EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska — The 354th Fighter Wing Agile Combat Employment cell held an Airmen Readiness Training Core course from June 24-28.

This course follows the ACE concept designed to prepare teams of Mission Ready Airmen to complete multiple tasks outside of their core Air Force Specialty Code and will be able to support ACE force elements in deployment environments to accomplish mission objectives under acceptable levels of risk.

“ACE is a joint operational concept focused on proactive and reactive operational schemes of maneuver, executed within threat timelines to increase survivability while generating combat power,” said Master Sgt. Curt Lavigne, 354th Security Forces Squadron logistics and resources superintendent.

354th FW Airmen learned 15 separate lessons by subject matter experts through the five-day course. These lessons consisted of shoot, move and communicate, Tactical Combat Casualty Care, defensive fighting positions, among other important training objectives.

“The course aims to provide Airmen the skills, knowledge and abilities necessary to perform their duties on locations with lacking infrastructure in contested environments,” said Lavigne.

After 15 hours in class, Airmen spent 35 hours in the field receiving hands-on training on TCCC, M4 carbine and M18 pistol weapon platforms and intermediate communication methods. Students utilized all of this training to conduct simulated fire drills against opposing forces during the field day. After completing the field day, 12 Airmen from four squadrons were officially certified as MRA.

“The cadre have done a fantastic job of teaching us and they’ve shown a great understanding of the course material,” said Senior Airman Joshua Young, 354th Operations Support Squadron operations analyst. “This course prepares us for deployment opportunities; we’ll be able to help low-manned and low resourced units in enemy environments.”

Currently the ART-C course is only available at the USAF Expeditionary Center stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. Once the course is certified at the wing level, the 354th FW will have the ability to train MRA organically, saving Eielson upwards of $700,000.

“The ACE concept is being employed at most bases, however, Eielson is the first base to test its ability to execute a wing level ART-Core course,” said Lavigne. “Once certified, Eielson will begin teaching Airmen ART-Core lessons important to survive in austere environments.”