JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. -- Five members of the 316th Security Support Squadron completed their annual weapons proficiency training in an exercise known as “shoot, move, communicate,” or SMC, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Aug. 23, 2022.
The training is intended to maintain and build each defender’s technical skills, as well as test their ability to communicate and operate effectively under fire and engage threats. This ensures that every defender receives the same training, and will effectively work with any other team to eliminate threats.
To enhance proficiency, individual and team movements are utilized to maximize communication. This prepares defenders to handle scenarios such as losing radio communication, encountering injured personnel and identifying lines of fire.
SMC strategically places defenders in stressful situations to allow them to harness their emotions and make crucial split second decisions as a team.
“We move as a team,” said Tech. Sgt. Raymond Simpson, 316th Security Support Squadron NCO in charge of training. “We go through stressful situations, that’s why we use dye marking cartridge rounds to simulate paintball rounds to get their adrenaline running. They know they have to remain on target. We need to make sure that they can still focus on the situation that needs to be handled.”
The training directly aligns with the new CSAF DEFNEXT32 Report. The primary objective is to ensure that changes are made to align with the Air Force security forces enterprise's doctrines, policy and guidance to meet current and future Agile Combat Employment requirements. For this reason, adjustments are being made to foundational, sustainment and deployment training.
The SMC training gives defenders an air base ground defense mindset. This means that defenders will protect any base, even if it is not their home station. This also applies to deployed locations. SMC training furthers this mindset by giving all defenders the same base of knowledge.
“I think everyone did exceptionally well,” said Simpson. “There were some corrections to be made, but we make them as we see fit. There was a lot of input from our students. If they have received training from Special Weapons and Tactics or other agencies, we love to hear those so we can incorporate them into our training to make sure everyone going forward has that knowledge.”