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Preparing Airmen to survive, thrive during deployments

  • Published
  • By Joe B. Wiles
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Deploying into harm's way is serious business. Preparing Vance Airmen for deployment is a business Calvin Miller takes very seriously. 

"We send out an average of 80 to 100 people a year," said Mr. Miller, Vance installation deployment officer since moving here in July from Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. "While we don't deploy entire units like an operational base would, we send individuals which are called Expeditionary Combat Support Forces." 

Those individuals fill holes in units and are usually notified with little time to prepare, sometimes giving the deployer as little as 30-days notice. 

And that is why today's Airman must maintain expeditionary skills essential to survive, operate and succeed in a deployed environment, according to a recent policy guidance memorandum from Headquarters, U.S. Air Force. 

"Operations in the Global War on Terrorism and emerging missions have increased the demand for Airmen who are prepared to conduct expeditionary missions outside the confines of the traditional air base environment," said Timothy Beyland, assistant deputy chief of staff for Manpower and Personnel at Headquarters, U.S. Air Force. 

Preparing Airmen for expeditionary missions is a four-tier process, said Mr. Miller. The first tier is completed during basic military training, officer training school, ROTC, the U.S. Air Force Academy, Air and Space Basic Course and, to some extent, during initial skills training. 

But Tier 1 does not create a deployable Airman. 

Thus, Mr. Miller and his assistant oversee Tier 2A and 2B training at Vance. 

"Tier 2A training is computer based and covers subjects like self-aid and buddy care, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear and information awareness," he said. 

Tier 2A training begins 120 days prior to an Airman's window of vulnerability for deployment. Formerly called a bucket, the period an Airman might be deployed is now called a tempo band. 

"Tier 2B training begins when an Airman has been identified to deploy," Mr. Miller said. It consists of weapons training, gas mask fitting and training, and learning to identify improvised explosive devices and unexploded ordnance. 

Some Airmen, security forces for example, are required to maintain Tier 2B proficiency even when not identified to deploy. 

A lot of people at Vance assist Mr. Miller with Tier 2B training including emergency management with the civil engineer clight, security forces small arms training and the 71st Medical Group. 

For Vance Airmen, Tier 3 training is given after departing for a deployment and before arriving at the deployment location. 

The content of Tier 3 training depends on an Airman's specialty, where they are going and what they will do when they arrive there. 

"Tier 3 is usually conducted at places like Fort Riley, Kan., or Fort Bliss, Texas," Mr. Miller said. It can involve a variety of combat skills. 

Tier 4 is very specialized training. 

"For example, security forces might go to Camp Bullis in San Antonio for specialized training and then go to Kuwait for more training before finally getting to Iraq," Mr. Miller said. 

"We aim to prepare Vance deployers to survive and do a great job," Mr. Miller said.