The first day of the exercise, they trek nearly 10 miles on foot through dense undergrowth on a rural mountainside, enduring intermittent downpours. Split into two teams and restricted to only a map, compass and the water on their backs, they race to locate six checkpoints.
The elevation on this section of Camp Dawson ranges from 1,880 to 3,000 feet. From breakfast to dinner, the Defenders are deep in the woods — exposed to heat, humidity, rain, wind chill and then heat again.
When lunch — hauled out to the field in insulated containers and served buffet-style off a truck tailgate — arrives, they quickly rig up a makeshift tarp canopy to shelter the food from the elements. At this point, every article of clothing the Airmen wear is drenched, whether from rain or sweat — most likely a combination of the two. They embrace it and press forward.
Day two begins out on the ranges. The Defenders pair up and fire M18 pistols s at eight interactive steel targets; they climb a makeshift tower of metal shipping containers stacked four high to fire a rooftop M4A1 carbine equipped with an advanced combat-optical gunsight across a 600-meter range; and they zip through 30 rounds of ammo during a nine-hole barricade drill, mimicking returning fire from available, albeit less-than-desirable, cover.
After another gourmet field-buffet lunch, the Airmen move on to the day’s next challenge: a nine-part Army obstacle course.
The leading obstacle is daunting at 35 feet tall. It features an interwoven rope ladder, which renders even the most athletic competitor’s arms noodle-like by the time they summit the log hurdle and begin their descent.
Later in the course, the Defenders low-crawl through a sand pit under strung wire, then boost each other onto an overhead log. Competing in four-person teams, the quickest completion time on the course is sub-10 minutes.
Despite visible exhaustion, before hanging up their uniforms for the evening, the Defenders spread out maps and sketches on the barracks floor to develop a strategy for the final day and capstone of the tour: Exercise CHAOS. They use the simulated operations order prepared by the squadron’s training and development section to identify their course of action.
The field-training exercise is a conglomeration of events from previous days. The tone of the final training morning is rich with anticipation. Airmen are out the door for early-morning chow before the sun comes up. They swing by the armory, then rally at the head of an unmarked, gated road.
It’s not even 8 a.m. and the Defenders are in full body armor, waist deep in thorns, shrubs and poison ivy, with weapons in hand. Today, though, the ammunition loaded in their weapons are blanks, and their M4 carbines are outfitted with a firing attachment covering the muzzle.
Relying heavily on tactical hand signals, the strike team traverses steep embankments, creek beds and downed trees to encroach on its target: a power plant and the oppositional “forces” that have taken it over.
In the real world, the now-defunct, coal-fired Albright Power Station closed in 2012 and is routinely used for military special operations training and complex exercises. A mammoth facility with multiple layers of fencing and gates, the largest building at the compound’s center looms more than six stories tall.
Inside the power plant, the 445 SFS training and development section has rigged simulation improvised explosive device tripwires between old pipes and across narrow catwalks overlooking the largest open space. The oppositional “forces” have M4 carbines, M240 machine guns, M249 light machine guns and rocket launchers, also loaded with blank ammo, which produces the realistic and unnerving sound and flash characteristic of live rounds.
They are waiting for the strike team to come find them.
Closing in on the old power plant, the strike team can now hear the banter of two oppositional “force” members left outside on gate duty. Occasionally, a spray of gunfire peppers the tree line, intended to trigger a response from any lurking potential intruders.
The trained Defenders know better than to return fire and give away their position on the embankment, so they coolly ignore the probing shots and remain focused on the mission. They complete their final reconnaissance phase, then they strike.
Based on sheer numbers, they easily overtake the gate, breaching the perimeter. Part of the strike team immediately establishes its own perimeter security while the assault team pushes ahead. Once inside, they discover a labyrinth of stairs and hallways, shrouded in darkness and fog, floors littered with crumbled ceiling tiles and puddles of murky water.
The small team moves in a synchronous pack and begins methodically clearing the building, one room at a time.
Once the facility is secured, designated marksmen make their way to the roof to secure the high ground and provide a supreme vantage point. The rest of the strike team establishes defensive fighting positions, two listening and observation posts, and calls for civil engineering support to make power plant repairs. The standoff continues for upward of seven hours, with simulated gate runners, suicide bombers, small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades coming in waves.
In all, the Defenders expend 26,000 rounds of blank and live ammunition during their time at Camp Dawson. They are in “go” mode for no less than 12 hours over three straight days.
Each morning, they faithfully awake, suit up and file outside for morning formation, followed by breakfast. Despite the long days and challenging conditions, the Defenders’ resolve, as well as morale, seem to be unshakeable.
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