Reservists sharpen combat skills

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --

A team of reservists, primarily from the 512th Force Support Squadron, completed a combat skills refresher course Sept. 10-12, 2024, at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware.

The Tactics and Leadership Nexus, or TALN, class taught areas of instruction including chemical warfare, weapons familiarization, medical aid, deployment mental health, basic communications and shoot, move and communicate training. The course culminated in a field training exercise that tested students on what they learned.

Senior Master Sgt. Ian Crowley, 512th Military Personnel Flight chief, said the course provided great training for the reservists.

"We were trying to find ways to make our annual tour as productive as possible and really getting after our readiness items," he said. "The aim was to provide them different experiences to get into that Great Power Competition mindset of a mission ready force."

He said the training is valuable, because you never know when a last a last-minute notice deployment may come up and that may be a career-defining moment for someone.

"Those deployments can really change the trajectory of someone's career," he said. "We need to make sure our Airmen are ready when those opportunities come knocking."

Tech. Sgt. Michael Brower, 512th FSS chief of customer support, said the class was a great refresher, and he is more comfortable deploying after attending.

"The course provided some valuable training," he said. "It was definitely an experience I'd recommend if someone has the opportunity to do it."

Brower said one of the best parts about the class was the cadre from the 436th Security Forces Squadron.

"They were all excellent instructors," he said. "Everyone was very knowledgeable in their craft and very helpful and patient with us."

Staff Sgt. Karleigh Marin, 436th SFS TALN cadre, said she was impressed with the reserve students.

"They were an amazing class," she said. "They were 100 percent ready to go mentally and physically. I have a lot of respect for them."

Marin said she has not had a lot of experience with the Reserve, but she enjoyed learning about the varied backgrounds of her students.

"They were all very engaged and motivated," she said. "It was awesome getting to know them and hearing what they do on their civilian side."

Crowley said the varied experiences of the reservists can be a strength if tapped into correctly.

"Our traditional reservists bring a different skillset to the table from their civilian life," he said. "We can find ways outside of the box and use those skills towards the end goal of being a mission ready force."

In all, 25 Team Dover reservists completed TALN, increasing their readiness posture and enabling them to handle tasks beyond their primary career field.

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