tested the delivery of Defender unit-led combat skills training using low-density, high-demand equipment at a new site. (U.S. Air Force photo by Emily Misfud)
            
            
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    Airmen in and around an observation towerAirmen from the 96th Security Forces Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and the 78th SFS at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., perform a tower integration exercise during an Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Combat Support Training Range Proof of Concept event July 21, 2023. The 10-day event, held at the Silver Flag training site at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., tested the delivery of Defender unit-led combat skills training using low-density, high-demand equipment at a new site. (U.S. Air Force photo by Emily Mifsud)
            
            
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Previous and planned proof-of-concept events allow units to create scenarios that cover the full range of military operations, said Pervis King, counter improvised explosive device integrator at the Air Force Security Forces Center.

Theexercise began with cadre from Desert Defender transporting equipment from Fort Bliss to Florida, setting it up and standing ready for security forces to begin training July 17.

The equipment, like a Base Defense Operations Center and tactical radios normally only found at Fort Bliss or in a deployed environment, allowed security forces teams to receive deployment training on mounted and dismounted patrols, base defense scenarios involving land navigation, night vision goggles, intelligence, prepping the battlespace, formations, troop movements, battle drills, urban operations and mission planning. The event ended with a field exercise and evaluation.

“Access to this equipment allows Defenders to come out and practice their full scale of operations using equipment not readily available at home station,” King said. It’s also an opportunity to train in austere, simulated operational environments before they are deployed to permissive or non-permissive hostile locations.”

The security forces-focused event “went very well, as we’d hoped it would,” he said.

“Each unit sent well-trained Airmen to oversee the training and develop lesson plans and timelines, and the squads supporting it executed it with excitement and vigor even though the heat and elements were harsh at times. They were still excited and executed at a high level,” King said.

This exercise and others like it this summer serve as beta tests that allow CSTR planners to gather data and lessons learned from after-action reports.

“All of this data will allow AFIMSC to select sites, gather cost data, build our requirements and resources needed, and eventually submit that information into a program objective memorandum, or POM, to allocate future funding,” Clifford said.

A final proof of concept is set for next month at Desert Defender site at Fort Bliss. The AFIMSC team will then hold a CSTR lessons-learned conference in mid-September in San Antonio to capture and discuss the data and after-action reviews.

“From there, our CSTR working group will meet sometime late May 2024 to transition the program with final site selection and a fiscal year 2026 POM build,” Clifford said.LR 



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