JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO RANDOLPH, Texas – The Air Force Security Assistance and Training Squadron, which conducts Air Force international partner training, resumed temporary duty travel of Mobile Training Teams and virtual operations after suspending in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Air Education and Training Command International Affairs and AFSAT leaders coordinated with the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, and the Secretary of the Air Force International Affairs to develop procedures to meet partner-nation training requirements in a safe environment.
“We had to think outside the box while working with both our partner-nations and our U.S. training organizations,” said Mr. George Gagnon, the Director of International Training and Education at AETC headquarters. “This really was a collaboration to ensure we continued mission essential training in a safe way with our international partners.”
Mobile Training Teams are specialized training units that visit partner nations to conduct training. However, in addition to resuming in-country training, MTTs are now utilizing virtual capabilities.
“Using virtual options are proving successful in quality training for our international partners,” said Col Brian Afflerbaugh, AFSAT’s commander. “Our first virtual MTT was met with rave reviews while providing a sense of normalcy during a time of crisis.”
The Defense Institute for Medical Operations conducted the first recorded virtual MTT Aug. 3, 2020, during which instructors from San Antonio, Texas, virtually taught Mexican Air Force students on nursing leadership.
Additionally, 10 Airmen assigned to the 571st Mobility Support Advisory Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, California departed for Latacunga, Ecuador July 4, 2020. The team instructed Ecuadorian Air Force members on aircraft maintenance operations for a month before returning home in early August.
Currently, AFSAT has teams stationed in Jordan and Tunisia, and has plans to deploy at least 21 additional teams between now and December.
“MTT Airmen and civilians represent the U.S. Air Force and the nation to all our partner-nations from Niger to the Czech Republic,” said Chuck Bailey, the Director of Mission Support. “Continuing training during COVID-19 is a testament to ongoing collaboration.”
AFSAT reacted quickly at the onset of COVID-19 and synchronized a stop-movement for over a dozen teams, as well as coordinated the re-deployment of teams located around the world. To date, no team member has contracted COVID-19.
“The Mobile Training Team has been growing in popularity over the last decade,” said Afflerbaugh. “This can provide considerable flexibility and significant cost savings.”
Today, AFSAT deploys approximately 200 global MTTs annually. Headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, AFSAT trains over 8,700 international students from 155 different countries, with a training line value of $10.2 billion annually.