Air Force Security Forces airmen at Whiteman AFB, Mo., were the first to undergo a new training regimen that included working with Navy SEALs to learn new tactics from how to dress for varying weather conditions to close-quarter combat techniques. Now the service has extended the Air Force Blue Coach Initiative to other bases. The Security Forces airmen at Minot AFB, N.D., and Whiteman are the first in Air Combat Command to undertake Blue Coach training this year. SrA. Angelena Lee, with the 5th Security Forces Squadron at Minot, said: “At first, it seemed intimidating working with the SEALs. … Between the five instructors, they had more than 120 years of experience.” While SSgt. Casey Muffley, also with the 5th SFS, noted that the training “gives us a fundamental understanding for more advanced tactics and was a great way to get back to the basics.” (Minot report by A1C Benjamin Stratton)
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.