Security Forces augmentee hands-on training makes for realism Published April 19, 2012 By Tim Flack 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- The 319th Security Forces Squadron recently put a group of base Airmen through the paces of a weeklong Augmentation Duty Program, training them up to be prepared to assist if needed. Staff Sgt. Matthew Kniffen, NCOIC of the squadron's training section, said having augmentees ready to go at a moment's notice is important for the Wing. "The biggest benefit is having that augmentation force trained and knowing what they are doing so they can step right in and assist us," Kniffen said. Kniffen said classroom work focused on skills that "encompass all basic law enforcement training - and Integrated Base Defense - to give them the basic tools they would need." "For the first couple of days, it's a lot of classroom work," Kniffen explained. "But we move to more hands-on ... handcuffing, searching" and other skills as the week progresses. "We don't just teach them, we evaluate them on everything they're taught," Kniffen said. During a recent training course, the classroom moved to the paintball field where students were evaluated on their ability to provide base defense. Clad in overalls and protective gear, they practiced their ability to "move as a unit, move as a squad" in high-pressure situations, Kniffen explained. "A big part of that is ... communications and up-channeling reports," he said. "Putting them in the mix and seeing how they come out of that using the training that we gave them." Kniffen lauded the recent class, who he said were "highly motivated and wanted to learn."