Behind enemy lines: OPFOR infiltrates base to discover, fix weaknesses

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Austin M. May
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Editor's note: In conducting research for this article, the author spent two nights alongside 100th Security Forces Squadron members acting as Opposition Forces during the 100th Air Refueling Wing's latest Operational Readiness Exercise.

A few minutes past 1 a.m., when the night air begins to go from pleasantly cool to just cold, a young Airman sits nervously eyeing the edge of the orange light cast by a pair of halogen floodlights behind him.

The flight line he guards is far from quiet, and he strains to hear anything unusual from the darkness over the chugging generators and diesel trucks cruising up and down the taxiways. He knows his enemy is just beyond the lights, stalking him from the shadows and waiting for an opportunity to strike.

His foe is highly trained, skilled and motivated, and knows his prey inside and out. The unseen menace is keenly aware of the Airman's strengths and weaknesses, his habits and inconsistencies. He knows what the Airman should and should not do to thwart his attack.

And, as he sucks in a deep breath, readies his weapon and takes the first swift step in his potentially lethal attack, he hopes above all else the Airman does everything right and stops him dead in his tracks.

For anyone observing from the sidelines, OPFOR may look like a few guys in civilian clothes just messing with the 100th SFS members guarding "Base X," the simulated deployed environment used by the wing during exercises and inspections. When all is said and done, handcuffs are unlocked and exercise evaluation team members arrive on scene, it's obvious everyone is on the same team.

Defenders and aggressors share feedback, correct mistakes, acknowledge successes and maybe even laugh at a faux pax or two. After all, they all work together and share a common goal - ensure the good guys with the guns know what they're doing. But the attack is no joking matter.

In most cases, OPFOR are fellow Security Forces Airmen, trained to use the same techniques and equipment as the people they're attacking. They know what works and what doesn't, and represent the threat of a well-trained adversary. Their purpose is to bring an extra element of realism to training scenarios, and not just so the wing can pass its October Operational Readiness Inspection.

"This is all real-world stuff," said Staff Sgt. Gary Gilliam, one of the 100th SFS members acting as OPFOR during the most recent exercise. "These guys go downrange and face these types of threats in a very real, deadly environment."

OPFOR personnel test everything - in some cases they'll stop at nothing to infiltrate a base and simulate killing everyone they come across, and in others they simply approach a gate guard and press him for information. At times, they're given specific tasks by EET members, while other missions are less scripted.

No matter what the scenario calls for, the OPFOR members give it their all because they know the people they're up against will do the same. When an OPFOR member is captured, they aren't given any special treatment. If they resist, they can expect to be detained by whatever force the Security Forces Airman has been trained to use in that scenario, and the results are often uncomfortable.

Comfort, however, is the last thing on the minds of the OPFOR team. They take no shortcuts or easy ways around things. If they're tasked with infiltrating a compound surrounded by razor wire, they use what they can to get over, under or through the wire, but never just go around.

"We're out here to identify holes in our defenses," Sergeant Gilliam said. "If these guys have done something right, like set up a perimeter, we're not going to discount that and cheat to get to them.

"The harder it is for us to get in, the better it is for all of us because they know what they're doing," he added. Once the OPFOR team infiltrates the perimeter and gets caught, they tell their captors where the weaknesses are so they can be fixed.

Although safety is on the forefront of everyone's mind, sometimes the cost of not simulating things is paid in blood, as Sergeant Gilliam found out when he nicked his leg negotiating a barrier of concertina wire.

"We know our limits, and we never do anything dangerous," he said. "We do this knowing we're going to leave dirty, bruised and maybe a little bloody, but the training these guys get from these experiences is worth it."

The experience is what really counts in the end.

Staff Sgt. Shannon Robinson, 100th SFS EET member, said the attacks and scenarios are far more than just practice.

"When these guys get attacked, they have to think through the process," he said. "By making them think through these scenarios here, they're already somewhat familiar with them in case they encounter the same thing downrange."

Everyone involved with the training knows the severity of it. They are well aware that if one person fails, they all fail, and that becomes a motivator for both sides.

"It's disappointing when we're able to get past a bunch of people, but it gives us the opportunity to know our weaknesses and correct them," said Airman 1st Class Daniel Bratt, 100th SFS OPFOR team member. "It shouldn't happen twice."

Although the training is serious, the OPFOR members are there of their own accord. Airman Bratt volunteered to play the part on his days off to help out his squadron.

"Hey," he said, grinning as he applied streaks of camouflage face paint in the parking lot across from Base X before the night's first attack, "it's fun."