If it's not raining, we're not training

Senior Airman Neal Clark, 100th Civil Engineer Squadron, helps set up short-haul security around a halted convoy. Short-haul security is when one vehicle stops for three to 10 minutes, to set up security around the convoy; long-haul security is when everyone, from all vehicles, gets out and sets up security for 10 minutes or more. (U.S. Air Force photo by Karen Abeyasekere)

If it's not raining, we're not training

From left to right, Senior Airman Jorge Escobar, Airman 1st Class Aaron Hildebrand and Tech. Sgt. Chad Lepley, all 100th Civil Engineer Squadron members, travel on a Deuce during the 10-vehicle convoy Aug. 14 during a training exercise. As well as convoy operations, the 100th CES training also included communications and air base defense training. (U.S. Air Force photo by Karen Abeyasekere)

Field exercise ensures 100th CES Airmen ready for deployment

Published Aug. 22, 2007
By Karen Abeyasekere
100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

RAF MILDENHALL, England -- There's an old saying in the military that says, "If it's not raining, we're not training." And, that old adage rang true last week as Airmen from the 100th Civil Engineer Squadron participated in a four-day field exercise.

Working in two groups for two days at a time, 83 Airmen from the squadron spent a night in tents and ate meals-ready-to-eat, while learning a variety of combat readiness skills to help prepare for deployment.

"At 5:30 a.m. on day one, we started building pallets at Building 538, with all our tents, personal gear and electrical equipment," said Master Sgt. Patrick Holder, 100th CES Power Production. "We then brought them over to the training site by the fire pit (on the south side of base), first doing a sweep of the area before putting the tents up."

After setting up their bivouac site, the troops began training on defensive fighting positions, individual team movement and air base defense, according to Airman Chris Sherfinski, 100th CES Readiness and Emergency Management.

"Our training included high and low crawls, and three- to five-second rushes. We also learned how to do short-halt and long-halt convoys, as well as explosive ordnance reconnaissance training," he said. Short halt and long halt refer to the length of time a convoy must stop.

Traveling in a 10-vehicle convoy on day two, Airmen traveled in fire trucks, trucks, a van and a deuce-and-a-half, which all took the place of highly mobile multi-wheeled vehicles (commonly referred to as Humvees), as they drove around the south side of base.

Every so often, when the convoy commander sounded the signal, the troops would leap from their vehicles, carrying their weapons, and spread out on either side before laying down in the long, wet grass to keep a look-out for "enemy troops."

"As (100th) CES, we're required to do field training every 20 months," said Senior Airman Neal Clark, 100th CES Readiness and Emergency Management. "Usually we do our training in Germany, but this field exercise fulfills the requirement of training at our home station.

"The more you do something, the better you learn it," he said. "For some of our guys, such as the electricians, the work they do here is totally different from when they deploy. This training helps us all prepare for deployment downrange."