TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Nearly 100 personnel from the 507th Civil Engineer Squadron here participated in a three-day convoy field training exercise at Glenwood Training Annex July 31- Aug. 2.
Master Sgt. Trevor Senechal, 507th CES Prime Base Emergency Engineering Force manager, said he provides combat skills training oversight to the squadron and planned the exercise, overcoming scheduling challenges due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
“We pooled a lot of very last minute resources together to make something impactful happen that would satisfy all of our requirements,” Senechal said. “Glenwood had its own challenges to deal with and offered a very unique training opportunity for us.”
The squadron originally planned to perform the training with the Arkansas Air National Guard’s 188th Wing in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The 188th Civil Engineer Squadron’s existing convoy operations training route complete with vehicles was an ideal training opportunity for the engineers, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, Senechal set up an alternate training opportunity locally at Glenwood to satisfy training requirements outlined in AFI 10-210, Prime (BEEF) Program.
The scenario-driven training exercise simulated the squadron’s ability to operate in a forward-deployed location. The mission was to resupply another location with manpower while protecting critical military assets along a route compromised by members of the local population.
“We wanted to introduce visual and auditory confusion to distract the participants from what was really going on in order to assess their ability to follow procedures,” said Senechal. “They demonstrated their ability to perform security and accountability as well as self-aid and buddy care.”
According to 507th Civil Engineer Squadron commander, Lt. Col. Dustin Born, the Airmen appreciated the time out of the office and out in the field performing a tactical mission.
“This was a perfect opportunity to increase both our lethality and retention as well as letting off a little steam amidst current global affairs,” Born said. “Just like most units in the Reserve command, we have had multiple unit training assemblies postponed or rescheduled, so being able to complete an in-person, hands-on event was a big win and a much needed morale booster.”
Born extended his appreciation to fellow Team Tinker units, the 35th Combat Communications Squadron and the 72nd Security Forces Squadron, for the use of their Light Medium Tactical Vehicles, a 2 1/2 ton truck and a Humvee to make the convoy exercise a success.