Missouri Airmen perform annual training in England

  • Published
  • By Capt. Rhonda Brown
  • 139th Airlift Wing
ROYAL AIR FORCE MILDENHALL, England --  Over 50 Airmen from the Missouri Air National Guard's 139th Airlift Wing performed their deployment field training (DFT) at Royal Air Force (RAF) Mildenhall, England, June 29 - July 11, 2016.

Members of the 139th Communications Flight (CF), Force Support Squadron (FSS), Chaplains office, Logistics Readiness Squadron (LRS), and Public Affairs (PA) are here for two weeks working side-by-side with their counterparts from the 100th Air Refueling Wing (ARW).

A DFT, known in the Guard as annual training, allows Airmen the opportunity to enhance their skill levels within their individual career field.

"This is the 15th DFT that we have hosted here at Mildenhall in 12 months," said Chief Master Sgt. Donald Cleveland, 100th FSS superintendent, who also said having the extra airmen from a DFT sometimes doubles their manpower.

DFTs also allow Airmen to bring their civilian enterprise to the Air Force.
Tech. Sgt. Stevan Sheely is a cyber transport journeyman assigned to the 139th CF, but he is also an adjunct professor at the Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City, Mo., where he teaches information technology courses.

"I am here to teach an overall Cisco CCNA Boot camp," said Sheely. "Cisco is the network backbone of the base."

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) is an entry-level certification for the Cisco certified professional program and is geared towards junior network administrators.

Sheely is teaching a five-day course to 15 active duty airmen at Mildenhall.

Another benefit of DFTs is the access to different types of training Airmen receive.

"We don't get to work fitness at Rosecrans," said Tech. Sgt. Noah Diveley, a services specialist assigned to 139th FSS. "This is giving us opportunity to get our hands in on working fitness...so we can get more experience."

Things like staffing a 24-hour gym and laying chalk for the baseball fields on base, said Diveley.

"I am excited you are here," said Lt. Col. Isaiaha Ball, commander of the 100th FSS. "You are force multipliers."