SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. — Sweat ran beneath helmets and body armor as 11 Airmen moved through a 916th Air Refueling Wing hangar, protecting a KC-46A Pegasus from simulated threats during the wing’s inaugural Fly Away Security Team (FAST) training course at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, Sept. 7–12.

The six-day foundational course, managed by the 22nd Air Force, is designed to instill in Security Forces Airmen the confidence needed to meet the unique demands of protecting aircraft in unfamiliar environments. Training emphasizes communication, coordination and integration with operations and maintenance personnel, in addition to responding to threats.

“We don’t want to send Airmen downrange to a combat zone and have them encounter a mission they’ve never done before,” said Col. Charles Trovarello, 916th Mission Support Group commander and FAST instructor. “We teach them how to plan for this unique mission using the skills they already have, and the skills they’ve never seen before.”

For the Air Force Reservists moving through the hangar, the scenario-based training tested more than just their ability to react, something they had all been trained to do before. According to Trovarello, getting those repetitions in meant giving Airmen real-world experience in and around an aircraft, as well as teaching them how to operate as a team.

“I want them to see us as the team member who’s going to make sure the job gets done,” said Trovarello.

Training in the hangar followed classroom instruction, planning exercises and practical discussion. Trovarello led the course with four visiting instructors: Master Sgt. Sydney Whiteis, 934th Security Forces Squadron; Master Sgt. Taylor Adamson, 507th Security Forces Squadron; Tech. Sgt. Joi Gaffney, 932nd Security Forces Squadron; and Staff Sgt. Dylan Bowman, 932nd Security Forces Squadron.

“This course opens the door to more opportunities for our Airmen,” Whiteis said. “Once they become FAST-qualified, they qualify for missions because they’ve demonstrated throughout the course that they are capable.”

Throughout the week, instructors presented Airmen with changing mission requirements and required them to work backward through the details: where they were going, what

they were doing, who was in charge, and what personnel, equipment and resources they would need.

The planning process was followed by airfield and range assessments and force-on-force training events. Instructors wore protective gear and acted as opposing forces while students used training weapons to respond to simulated threats. Students were evaluated on their ability to appropriately apply escalation-of-force procedures and protect aircraft throughout each scenario.

The drills culminated in the course’s capstone event at Pope Army Airfield, where Airmen transitioned from the training environment to an operational KC-46A Pegasus flight.

“Each scenario is different,” said Tech. Sgt. Jacob Wilson, 916th Security Forces Squadron. “The instructors do a really good job of changing it up so no two scenarios are the same. A lot goes through your mind.”

For Wilson and other students who had not previously flown, the training provided an opportunity to see what a FAST mission could look like before encountering one in an operational environment.

“I’m a visual learner — I have to see it happen; I have to feel it happen,” Wilson said. “They’ve done an excellent job of demonstrating that for us, and I think that’s what will set us up for success during real-world missions.”

Trovarello began developing the idea for a localized, Reservist-centered FAST training course in 2019 while assigned to the 934th Security Forces Squadron, Minneapolis Air Reserve Station, Minnesota. After returning from a deployment and hearing stories from his Airmen who were at other locations, he knew he needed to better prepare his people for flyaway security missions. Previously, due to mission demands, many Airmen had little more training than a short class on FAST at pre-deployment or on the ground before departure.

Although the Airmen possessed the skills taught in Security Forces technical training, Trovarello identified a gap in preparing them for the planning, coordination and unfamiliar environments associated with flyaway missions.

Integration remains central to the program. Security Forces Airmen are expected to protect aircraft, Trovarello said, but they must also understand how to work alongside other Air Force specialties and how that work contributes to the larger mission.

During the wing’s first FAST course, the following 11 Airmen completed the training:

• Capt. Anthony Harris, 916th Security Forces Squadron
• 2nd Lt. James Richardson, 916th Security Forces Squadron
• Master Sgt. Curtis Neraasen, 920th Security Forces Squadron
• Master Sgt. Victoria Hall, 916th Security Forces Squadron
• Master Sgt. Devin Brown-Redfearn, 916th Logistics Readiness Squadron
• Tech. Sgt. Philip Robinson, 916th Security Forces Squadron
• Tech. Sgt. Joshua Borden, 920th Security Forces Squadron
• Tech. Sgt. Jacob Wilson, 916th Security Forces Squadron
• Tech. Sgt. Seth Phares, 916th Security Forces Squadron
• Senior Airman Antonio Javier, 916th Security Forces Squadron
• Senior Airman Ricardo Gomez, 916th Security Forces Squadron