185th Air Refueling Wing heads to Michigan for security training

ALPENA, Mich. (KCAU) — Airmen from the 185th Air Refueling Wing are spending the next two weeks in Alpena, Michigan honing their tactical skills to always be ready to protect Air Force installations and troops.

Airmen are developing their close quarter weapons manipulation and safety in working in small fire teams. During the first week of their two-week annual training, 72 defenders trained on urban operations techniques as well as weapons training to maintain annual training requirements.

The airmen are training in air base ground defense reconnaissance, combat patrols, ambushes, assaults, and area capture and recovery. The training will culminate in a 24-hour field training exercise against simulated opposing forces.

“We can get a lot of the stuff done at home station, but we’re required to stay proficient in use of force and all the different weapons that we employ,” 185th Air Refueling Wing Capt. Casey Ryan said. “The legalities of what we do, and then we come out here, are train expeditionary and field craft which is hard to do at home and that takes a lot of time.”

The security forces members taking part in training are from Sioux City’s 185th, as well as the 132nd wing based in Des Moines.

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