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Scott AFB Strengthens Readiness Through Base Defense Training

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Devin Morgan
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

Airmen from across the base participated in the Airman Base Defense Course, Sept. 9–12, a program designed to prepare Airmen from other career fields to support installation defense as augmentees. 

By training Airmen from multiple specialties, the ABDC strengthens Scott AFB’s overall readiness while fostering connections across ranks and career fields. For many students, the experience is more than just an additional duty. It is an opportunity to directly defend their base and fellow wingmen. 

“This training helps build numbers that can be used to ensure overall base defense,” said Tech. Sgt. Michael Waites, 375th Security Forces Squadron ABDC instructor. “In times when our augmentees aren’t working with us, they have the skill sets needed to help detect, deter and report suspicious individuals and situations.” 

The week-long course equips participants with the skills needed to perform base defense as an additional duty, enabling them to support security forces during increased mission demands or deployments. Airmen participated in hand-to-hand combat training, known as the Red Man, Virtual Reality simulations to practice de-escalating and most Airmen even elected to be tased, to better understand the force they could have to use. 

Through classroom lessons, weapons training and hands-on exercises, Airmen learned the fundamentals of securing an installation and responding to potential threats. 

Senior Airman Vanessa Baptista, a 375th SFS ABDC instructor, added, “Whether they are an Airman who typically sits at a quiet desk all day or an officer from the academy, this program pushes them to be able to do more than they thought they were capable of."

Airmen from a wide range of career fields participated, including maintenance and logistics, operations, and pilots. For many, the course offered their first exposure to security forces duties. One student said the course provided a unique perspective. 

 “Having come from a flying squadron where the enlisted are few and far between, watching new Airmen be taken under the wing of strong and experienced NCOs highlighted the extent to which professionalism is honed and passed down from mentor to mentee,” said 1st Lt. Jack Calkins, 458th Airlift Squadron C-21A Learjet pilot.