DUKE FIELD, Fla. — The safety forces Airman ran by plumes of purple smoke whereas combating off opposing forces earlier than taking cowl behind a constructing with their very own ammunition flying by the streets of the mock village.
The sound of gunfire consumed the “metropolis” comprised largely of delivery containers whereas the decided service member hustled together with his wingmen to get a wounded Airman to an evacuation level. This was a small style of what any DAGRE must be ready for in a contingency surroundings.
Deployed Plane Floor Response Parts present safety for Air Drive Particular Operations Command property and personnel in environments the place safety is unknown or deemed insufficient. They’re extremely specialised safety forces members that obtain extra coaching than their counterparts and might carry out a wide range of defensive operations in distant environments.
“I joined initially as a result of I believed it was one of many coolest slots in my unit,” stated Senior Airman Amahd Rasheed, 919th Particular Operations Safety Forces Squadron member. “All people wished to be ‘that man’ so they may do these missions and put on that DAGRE tab.”
Step one for Rasheed in attaining his aim was passing the 919th SOSFS evaluation. On this section of coaching, DAGRE candidates be taught and carry out most of the duties they should display throughout their qualification course. The evaluation entails ruck marching, sleep deprivation, taking pictures, land navigation, and a mess of different duties and skillsets.
He pulled by and superior to the following step of his DAGRE coaching at Hurlburt Subject with the 371st Particular Operations Fight Coaching Squadron. Right here, Rasheed went by the Air Commando Subject Expertise Course, the primary cease for all Airmen supporting Particular Operations Forces.
“A lot of the Airmen on this course are studying find out how to maintain their very own whereas supporting particular operations,” stated Dirk Baier, course director for ACFSC. “On this course, they’re studying find out how to go downrange, shoot, transfer, talk, and get themselves out of a foul state of affairs.”
The Airmen on this course work in assist features akin to medical, communications, logistics and different profession fields that present for AFSOC’s particular operations forces.
At ACFSC, Air Commandos from bases across the command discovered superior weapons techniques, participated in Tactical Fight Casualty Care coaching with robotic lifelike dummies, discovered Defensive driving, practiced combatives, and mastered some safety strategies.
“This course is geared in the direction of on-the-ground techniques,” stated Baier. “It will get them used to distant places typical to DAGRE.”
Based on Baier, the DAGRE program is comparatively new. Management acknowledged the necessity for a functionality just like the Ravens (a workforce that gives safety for Air Mobility Command airframes) to guard AFSOC property and personnel.
“The distinction is our safety groups are inclined to function in additional distant environments,” stated Baier.
For Rasheed and his fellow DAGRE candidates, they mixed the abilities they discovered from the ACFSC course with their DAGRE qualification coaching.
“Once they come to us, we sharpen the abilities they discovered in ACFSC and their time in safety forces,” stated Tech. Sgt. Thomas Geerts, NCO in Cost of the DAGRE qualification course. “We count on rather a lot from them and practice them in a complete new vary of ability units.”
The qualification course moved the trainees to varied places throughout the Eglin Vary over the course of 5 weeks. Some days are dedicated to lecturers and a few days they coated their fight boots with Florida’s purple clay.
“Day by day was just like the evening earlier than Christmas the place you simply stayed up all evening,” stated Rasheed. “I by no means knew what to anticipate subsequent with all of the completely different courses and coaching that was deliberate for us.”
College students discovered superior techniques on weapons many had by no means used earlier than and had been required to finish duties related to greater ability ranges akin to mission planning.
The DAGRE trainees took on shut quarter battle workout routines, small unit techniques, tactical safety particulars, and included among the classes of their skilled instructors into their operations.
“They spent a whole lot of time doing city operations and restoration, regular safety forces additionally possess these expertise however we sharpen them,” stated Geerts. “As we transition into a brand new type of warfare, these small specialised groups are going to grow to be extra vital.”
Rasheed and his wingmen’s coaching culminated in a subject train, the place instructors validate the information college students had been anticipated to retain over the previous a number of weeks.
In the course of the train, they defended airframes from oppositional forces, de-escalated tensions with native nationals, and secured a Ahead Working Base tucked within the woods the place they deliberate their mission.
At one level, they needed to safe and shield the encampment from enemy fireplace whereas offering emergency medical care to a wounded native.
After the workforce efficiently accomplished their end result train, instructors determined who went on to graduate and put on the DAGRE tab, and who went again house to their items with out one.
Two months of coaching, demonstrations, and lecturers for the workforce going by the programs culminated with a commencement ceremony December 2021. Rasheed was the primary 919th Particular Operations Wing Citizen Air Commando to graduate the complete course and earn the tab in 4 years.
“My household and my workforce motivated and pushed me by the coaching,” stated Rasheed. “I felt like I used to be cloud 9, I used to be so excited to have pushed by and at last graduated. I’d extremely advocate this coaching course to others”
Whereas one journey ended right here, one other one started for Rasheed and different newly minted DAGRE workforce members who’re absolutely skilled and able to defend AFSOC property and SOF members wherever the Nation wants them.
To see extra DAGRE protection from the 919th SOW, examine us out on Fb and Instagram.
