Guard Defenders, Green Berets Prepare for Future Fight

FORT KNOX, Ky. - Approximately 230 Airmen from more than 30 Air National Guard security forces units converged in Kentucky for Sage Eagle 25-1 - a recurring, battalion-sized, unconventional warfare exercise that validates Special Forces' ability to operate in uncertain environments while training and incorporating partner forces into an evolving contested environment.

For two weeks in October, U.S. Soldiers with the 2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), trained Guard defenders in mission execution in contested environments as part of the Green Beret's foreign internal defense mission.

"Our defenders, split between Fort Knox and Fort Campbell, acted as a host nation partner force [for approximately a dozen Green Beret operational detachment alphas]," said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Matthew Reed, security forces functional area manager, ANG. "Part of the training [included] close quarters combat, tactical combat casualty care, small unit tactics, mission planning, and more."

Reed explained with the U.S. Air Force's shift toward agile combat employment, the exercise's stressful, realistic training prepares Guard defenders for rapidly securing contingency locations while shifting their mindset to the operational demands of today's complex security environment.

"The Green Berets were willing to work in our desired learning objectives [which included] establishing austere site defense plans," said Reed, who was the lead liaison officer for the ANG's participation in the exercise. "Being able to get out there and establish these austere random locations and provide force protections for the assets so [the joint force can] mission generate and continue conducting air combat power is going to be essential in the next conflict."

Reed said the ANG brings valuable contributions, with two-thirds of Guard participants self-funded, saving significant costs. Additionally, the Guard defenders bring diverse, civilian experiences, from law enforcement to communications to technical trades, that complement the Green Berets' specialized training.

"Our true drill-status Guard members bring civilian law enforcement, SWAT experience, federal three-letter agencies to these ODA units," said Chief Master Sgt. Patrick Judy, security forces manager, 193rd Special Operations Wing, Pennsylvania National Guard. "We have plumbers and electricians, so when they work with the ODAs who are carpenters and construction workers, they can bring that experience to them."

Beyond the tactical training, Sage Eagle offered leadership development opportunities for Guard and Green Beret officers and noncommissioned officers.

"This exercise provides the opportunity for our ODAs to operate in a simulated, realistic environment that mirrors what they may face in a deployed location," said a field grade officer with the 2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). "The training they received enables our junior leaders to improve their basic tactical skills and better integrate with ground tactical forces."

With the air, ground and special operations assets working together to refine their capabilities, Sage Eagle directly supports the National Defense Strategy and National Military Strategy by validating tier forces, strengthening partnerships and enhancing integrated deterrence, Judy explained.

"We have U-28, AC-30 gunships, Apaches, Black Hawks, Chinooks and other enabling forces," said Reed. "In totality for the entire Sage Eagle, there are well over 1,000 participants, which makes a very large-scale exercise as we shift toward Great Power Competition (GPC)."

Judy said integrating with special forces challenges Guard defenders to adapt to unpredictable situations, mirroring the principles of agile combat employment and helping the joint force prepare for GPC - all while receiving direct training from a top-tier organization.

"If you're looking at sharpening a weapon, we are being sharpened by some of the best," said Judy. "We have to learn to adapt to our surroundings. So if we're talking about agile combat employment, then we are being sharpened to be in an environment that's [continuously changing]."

The career field education training program for security forces is updating required tasks to include more air-based ground defense skill sets as the joint force prepares for GPC. Sage Eagle enabled Airmen to cross off more than half of their CFETP tasks during the two-week exercise, adding value for Guard units that train with limited time and resources, Reed said.

"We know the funding constraints, the training constraints, the days and dollars constraints, so we know we only have a finite amount of days to train, and this exercise is preparing us for peer competition," said Lt. Col. Ricardo Bravo, commander, 139th Security Forces Squadron, 139th Airlift Wing, Missouri National Guard. "We have to use every day in an environment like this to its maximum capability. It's pretty simple. We're training how to be more lethal, more survivable, and how to create cohesive teams in a combat environment."