Trainees take on the BEAST

Basic goes expeditionary
Body armor, MOPP gear and M16s


Trainees take on the BEAST
By Erik Holmes - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Jan 30, 2009 6:17:27 EST

LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas — Twenty-five young trainees lie motionless in the dirt, gear strewn and limbs tangled like a failed game of Twister.

The trainees are “dead” because four guards posted at an entry control point allowed an opposing force to breach the perimeter and detonate a bomb.

Master Sgt. Charles Davidson, a grizzled 18-year security forces veteran, is stamping and cursing. His anger isn’t lessened by the fact that this is just a training scenario during the new Basic Expeditionary Airman Skills and Training portion of basic military training.

Next time, it could be the real thing.

“You’re going to deploy in the next year, and you’ll do the same stupid stuff that you do here,” Davidson, a military training instructor, screams at his young charges. “So go pack your s---! Goodbye!”


Rest of article at: http://airforcetimes.com/news/2009/01/airforce_beast_013009/%2e