CRF enhances driving capabilities
By Airman 1st Class Daniel Brosam, 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
/ Published October 20, 2016
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- Members from the Vehicle Dynamics Institute visited Malmstrom to train convoy response force Airmen on driving maneuverability exercises Oct. 10-21.
Airmen were able to enhance their driving capabilities of a Ballistic Armored Response Counter Attack Truck, otherwise known as a BEARCAT, a nearly 18,000 pound armored vehicle used to escort maintenance Airmen to the field.
CRF Airmen are responsible for the security and transportation of Malmstrom’s nuclear assets, ensuring the weapons arrive safely at their destination.
However, adversaries could place the Airmen and the entire world in danger and these Airmen must be able to protect the weapons and keep them secured through defensive and evasive measures.
“We spend a lot of time preparing for combat but we spend very little time on driver training,” said Larry Side, VDI chief instructor. “Once we get everyone where we need to, the goal is to run concurrent training in various driving exercises on different vehicle platforms.”
Some of the exercises the Airmen participated in were a slalom, braking turn, lane shift, evasive lane change, reversing and a downed-driver drill.
In the slalom, Airmen drove a BEARCAT through gravel at 15, 17, 20 and 22 miles per hour, avoiding evenly spaced cones while maintaining speed, simulating physical obstacles during an attack while escaping opposing forces.
The downed-driver drill simulated an emergency where a driver was incapable of controlling a vehicle, such as being wounded or falling unconscious. The occupants in the vehicle worked together to help the front passenger take control of the BEARCAT while maneuvering through the slalom obstacle.
Senior Airman Nicholas Campbell, 741st Missile Security Forces Squadron CRF member, was trained to be one of the instructors of the course because he is in charge of ensuring the CRF vehicles are always ready to go for each mission.
“(This training) is important for us because of some of the drivers we encounter on the roads,” Campbell said. “This is teaching us reaction time and how to get out of situations that could cause catastrophic events.”
Campbell said he felt the training was very helpful in also teaching them new techniques to combat situations on uneven gravel roads.
“I think this will help a lot of (the Airmen) since we are trained instructors,” Campbell said. “We can now keep this training up for everyone and remind them to stay focused on the mission.”