Force Support Silver Flag challenges deployment readiness

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Daniel Phelps
  • 94th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

It was a foggy morning and daylight was beginning to break the horizon. All was silent but the crunching of the ground underneath combat boots and morning birds singing their song, when all of a sudden gun-fire pierced the serenity and the Airmen from the 911th Force Support Squadron took to the ground with their rifles at ready.

Airmen from the 911th Force Support Squadron, Pittsburgh, Pa., patrol the road during OPERATION Everybody Panic as part of Force Support Silver Flag at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., March 10, 2015. Teams were tasked with engaging targets, self-aid buddy care, providing care under fire, identifying unexploded ordnances and improvised explosive devices, describing and providing the location of the UXOs and IEDs on a grid, low and high crawling, and transporting remains during this scenario. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Daniel Phelps)

This was the first scenario during day one of the Force Support Silver Flag Readiness Challenge at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia for the 911th FSS. The challenge consisted of teams competing against each other in nine different events ranging from following a convoy, building tents, fixing Babington burners, cooking meals, planning lodging, building a base from scratch, driving a forklift, and conducting a scavenger hunt.

“The Readiness Challenge has been an active Civil Engineer/Services event dating as far back as 1986,” said Senior Master Sgt. Shawn Davis, 622nd Civil Engineer Group Force Support Silver Flag commandant.

In this scenario, called OPERATION Everybody Panic, the Airmen were inserted with a camp and instructed to follow a convoy, said Davis.

A forklift carrying a trash can full of water attempts to maneuver through the cones without spilling any water during Force Support Silver Flag at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia, March 11, 2015. About 70 Airmen on teams from Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado; the 445th FSS from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; the 908th FSS from Maxwell AFB, Alabama; the 910th FSS from Youngstown ARB, Ohio; the 911th FSS from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and the 934th FSS from Minneapolis – St. Paul, Minnesota competed in FS Silver Flag. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Daniel Phelps)

Teams were tasked with engaging targets, providing care under fire, identifying unexploded ordnances and improvised explosive devices, describing and providing their location on a grid, low and high crawling, and transporting remains.

“Everybody Panic was hands down the best part of this exercise,” said Senior Airman Tyler Wright, 911th FSS. “In some ways it was a lot like basic, only without the shock and freak out from being new to the military.”

Everybody Panic also came as surprise to many of the Airmen.

“I didn’t come here expecting to march, crawl, shoot or carry bodies under fire,” Wright added.

Staff Sgt. Daniel Chrest, 911th Force Support Squadron, Pittsburgh, Pa., scouts the area to ensure the unit is not attacked again during OPERATION Everybody Panic as part of Force Support Silver Flag at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., March 10, 2015. Teams were tasked with engaging targets, self-aid buddy care, providing care under fire, identifying unexploded ordnances and improvised explosive devices, describing and providing the location of the UXOs and IEDs on a grid, low and high crawling, and transporting remains during this scenario. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Daniel Phelps)

The Readiness Challenge allowed a lot of Airmen to step outside of what they usually do at home station, described Tech. Sgt. Anthony Chavez, 911th FSS.

“You can’t anticipate things here,” Chavez explained. “We had to adapt and stay on our toes.”

“I’m usually working in the office as a personnelist, so the tent building for me was a challenge,” Chavez said. “I don’t usually do that.”

Senior Airman Tyler Wright, 911th Force Support Squadron, Pittsburgh, Pa., searches for the enemy during OPERATION Everybody Panic as part of Force Support Silver Flag at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., March 10, 2015. Teams were tasked with engaging targets, self-aid buddy care, providing care under fire, identifying unexploded ordnances and improvised explosive devices, describing and providing the location of the UXOs and IEDs on a grid, low and high crawling, and transporting remains during this scenario. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Daniel Phelps)

There are four Silver Flag schools in the Air Force – Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida; Dobbins ARB, Ramstein Air Base, Germany and Anderson Air Base, Guam. Three of the four are CE schools.

“Dobbins is the only one specifically designed for Force Support career fields,” said Davis. “In 2014, we provided over 70 percent of the available Force Support Silver Flag training in the Air Force. That year was record breaking year for this schoolhouse. We provided training to over 836 Air Force students.”

Airmen from the 911th Force Support Squadron, Pittsburgh, Pa. connect the walls of a tent to its poles during the Readiness Challenge for Force Support Silver Flag at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia, March 12, 2015. The challenge consisted of teams competing against each other in nine different events ranging from following a convoy, building tents, fixing Babington burners, cooking meals, planning lodging, planning a base from scratch, driving a forklift and a scavenger hunt. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Daniel Phelps)



At the end of the exercise, scores were added together to crown the winner of the competition.

About 70 Airmen on teams from Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado; the 445th FSS from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; the 908th FSS from Maxwell AFB, Alabama; the 910th FSS from Youngstown ARB, Ohio; the 911th FSS from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and the 934th FSS from Minneapolis – St. Paul, Minnesota competed in the event.

The overall winner of the Readiness Challenge was the 445th FSS.

“Silver Flag really brought us together and made us work as a team,” said Wright. “It showed us how prepared we are for deployments and we had to work together to identify potential problems.”

“This is great for every unit,” added Chavez. “It lets you realize your strengths and weaknesses.”

Senior Airman Tyler Wright, 911th Force Support Squadron from Pittsburgh, Pa., guides a forklift during a Silver Flag exercise March 11, 2015, at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga. Services Airmen from six different installations across Air Force Reserve Command participated in the Silver Flag training exercises at Dobbins. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Daniel Phelps/Released)