Cadre teaches response tactics to base defenders

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Cody H. Ramirez
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  Preparation is an important aspect of base defense. Being well trained helps the unexpected ... well ... more expected.

This is exactly what members of the 374th Security Forces Squadron did March 11 - 15, at Yokota Air Base, Japan. Cadre, from a contracted civilian law enforcement training team, came to Yokota to train 20 security forces members on techniques and procedures to use while responding to high-risk situations like an active shooter.

The mobile training team of cadre had one goal in mind during their visit to Yokota: meet Pacific Air Force commanders' vision of providing the most extensive active-shooter program in the Air Force.

The contracted training team taught a five-day teach-the-teacher course. The course is based on real-life scenarios and provides effective response tactics to empower Pacific Air Force's security forces members to swiftly eliminate active shooters and other high-risk response threats.

"Training Days 4 and 5 allow students to submerge themselves into intense, realistic learning scenarios, exposing security forces to a multitude of evolving risks in response to historical events, reducing the newness to the stimulus of a crisis, building skill confidence and enabling them to act decisively during a real-world confrontation," said John Knipe, mobile training team cadre.

The week-long course began with interactive academics and exercises. Basically, students were taught and practiced new defense procedures and movements. Tactics and techniques taken from temporary special weapons and tactics training were included.

On Day 4, the students took what they learned on the first days and used it during high-risk response scenarios with role players. The training is finished with Day 5, when students lead scenarios as role players and tested their response and tactics.

"The scenarios they are throwing at us, make you think quickly and react effectively," said Tech. Sgt. Jose Favela, 374 SFS flight chief. "The training is based on live events that have taken place before, so they give us great insight as to what might take place and how to handle those situations appropriately."

Favela said his team has come a long way since Day 1.

"At first, everyone had a different angle on approaching different scenarios because of all the previous training we have received from different schools or courses," Favela said. "By the end of the training, we were all using everything we had been trained on and combined it with what the cadre were teaching us to work as a team with a common goal. We were all on the same page, which made us more effective."

For additional photos of the training, click here.