SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (USTCNS) --- The 375th Security Forces Squadron was honored at the Rodeo competition when four of its team members were the largest selection from one base to compete with 21 others in the upcoming Defender Challenge at Fort Dix, N.J.
The 25 Air Mobility Command cops will train and compete from September to November, then 10 will be selected to represent the command in the worldwide Defender Challenge Competition, or the "Big Daddy," according to Staff Sgt. Tim Arnold, 375th SFS Raven team chief.
Arnold, along with Senior Airmen Jesse Chervinka and Bob Thorne and Airman 1st Class Frank Zientek are Ravens, a special operations segment of security forces that was created in 1997. The exceptional requirements involved with being Ravens may give the team an edge during the three-month Defender Challenge training camp in September.
More in-depth weapons qualification requirements and special weapon familiarity, higher levels of strategic thinking, and overall interpersonal and leadership skills are all a part of being on this special ops team.
Most importantly, the highly-deployable Raven force is required to score at least 70 percent on the Army's physical fitness test. Endurance is one of the largest factors in the Defender Challenge competition, according to Chervinka.
Another advantage to selectees is being a cohesive unit.
"I think the reason why we did so well at Rodeo this year was that we all got to work together for the most part," said Arnold. "That's half the battle right there -- getting everybody on the same sheet of music to get the job done. We're all on standby, so we can go to the gym together, drill, or to the range whenever we want."
The five categories in the security forces competition are combat rifle, combat handgun, combat tactics, combat endurance course and combat weapons.
Combat rifle and handgun are 300-yard shooting ranges, as opposed to 25-yard assimilated ranges. Combat tactics is a segment with real-life combat scenarios. According to Chervinka, a significant change has been made to this portion that will affect the course's accuracy and difficulty.
Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System gear has been introduced. MILES is high-tech computer gear that senses who shot who, similar to laser tag. This has replaced "controllers," referee-like members that usually stood nearby and called the shots.
The combat endurance course is an obstacle course, and the combat weapons course challenges the contestants' M-203 grenade launcher and M-60 machine gun skills. Arnold, Thorne and Zientek aren't strangers to Defender Challenge.
Thorne went in ྜྷ and ྞ, and Arnold and Zientek participated in ྟ. Arnold went on to be selected and compete as part of the 10-person AMC team in the ྟ worldwide competition.
The four were elated at being picked together for the DC 2000 team. Arnold described his feelings about being an Air Force cop, as the others nodded in agreement.
"I couldn't be in another career field - it'd be boring. In this career field you have so many options open to you." With that in mind, they seize the opportunity of competing to represent their major command in the "Big Daddy." (FROM AIR MOBILITY COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
