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Members of RAAF Base Edinburgh’s No. 3 Security Forces (3SECFOR) have detailed the impact of social distancing restrictions on their training and operations. As Corporal Michal Samoraj explains, the team’s innovative take-home training plan allowed it to keep learning over the course of the crisis.
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3SECFOR protects the South Australian support base over a continuous 24-hour shift roster. Largely populated by personnel of the Airfield Defence Guard (ADG) mustering, the team has worked to complete additional security training despite social distancing headwinds.
CPL Samoraj said his team had overcome physical training requirements by implementing innovative online training sessions during the isolation period.
“The team came up with a take-home training plan utilising ForceNet, email and Skype, which is a big challenge for us because airfield defence guards are kinesthetic learners,” CPL Samoraj said.
“When it comes to aircraft security operations drills, you can’t exactly read a PowerPoint and know how to take down that threat.
“The section commanders, sergeants and flight commander would have two meetings a week to finalise any training requirements, then have individual sessions through Skype, phone calls and welfare checks.
3SECFOR also underwent a complete restructure to provide increased protection of the base: two separate flights have been transformed into one specialist security flight, including three five-man aircraft security operations teams and three eight-man contingency response squadron teams.
While 3SECFOR plans to phase into a more traditional training program as social distancing requirements begin to ease, the team's willingness to adapt has proved a formative experience, in and of itself.
Military working dog handler Leading Aircraftwoman Janice Bastow said the training had prepared her to quickly adapt to the challenging conditions.
“3SECFOR is such a great place to work. The support I get from my chain of command is phenomenal and the diversity of role is very rewarding,” LACW Bastow said.
“I have the best job. I work with dogs every day and get to work alongside an awesome team that rises to a challenge when needed.”
