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One chapter in expeditionary combat support training ends, new one to begin

Air Mobility Command News

Release Date: 6/2/2003

By Staff Sgt. Christin Michaud 305th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

FORT DIX, N.J. (AMCNS) - March 24 marked the end for the Air Mobility Warfare Center's last Phoenix Readiness course. Phoenix Readiness combat support training has ended, to be replaced in October by the Air Force's expeditionary combat support training program, Eagle Flag.

During the final course, more than 350 military members deployed to the country of Yekrut in support of U.S. peacekeeping efforts for the Osland government. Of course, the servicemembers are students in the grueling deployment preparation course.

"Phoenix Readiness is a two-week long training course designed to prepare Air Force members and other Department of Defense forces to open and establish forward operating bases similar to what was recently done in Iraq," said Lt. Col. Michael Dickey, 421st Training Squadron commander, in charge of the course.

During their first week, students from more than 24 Air Force specialties receive classroom and field training here in bare-base operations common core tasks for their specialties in a deployed environment. The next week, their skills are put to the test on an exercise deployment to Yekrut, also known as Naval Air Station Lakehurst.

That's been one of the advantages of the Phoenix Readiness course - the opportunity to receive training and then apply it in the field the following week.

"During the second week, the students experience a field training exercise designed to prepare them for opening and establishing forward operating bases - in a hurry," stated Colonel Dickey. "In fact, several former Phoenix Readiness students were directly involved in several of the base openings during operation Iraqi Freedom."

One student is 1st Lt. Allan Rich, 821st Air Mobility Squadron. "This is fairly accurate," said the lieutenant, who just returned from doing this very thing in Iraq in support of OIF. Although Lieutenant Rich had attended the Phoenix Readiness Course two years ago, he believes the course continues to improve and prepare people for the real thing. "The course has improved 600 percent since the last time I came," he said. "They've done a good job of trying to equate it to real world. I'm very impressed with the differences, and its only going to get better with Eagle Flag."

"The 421st cadre are excited about the last Phoenix Readiness [course]," said Colonel Dickey. "Not because Phoenix Readiness is going away, rather because it's exciting for us to be evolving into a flag-level school. It means taking our world-class training up a notch and helping the Air Force improve its expeditionary capabilities.

"For the past six years the men and women of the 421st have dedicated themselves to providing the best possible expeditionary combat support training to the Air Mobility Command," said Colonel Dickey. "This won't change as Phoenix Readiness becomes Eagle Flag. We will continue to lead the way, preparing the Air Force for expeditionary operations. But now to a much broader student base - the entire Air Force."