Members from the 908th Security Forces Squadron and the 25th Aerial Port Squadron conducted key training in July 2025, at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Each unit’s training focused on enhancing fundamental skills and ensuring both squadron’s members are mission ready.
The 908th Security Forces Squadron concentrated on back-to-basics training for air base ground defense. According to Master Sgt. Thomas Meadows, the 908th SFS operations superintendent, the training was designed to bring less experienced defenders up to speed with the rest of the unit. The training included land navigation, point plotting, and grid system comprehension.
“A lot of our more experienced defenders are out there doing deployments and things like that,” said Meadows. “So, we just did the basics of our air base ground defense. Starting from a classroom setting and talking about all of our tactics and techniques and procedures and then moving out and putting it in practice out in the field.”
A significant portion of their training was dedicated to nighttime operations. The members used night vision optics for reconnaissance and coordinated entry drills.
U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Thomas Meadows, 908th Security Forces Squadron operations superintendent, supervises a defender as they drive a Humvee during night operations at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, July 20, 2025. The night training gave defenders a change of scenery from their normal day-to-day training.
“We had our newer defenders get a hold of all the equipment that they will be using throughout their career as a security forces member,” Meadows said, “so a lot of vehicle training, nighttime operations, nighttime movements, to get them comfortable with that.”
“When they join our larger group, they’ll be on a level playing field to where we can all continue training together,” said Meadows.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Curtis Gissen-Danner, a defender with the 908th Security Forces Squadron, looks across a field at night on Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, July 21, 2025. The exercise prepared the 908th SFS for land navigation during night operations.
According to Staff Sgt. Curtis Gissen-Danner, a defender with the 908th SFS, the training gave participants a comprehensive understanding of their mission, from initial briefings to execution in the field.
“We understand that we can keep moving forward even when the mission changes,” said Gissen-Danner. “This is a great way of getting something out of your active training. It’s always good to actually learn and understand what our roles are as security forces.”
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While the Security Forces Squadron was honing its ground defense skills, the 25th Aerial Port Squadron focused on its own vital duties.
The 25th APS members worked on core tasks, such as loading and unloading cargo and operating forklifts. The squadron used a simulated training gate to practice building pallets.
U.S. Air Force Ramp Representatives from the 25th Aerial Port Squadron, Senior Airman Nicholas Brown marshals a forklift driven by Master Sgt. Sneddon as Master Sgt. Daniel Holcomb oversees the process on Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, July 23, 2025. The ramp marshals guide drivers on the ground using hand signals to direct them when loading and unloading cargo, ensuring safety and efficiency during the processes.
Master Sgt. Daniel Holcomb, a cargo supervisor with the 25th APS, explained that a key training scenario involved a simulated C-130 aircraft that became inoperable. This required the Airmen to download pallets from a high-line dock. Holcomb said the exercise was designed to prepare airmen for real-world scenarios. “They had to download the pallets just to prepare them for when this could potentially happen in the future,” Holcomb said.
Other tasks APS members participated in were familiarization and operational procedures for different types of vehicles.
The training was crucial for refreshing and honing essential skills for members of both squadrons.
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Avani Franklin, left, and Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Phillippi, both ramp representatives with the 25th Aerial Port Squadron, monitor a forklift as it loads cargo onto the high-line dock at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, July 23, 2025. The Airmen atop the high-line dock have an optimal point of view during the uploading and downloading process- being able to see both sides of the pallet as it is being loaded.
It ensured that all members of the 908th SFS, regardless of experience, are proficient in core defense tasks, while the realistic scenarios prepared Airmen from the 25th APS to handle unexpected challenges effectively.
The training makes sure that both squadrons are prepared to perform their duties efficiently and safely.
“It’s always good to sharpen up your skills, and to keep that mentality of always improving your training,” said Gissen-Danner.
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Kaitlyn Gitchel, a defender with the 908th Security Forces Squadron, opens the door of a Humvee at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, July 20, 2025. The defenders were wearing helmets clad with night vision optics to practice spatial awareness inside of the vehicle.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: 908th MSG units provide a fresh look on classic training