Making every Airman combat ready Published May 17, 2007 By Airman 1st Class Ashley Coomes 319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Every Airman who deploys must be ready for anything. They receive different kinds of training for situations they may encounter, but almost every Airman at Grand Forks Air Force Base leaves for their area of responsibility with combat training provided by the 319th Security Forces Squadron. The Expeditionary Combat Skills Training is a modified version of the Combat Skills Training requirement. "The updated training incorporates weapons training and simunitions in the field training exercise, which are invaluable tools to intensify the combat training scenario," said Airman 1st Class Kevin Boyle, 319th Security Forces Squadron, ECST lead instructor. The three-day training consists of classroom learning and a field training exercise. It includes weapons training, combat skills, how to react to direct and indirect fire, and how to use appropriate force. To better prepare our Airmen, the training uses simunition, or hard plastic bullets. The instructors play aggressors and the students have to react according to the scenario. In some scenarios, the aggressors open fire into "base x." The students get to see first-hand how a situation can escalate to combat, said Airman Boyle. This training better prepares Airmen, who find themselves in combat situations daily in Iraq and Afghanistan. Security forces has assumed the responsibility to prepare these Airmen who could possibly find themselves in a combat situation, according to Airman Boyle. "Our goal is not to make experts out of them, but only to teach them how to survive," said Airman Boyle. "We want to ensure every Airman who deploys to the AOR from Grand Forks Air Force Base has the training they need to keep themselves and their Wingman safe."