- The US military is shifting its focus to the Indo-Pacific region amid competition from China.
- This change means that US troops are doing more training to deal with region-specific conditions.
- This spring, Air Force commandos trained in one of the most difficult environments in the region: the jungle.
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Georgia-based special air force operators have been sent to the Pacific this spring for jungle combat training.
Such training is not new to US troops, but it comes as the US military shifts its focus to a potential conflict with China in the Indo-Pacific region – where US conventional and special operations could face a well-armed enemy in a dense, hot the jungle.
Air Force special operations commandos from the 38th Rescue Squadron, based at Moody Air Force Base, spent nearly a month in Hawaii between March and April to hone their jungle warfare skills.
As paramedics, these commandos focused their training on tracking personnel in the jungle and avoiding being tracked by themselves, while testing their tactics, techniques, and procedures in other skill sets.
In a press release, Lt. Col. Michael Vince, the squadron’s commander, said the jungle was “a very unforgiving environment” and that US special forces “should be prepared for that kind of environment by training there, understanding how to survive there.”
Air Force Special Operations Operators learn of tracking in the Wahiawa Jungle, March 29, 2022. A sergeant from the United States Air Force / Headquarters. Devin Boyer
As US special forces discovered during World War II and Vietnam, the jungle is perhaps one of the most difficult places to fight. Visibility is limited – sometimes only a few yards – and the area is full of dangers, including poisonous plants and deadly animals that can take troops out of work fairly quickly.
U.S. troops had to “take a step back” from what was working in the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan and figure out what was going on in the jungle, “which is much harder to act on,” the staff sergeant said. Evan Rogovski said in a statement.
“It’s quite unpredictable here,” Rogovski added. “It may rain in the morning and then completely sunny in the afternoon and rain again. Apart from wearing the right equipment, there is not much we can do to control this. ”
During the Vietnam War, US special operations intelligence teams from the top-secret Vietnamese Military Assistance Command lived and fought in the jungles of Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, tracking the movements of North Vietnam and Vietnam. troops and fought against an often crushing enemy.
MACV-SOG still influences modern US special operations, but many of the jungle warfare skills developed by Vietnamese-era operators have atrophied.
Sgt. Evan Ort writes coordinates while the staff sergeant. Evan Rogowski used the radio during a tracking exercise in Wahiawa on April 1, 2022. A sergeant at the United States Air Force / Headquarters. Devin Boyer
“As highly trained special operations operators, we always think of modern warfare and high-tech weapons systems, but something as primitive as bamboo grenades rolling the wrong stick is enough to wipe us all out. “, The staff sergeant. Evan Ort said in a statement.
The importance of basic combat skills and the tactics of small units are constant wherever troops are located, but what troops need to do to apply them properly can change radically in different places.
Orth added that by training in the jungle, paramedics will be “more aware of the threats” they would not otherwise expect.
Tracking people in the jungle is doubly important for pararescumens and other special operators. Whether they are chasing an enemy or trying to save a friend, the principles are the same.
“The imprint of this goal will explain a story,” Rogovski said in a statement. “Where did this man go, what did he do, how fast did he move, where did he go, is he paranoid?” And I think that’s a little hard to put into words, unless you’ve actually been there. “
Air commandos
An Air Force paramedic climbs a tree to secure a tarpaulin over a campsite in the jungles of Wahiawa on March 29, 2022. A sergeant from the United States Air Force / Headquarters. Devin Boyer
The US Air Force Special Operations Command is a component of the US Special Operations Command Air Force and its air commands provide airlift, close air support, precision strikes and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to other Special Operations units.
AFSOC itself has two components. In the air, he flies various special operations aircraft, including the AC-130 Spooky, the CV-22 Osprey tilt rotor, the MQ-9 Reaper, which support other US commandos.
On the ground, AFSOC paramedics, special intelligence operators, combat commanders and tactical air control commandos complement other special operations units as individuals or in teams, acting as liaisons with air forces.
Air Force paramedics create a rope system to cross a waterway in the jungles of Wahiawa, April 1, 2022. A sergeant from the United States Air Force / Headquarters. Devin Boyer
Pararescue is unique among the professional fields of the US Army. Paramedics specialize in combat search and rescue and rehabilitation of personnel and are probably one of the most competent medics in the entire army.
Reflecting their motto “so others can live”, paramedics are ready to deploy anywhere to seek or restore American troops. To do this, paramedics must be knowledgeable and experienced in any operating environment.
“The lessons and skills learned here will further expand the way we work in the Indo-Pacific region,” Rogovski said of the Hawaii exercise. “We will take these lessons and shape ours [tactics, techniques, and procedures] for the future of special operations, the re-establishment of personnel and combat search and rescue. “
Stavros Atlamazoglu is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a veteran of the Greek Army (National Service of the 575th Marine Battalion and Army Headquarters) and a graduate of Johns Hopkins University.
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