COMBAT READINESS TRAINING CENTER, Miss. -- Members of the 186th Air Refueling Wing (ARW), from Key Field Air National Guard (ANG) Base, Meridian, Mississippi, participated in Annual Training (AT), also known as “Summer Camp,” at CRTC, July 10-17, 2021, in Gulfport, Miss.
AT allows Airmen to stay up-to-date on U.S. Air Force required training standards and builds morale and teamwork amongst members.
Though training is the main priority, building morale and forming new relationships with other wingmen is a big part of the AT atmosphere.
“Our first priority is training, but team-building is definitely an important aspect of AT,'' said Col. Britt Watson, 186th ARW Vice Commander. “That’s how you grow as a team and become more cohesive.”
Airmen are better prepared to accomplish the 186th ARW’s mission, “to provide rapid global mobility and agile combat support to our state and nation,” through the varied training opportunities offered at Summer Camp.
“We have representation from every section in the Wing, on every level,” said Command Chief Master Sergeant Darren McMullan. “Our men and women of the 186th are sharpening their skills to be better at what they do.”
A variety of classes were available to Airmen such as Tactical Combat Casualty Care; Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness; Human Relations Education; Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives training; weapons qualifications; media interview training; Hazardous Material Technical Specialist Certification; and more.
The 186th ARW’s Annual Training is the prime time of the year to reinvigorate Airmen and release them back into their regular duties with a higher skill level than before.