Air Force announces basing candidates for Security Forces Regional Training Center Consolidation

News > Air Force announces basing candidates for Security Forces Regional Training Center Consolidation

Air Force announces basing candidates for Security Forces Regional Training Center Consolidation

Posted 12/14/2011

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12/14/2011 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Air Force officials announced candidate bases for a Security Forces Regional Training Center consolidation Dec. 14.

The candidates are Camp Guernsey, Wyo.; Fort Bliss, Texas; Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.; and Joint Base San Antonio, Texas.

These locations, approved by Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, are now candidates to host a training center which will offer training courses attended by approximately 8,500 students per year.

Consolidating Security Forces Regional Training Centers into fewer locations is part of the Air Forces Efficiencies initiative. In 2010, the Air Force Security Forces Center headquarters conducted a study to determine a more efficient method of conducting security forces training.

The study found that consolidation of existing training locations would improve quality of training and provide cost savings by reducing manpower and equipment, increasing economies of scale, and further improving consistency. The consolidation would also allow Security Forces to be more responsive to Combatant Commands and increase their ability to adapt quickly to emerging enemy tactics, techniques, and procedures.

Officials at the Air Force Security Forces Center headquarters will begin a detailed evaluation of the candidate bases and look at a wide range of operational and facility requirements. The results of the study will be briefed to the secretary of the Air Force and the Air Force chief of staff who will then select a preferred alternative.

"The Air Force uses a standardized, deliberate, repeatable and transparent process to address our basing needs," said Kathleen Ferguson, the deputy assistant secretary for installations. "These candidate bases will be analyzed to determine which location or locations will best host this mission."

Air Force officials plan to announce the preferred alternative by the spring or summer of 2012.

Comments

2/25/2012 8:57:13 PM ET
First of all SSgt USAF. You sir are forgiven for you not know what you talk about. Do some research about SF doing their part in OTW missions. Especially the K9 handlers. Convoys are not the only missions outside the wire. Second why are we training in jungle warfare environments when like what was said by TSgt Silver Flag we need to acclimate ourselves to environments that are similar to our CURRENT war. What are we going to Vietnam again I guess the young handler chosen to run with ODARanger Battalion etc. will get all core tasks by learning Land Nav at Dix. Gotchya. Just like the designer's of our new uniform. Our decisions are based upon opinions of those who sit at a desk most of their careers. Speaking of can someone tell me why their are so many pen pockets on these things Makes no sense.

Been OTW as SF, CONUS

1/9/2012 6:35:00 PM ET
SSgt USAF. Your comments about cops not going outside the wire are not only factually wrong, but they are insulting. My guess is they are the words of someone who recently got jammed up and wants to insult an entire career field. For your education, I have a team of guys in the AOR right now doing nothing but outside the wire missions. I think what you meant to say was that they usually never put cops with you on convoys that had already had the routes swept and were deemed safe for you to travel. Try to do a little self educating before you post something for the entire world to see.

SF SMS, MidAtlantic

12/30/2011 10:20:29 AM ET
@SSgt USAF, there is no such thing as a combat convoy. You obviuosly spent too much time on the FOB bcuase security forces has been OTW doing PTT and convoy duty. And yeah that has been since the start of both conflicts. Mech's and vehicle ops have a very limited skill set in regards to running convoys and gun trucks. And I'm not really a big cop support, but those are the facts. Do a little more research next time.

Mo, MidSouth

12/29/2011 2:59:42 PM ET
I did combat convoys in the AOR. There where no cops with us. The only cops we had ran the armory and secured the base gate and borders. I have yet to see a SF member leave 100 yards from any base in the AOR in my 4 tours. Oh yeah, and I am one of those injured-for-life members from a convoy accident.Unless they are on some special assignment they rarely ever leave the comforts of base. I rolled the streets of Iraq and Afgan in convoys from base to base. I know. I do thank them for my job security here in VM thou. With out us, there is no mission.

SSgt, USAF

12/22/2011 10:01:37 AM ET
SSGt- Tell that to my SF friends commanding gun trucks in Afghanistan right now. Or to their families that sit at home without them during these holidays and try to celebrate knowing their loved ones are in harm's way. Better yet, explain to the families of my SF friends who have died or lost limbs in combat how we only need to learn how not to crash a vehicle. If you have served in the AOR, you should thank a Defender who did their job so you could do yours.

