ST's 'Commando Crucible' exercise

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. - Air Force special tactics (ST) teams provide a range of core responsibilities, and combatant commands rely on those operators to hone their skills long before being deployed. Special tactics teams are in the midst of completing the Commando Crucible exercise, from June 18-July 3, at Hurlburt Field and in Kinston, N.C. “Despite logistical frustrations (COVID-19), the exercise allowed special tactics flights and attachments to conduct critical training on global access, precision strike, personnel recovery and foreign internal defense capabilities,” said a special tactics officer and lead planner for the exercise. Special tactics operators led the training, which consisted of 253 participants and leveraged 40 aircraft from across the Air Force Special Operations Command and Air Combat Command. Another critical readiness component that teams were evaluated on was the ability to plan and carry out agile combat employment concepts - a priority for ST airmen in response to near-peer competition as well as AFSOC’s strategic guidance. Special tactics operators traveled from Hurlburt to Kinston to rapidly secure an airfield to use as a forward air refueling point, integrating combat Air Force assets such as F-15 Eagles, F-22 Raptors and AFSOC MC-130s. (Source: Hurlburt Field 07/13/20)