Certificates of attendance for the “Land Defence” speciality acquisition course have been awarded to the Volunteers of the 21st course. The instructor corps of the Survive To Operate/Force Protection (S.T.O./F.P.) Training Group of the 16th “Force Protection” Wing of the Air Force conducted three weeks of theoretical-practical training from 3 March 2014, aimed at providing specific professional training in Force Protection.
From January 13th of this year, the local Training Group has “specialised” in Ground Combat Training (GCT) the attendees of the 19th, 20th and 21st courses of Volunteers in Permanent Service (approximately 160 units). The trainees attended theoretical lessons on Ground Combat Training (GCT), Individual Armaments, International Humanitarian Law, Topography, Chemical-Biological-Radiological-Nuclear (CBRN) Defence, etc. These were then followed by practical live-fire shooting activities in the range, combat training in built-up areas, crowd control activities, topographic marches, the establishment of checkpoints, escorts for persons and convoys, etc.
The newly specialised personnel have returned to their respective Departments, where they will be employed in the defence of military installations.
A specially constituted commission will shortly carry out selections for the 13th Air Rifleman Course at the 16th “P.F.” Wing. The course will commence in the first ten days of May. Since August 2005, a contingent from the Air Rifleman Battalion has been continuously present in Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operation, to ensure the Force Protection of the Forward Support Base (FSB) in Herat. Air riflemen are constantly engaged in national and international training activities, also utilising assets with specialised Joint Terminal Attack Controller (J.T.A.C.) personnel and/or qualified as pilots of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), such as the Strix-C type.
The 16th “Force Protection” Wing has been assigned the function of the national training centre for the attainment of the “ground defence” specialisation for all Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Other Ranks of the Armed Force. Training stages for cadets on normal courses at the Air Force Academy and the NCO School are conducted at the unit's training facilities.
