602nd TRG (P): Preparing Airmen for JET missions

Published March 16, 2017
By Master Sgt. Tammie Moore
81st Training Wing Public Affairs

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Air Force Airmen are serving on the front lines of Iraqi and Syrian combat operations while also supporting the Afghanistan government and all were trained by one Air Force entity.

The 602nd Training Group (Provisional) is responsible for ensuring Airmen who are tasked with joint expeditionary deployments have the skills necessary to operate in a hostile and uncertain environment. These Airman are embedded with Army, Marine Corps and Navy units, seamlessly accomplishing the mission from the moment they hit the ground.

“Our mission in the 602nd TRG (Provisional) is to provide capable and confident Airmen to combatant commands,” said Chief Master Sgt. Heather Ransom, 602nd TRG (Provisional) superintendent. “We facilitate Army Combat Skills Training, Air Force Evasion and Conduct After Capture and 12 specialty training courses for Airmen filling joint expeditionary and individual augmentee taskings.”

The 602nd TRG (Provisional) provides a 24/7 link for Airmen in training. The group is responsible for all trainee logistics, reception, bed down, care and feeding and redeployment of more than 1,300 students annually.

“In addition, we coordinate with joint partners such as U.S. Army Forces Command, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, First Army and combatant commanders to ensure training is effective for theater operations, but most importantly we account for every Airman while they are going through training,” said Ransom. “We are the support and the Air Force presence every step of the way.”

The 602nd TRG (Provisional) stood-up in 2007 to ensure Airmen deploy with a mastery of tactics to complete downrange missions and overall joint operation success.

“We may have a much smaller footprint than we did 10 years ago, going from more than 15 training sites down to only two ... but our impact is still far-reaching,” said Maj. Melissa Fields, 602nd TRG (Provisional) deputy commander. “Our team continues to send fully combat mission capable Airmen to combatant commanders around the world. We play a vital role in making sure our Airmen are combat-ready for the challenges our country faces every day – such as the fight against (the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) in the Iraq area of responsibility, training and advising the Afghan government, police, and military in that AOR, and other missions in the Middle-East and abroad.”

The 602nd TRG (Provisional) maintains close working relationships with Army trainers running the CST, ECAC and specialty training courses at the Fort Polk, La., and Fort Bliss, Texas, detachments.

“We streamline training schedules, assess new and emerging requirements and tailor training for specific downrange locations,” said Capt. Andrew Gill, 602nd Detachment operations officer. “As the Air Force is relying upon our Army partners to prepare our deployers, it is important to maintain a healthy working relationship that enhances the quality of training. Furthermore, projecting proper coordination and requirements enables the Army to properly forecast future Air Force requirements.”

Both 602nd TRG (Provisional) detachments have a specific dedicated training area strictly for combat training to ensure smooth movement and training.

“Training at Fort Bliss consists of two major focus areas,” Gill said. “The first is our civil engineer training composed of units deploying to perform airfield maintenance and other engineering tasks downrange. The second is individual augmentee training composed of Air Force and Navy personnel who perform varied missions when joint service units have a need for troops.”

The Combat Advisor Course takes place at Fort Polk, where Airmen learn to serve as advisors through completion of the Army’s Security Force Assistance training program.

“When the students graduate they will have gained knowledge of survivability, tactical vehicle operation, land navigation, combat lifesaver training, personnel recovery, foreign weapons identification and military communications training,” said Master Sgt. Michael Sheets, 602nd Detachment superintendent. “They are also given instruction on interpersonal communication skills; namely how to use an interpreter, cross-cultural communication, negotiating techniques, leader engagements and how to build rapport and understand human behavior.”

The ever-shifting mission and responsibility in the AOR will continue to shape training and requirements for the 602nd TRG (Provisional).

“A long-term challenge we face on the policy and doctrine-end will be how we transition the provisional concept to a permanent endeavor,” said Col. Marty DeStazio, 602nd TRG (Provisional) commander. “It’s clear that after years at war, joint training and operations are how we do business. Airmen are vital components to any joint mission, and offer more to the joint fight than simply filling what was considered an ‘Army-job’ in years past. To be a successful Airmen today, you have to be joint.”

The 602nd TRG (Provisional) members, most of which are deployed, say they find job fulfillment from the way their mission piece fits into the overall joint puzzle.

“The most rewarding part of the mission is seeing the difference in an individual trainee's confidence level between the first and last day of training,” said Lt. Col. Jenny Christian, 602nd Detachment commander. “The Army's trainers are very experienced and are aware of the latest coalition and enemy tactics, techniques and procedures. By relating personal experience throughout the lessons, trainees are given a much greater level of confidence in their skills. Given that confidence in these skills may be vital to keep them alive, it is incredibly rewarding to know that we are properly preparing our brothers and sisters in arms for combat.”