Fieldcraft Training transitions to Advanced Ready Training

  • Published
  • By U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center Public Affairs Staff
  • U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center Public Affairs

The 421st Combat Training Squadron from the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Operations School, here, has transitioned from just-in-time Fieldcraft Training to Advanced Ready Training to keep up with the pacing challenge.

The course owners of Fieldcraft Hostile and Fieldcraft Uncertain, as well as the course owner for Fieldcraft Contingency Response, have updated the requirements for their courses to meet the pacing challenge and better align with both the new Ready Airman Training baseline and the Air Force Force Generation, or AFFORGEN, deployment model.

According to the EOS, Advanced Ready Training or ART is a reset of how the USAF Expeditionary Center executes its full portfolio of advanced field skills training requirements, including a new Multi-Capable Airmen course.

“ART is intended to build on the USAF’s new Ready Airman Training skills and is a move away from ‘just-in-time’ training to continuous readiness for specific Airmen,” said Col. Alan Berck, U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Operations School commandant. “Our instructors will teach a specialized set of tactics and techniques to Airmen who need expeditionary, advanced readiness training skills to outpace our strategic challengers and win in a high-end fight, irrespective of scheme of maneuver, for every Combatant Commander.”

The 421st CTS delivers pre-deployment training for approximately 65 percent of the Air Forces non-special operations forces, and functions as the formal training unit for contingency response forces.

The new construct consists of four courses: ART-Core, ART-Outside the Wire, ART-Contingency Response and ART- Contingency Location.

“More than 34 members across several Major and Combatant Commands along with the USAFEC participated in building ART courses,” said Lt. Col. Barry McKeown, 421st CTS commander. “It is important we collaborate with course owners and warfighters to reorient expeditionary education and training to produce relevant training solutions for operations in specific theaters of operation.”

ART-Core is a baseline set of skills for Airman in a variety of operating environments, such as weapons sustainment, Shoot/Move/Communicate, and Tactical Combat Casualty Care (Care Under Fire). ART-OTW will add additional skills to ART-Core for Airmen that are expected to operate outside the wire, mainly in Africa Command and Central Command. ART-CR is for Airmen assigned to contingency response units in Air Mobility Command, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Pacific Air Forces, Air Force Reserve Command, and the Air National Guard.  ART-CR includes ART-Core skills, but also provides baseline skills for air base opening, cargo preparation, and other CR skills before or shortly after members reach their CR units. ART-CL is designed for Airmen moving further forward than main operating base or forward operating sites to contingency locations in support of Agile Combat Employment operations.