Security forces train to face active shooter situation

by Senior Airman Nicholas Caceres
482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

6/11/2014 - HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. -- In an active-shooter incident, most people instinctively run away to stay safe.

The men and women of the 482nd Security Forces Squadron here take a different course of action. They are trained to put themselves in harm's way to neutralize the target, protect innocent bystanders, and aid the injured.

The danger of being shot by an armed assailant is very real to members of

security forces, so the squadron holds annual training on a variety of scenarios such as the active-shooter training held during the June Unit Training Assembly.

The two-day training consisted of building clearing tactics along with a live-fire exercise that included teams and solo training where SFS members dealt with a variety of active-shooter scenarios.

"The purpose is to make mistakes here where we can correct them, instead of out in the field," said Tech. Sgt. Frederick Kilian, 482nd SFS training manager. "(Our people) train in shoot/no shoot scenarios to appropriately react to each situation according to the threat level."

The training is part of a law enforcement Active Shooter Emergency Response program. The ASER program seeks to get different kinds of law enforcement personnel to use the same techniques to cooperate better in case of emergencies, explained Kilian.

Security forces had permission from Miami-Dade County to use Building 745, located just off base for the training. The mandatory training is required annually for traditional reservists and periodically for full-time people.

"I really liked the stress on communication and countering," said Senior Airman Antonio Williams, a 482nd SFS response force member. "I feel like I learned a lot from the new scenarios."

Security forces members train in dimly lit and highly lit settings to be prepared for any situation.

During the training, the trainees use modified M4 rifles and M9 pistols that shoot Simunition, a type of paint bullet that is non-lethal but packs a punch. Different colors of paint help differentiate who shot what and where.

"It was awesome," said Senior Airman Victor Alejo, a 482nd SFS response force member. "It was more interactive than I imagined. Reading about it and actually doing the training are two completely different things. The new defensive and offensive tactics were my favorite part."

Kilian was pleased the training outcome.

"The Airmen were able to quickly adopt the new changes in training and implemented it very well," he said.

Training like this will continue to grow as agencies streamline tactics to respond more effectively to emergency situations, added Kilian.

During each UTA, members of the 482nd SFS train to respond to various emergency situations. The training in June is just one example of how reservists practice to develop skills to ensure they're using the proper tactics, techniques and procedures during incidents like an active shooter.