JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – The Air Force Security Forces Center is transforming Defender readiness with two new courses designed to challenge security forces members with a more realistic representation of a deployed environment.

The Mission Focused Rehearsal Training and the Agile Combat Defender Course were first introduced to students in January at Desert Defender, AFSFC’s Det. 3, Ground Combat Readiness Training Center at Fort Bliss, Texas.

The new AFSFC curriculum relies less on lecture-based training in favor of a field exercise-based learning environment that features more weapons firing and engagement events. AFSFC developed the courses in response to the Air Force’s Defender Next-32 Initiative, directed by USAF Security Forces to come up with a more challenging and realistic training curriculum for Defenders.

“ACDC replaces Tier Training as the pre-deployment course for most U.S. Air Forces Central Command security forces deployers,” said AFSFC’s Det. 3 Commander Lt. Col. Christopher Thomas. “It’s designed to be more challenging and more focused on the individual and team skills of shoot, move and communicate … what Defenders need to be prepared for deployment,”

ACDC, a two-week course taught by a cadre of instructors at the training center, graduated its first class of 72 Defenders in January. The four-week MFRT graduated 122 Defenders on Feb. 3.

Both courses are currently undergoing validation at Desert Defender which requires three classes of students to graduate before certification. During this time, students and instructors provide feedback to AFSFC. Data collected is being used to make improvements to the curriculum.

“AFIMSC and the Air Force Security Forces Center are committed to furthering the objectives of Defender Next-32,” AFSFC Commander Aaron Guill said. “As such, our mission is to seek those new and innovative solutions that will give Security Forces across the Total Force a decisive advantage over our adversaries, both domestic and abroad.”