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Chaplain assistant chiefs begin steps to further evaluate pre-deployment training

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
  • U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center Public Affairs
FORT DIX, N.J. --  Enlisted leaders in the Air Force's chaplain assistant career field made a special visit to the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center in early November to talk with chaplains and chaplain assistant students in the Advanced Contingency Skills Training Course and to observe the course.

The visit brought together Chief Master Sgt. Chuck Johnson, the Air Force chaplain assistant career field manager, and command level functional chiefs including Chief Master Sgts. Russ Geyer from Air Mobility Command, Scott Turner from Air Education and Training Command, and Geoffrey Preudhomme from Air Combat Command.

"We came here with one of our goals being to evaluate the curriculum and figure out what skill sets they're provided (during ACST)," Chief Johnson said. "Additionally, I'm going to the deployed areas later this year and while there, I'm going to look and see if there are any gaps in our training that we need to fill. Essentially, this is all a part of that evaluation process."

The chaplain assistant career field is one of three career fields Air Force-wide that sends students to the Center's ACST course - the other two being public affairs and judge advocate career fields. During ACST, students receive specific pre-deployment training to include convoy operations, military operations in urban terrain, combat first and more.

"This is one of our two primary locations where we give our chaplains and chaplain assistants advance readiness training prior to a deployment," Chief Johnson said. "This is where they learn the skills they need to know to go and survive and operate in the deployed environment."

Chief Geyer said he wanted to get his colleagues together to show what AMC and Expeditionary Center offers for pre-deployment training.

"All of us, from our positions, have the need to send our warriors off to the field to fight and serve in the war," Chief Geyer said. For all of us, it's important to know what the capabilities are that exist out there. We're not lone rangers, so I wanted my colleagues to know what capabilities Air Mobility Command can provide to their troops as they deploy their people. That's what I really wanted from this visit - to showcase what we do because I think we do it right here for Air Mobility Command."

ACC holds similar expeditionary readiness training at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., Chief Preudhomme said.

"The course is primarily a security forces course and the chaplain cadre are the only additional cadre in that course," Chief Preudhomme said. "They serve two roles - one to provide a chapel relationship with the school and a staff at that location, but also to provide training for our folks coming through in preparation for deployment."

In ACST, the added benefit for the Air Force is the relationship building that takes place between chaplains and chaplain assistants and students from other career fields. At Creech, for example, Chief Preudhomme said chaplains and chaplain assistants get to build a relationship with security forces.

"They can go back to the wings and that chaplain or chaplain assistant could be the unit chaplain team for security forces," Chief Preudhome said. "Building the relationship stateside only helps with a better relationship with security forces in the deployed environment because they are already connected."

Chief Johnson noted that all chaplain assistants, whether it's the ACST course or the expeditionary readiness training at Creech, will receive training before they leave for deployment.

"There are places in the deployed areas where we feel our people need advance training," Chief Johnson said. "So, as the taskings come down, the line remarks basically indicate that they have to go to one of the two courses. We either send them here to attend this course, which I've been very impressed with, or, they go to the one at Creech that ACC operates. But, everybody in the entire Air Force Chaplain Service who needs to deploy to the majority of locations we're at will come through one of these two courses regardless of command."

ACST, in its current form, just finished its first full academic year. Chief Turner said AETC has taken notice to the capabilities the course brings to its students.

"This is going to help me when I get out to the field and get asked, 'why do I have to go?'" Chief Turner said. "Since we (AETC) do the technical training and get Airmen spun up in their primary career fields, this is what will actually help them prepare for their deployments. It's helpful for our people to know the right things to do before they go down range. I'll be able to better tell this story as I go to the different AETC bases."

Chief Preudhomme added that building the pre-deployment training piece for the chaplain and chaplain assistant career fields is not an easy task, but through combined efforts and further evaluation he believes the entire career field will benefit.

"I have a follow-on tasking to review the courses (at Creech) and see what the requirements are, and then see what we need to add," Chief Preudhomme said. "That will be validated by Chief Johnson going to the deployed area of responsibility and bringing that other piece back. From there, we all will work together in getting it sorted out and improving our capabilities in preparing our chapel Airmen for future deployments."