SF TSgt, Indiana

12/22/2011 8:55:52 AM ET
Consolodation can generally be a good idea. Having fewer training centers or Operating locations such as mine at Fort Bliss will result in a saving and should not impact training. BTW to whomever in Va., Fort Bliss ADA is gone. They moved to Ft Sill years ago. While I am fond of San Antonio because of all my years there, I think another range area is a better choice. Scratch Dix and Wyoming go to Bliss

R. Barnes, Retired SF

12/19/2011 3:57:36 PM ET
The rest of the Dept of Def. trains cops at Ft Leonard Wood. Send the cops there, they will like it there.

MO MSgt, MO

12/18/2011 1:57:20 PM ET
I have gone to RTC in Florida and New Jersey so that I can go to a war in a desert environment. A consolidated RTC is not the answer. I agree that we don't need as many as we currently operate, but our next campaign might not be in the desert and places like Ft. Bliss can provide only one type of training. Keep Dix and Creech cut the rest.

SFS, USAFE

12/16/2011 1:26:37 PM ET
The only training SF needs is how not to crash a vehicle. They don't go into combat anyway. Mechanics/veh ops are choosen for combat convoys and gun trucks over SF anyway.

SSgt, USAF

12/16/2011 1:58:13 AM ET
Jerry - Bruddah Hickam-Pearl as a SFS regional training center. What? Done boggle da mind. No room for dat stuff there.

Wahine, East Asia

12/15/2011 5:42:33 PM ET
San Antonio, TX, already center of excellence hub for USAF Security Forces, so hopefully consolidated training wheel will not be expensively reinvented. Invest limited resources into AF locations. Once vacated by SF cadre, transform ground combat skills training facilities at Creech AFB, NV, into new state of art TACP tech school and JTAC training center of excellence hub collocated with courses already at Nellis. Please think smart on this one AF leadership.

Tax Paying Warrior, USAFE

12/15/2011 4:52:40 PM ET
First off, Fort Bliss is no longer the home of Army ADA, it's the HOME OF THE 1ST ARMORED DIVISION. Fort Bliss is well versed in working in the Joint and Internationsl Military Environment. JTF-North, largest contigent of the German AF, resides here; we have the largest training area with over 1.2 million acres of training area, which allows everything from 9MM to Ballistic Missiles to be fired. Also, Fort Bliss has an outstanding working relationship with Holloman AFB and White Sands Missile Range. So, yes, I hope they select FORT BLISS as the new AF Regional Training Site.

LTC SWANSON PAO, FORT BLISS TEXAS

12/15/2011 3:50:26 PM ET
It only makes since to close Silver Flag Alpha here at Creech AFB in the Nevada desert. Why would we want our Airmen to train in a desert environment that looks EXACTLY like Afghanistan, Iraq and all the parts of the world we have been going to for the past 20 years? Why would we want to send our SF deployers to a place where we have our own AF-owned ranges where we do not have to wait or rely on the Army? I am sure someone at the SF Center is getting paid off to make this happen. It is always the same. If it does not make any sense to anyone, let's do that. The 204th is a joke. It is a National Guard post who is dependate on the Army for ranges and support. Business as usual for the SF Center.

TSgt Silver Flag Alpha, Creech AFB

12/15/2011 12:44:07 PM ET
What happened to Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam?

Jerry, Oklahoma

12/15/2011 10:15:51 AM ET
How does an Army post home of Air Defense Artillery end up as a candidate? Every time we have trained on Army posts before, we have issues getting training ranges because we aren't Army. Then we are going to have to deal with all the different Service rules like wearing a helmet in a vehicle, can't have an M9 on fire, etc. I think one of those bases doesn't even allow us to shoot certain ammo or AT-4s, too. I hope the Center thinks hard about this one.

SFS ABD, VA

12/15/2011 9:17:33 AM ET
In the SF trainging world we were pushing for something like this for a very long time. It simply makes sense and will help with the standardization of the curriculum offered. With few exceptions such as the 820th there should be seamless integration between SF units regardless of the Command they're assigned to while in garrison. But... the challenge will be can it be done in such a way to allow flexibility in the curriculum to accomodate the rapidly changing ground combat environments the future holds? It hardly made sense to train the troops for combat in a desert environment in the pine lands of Ft. Dix when we had a better facility for that at Creech. Of course it can be argued cover is cover and concealment is concealment regardless of the environment, what matters is accurate and sustained firepower on target. The beauty of each MAJCOM having their own RTC is the ability to rapidly respond to the war fighter's needs without the constraints of AETC's accredidatio

SF MSgt Ret, Been There....

12/14/2011 2:36:15 PM ET
So no more Brave Defender, Silver Flag, Phoenix Warrior, Going to Creech, Commando Warrior, etc? Just one main RTC? who would of thought?

SFSK9, North East

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