BRACER FORGE: 368 TRS Forges Agile Warriors for the Modern Battlefield

by Capt Nathan Elking

The 368th Training Squadron (368 TRS) at Fort Leonard Wood is tasked with a critical mission: transforming Basic Military Training (BMT) graduates into Air-minded Warriors specializing in engineering and logistics. Training Squadrons, like the 368th, serve as the second step in the Airmen “Supply Chain” by awarding Airmen with their Air Force Specialty Codes (AFSCs) upon graduating from their technical training. The 368 TRS provides initial training (aka Tech School) for Airmen entering the Ground Transportation (2T1), Pavements and Equipment (3E2), Engineering Assistants (3E5), and Emergency Management (3E9) career fields. Additionally, they provide nine advanced courses for Airmen and NCOs further along in their career and four Joint Interservice-Training Review Organization (ITRO) courses for the Army, Navy, and Marines.

To establish the expeditionary skills and strong resilience necessary for military professionals, Airmen experience PACER FORGE (Primary Agile Combat Employment Range, Forward Operations Readiness Generation Exercise) at BMT. Serving as the modern evolution of the legacy BEAST Week, PACER FORGE represents the most intense week of training. During this phase, trainees are stationed in a simulated deployment environment where they hone their skills through rigorous field training and practice intense combat scenarios alongside their peers. To continue this development during technical training, Training Squadrons across 2nd Air Force execute BRACER FORGE (Basic Reinforcement) events. These exercises are designed to cultivate Air-mindedness—a mindset grounded in core values and sharpened by a deep understanding of the Air Force mission—and Warrior Ethos, the hardiness of spirit, courage, and adversary-focused mentality required of all military professionals. Within the 368 TRS, the execution of BRACER FORGE has undergone deliberate refinement over time to ensure Airmen in Tech School are prepared for the realities of modern warfare.

The Foundation: Previous Iterations

Early versions of the exercise were designed primarily to reinforce core AFSC skills and Ready Airman Training (RAT). This included a deployment line, Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), Forward Operating Base (FOB) Build-Up, and UXO (Unexploded Ordnance) and CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear) Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTP). These early iterations focused heavily on training that Airmen already receive as a part of their standard schoolhouse curriculum or will receive at their first duty station. Our unit has since made a strategic shift towards addressing emerging threats and refining skills required
for next-generation warfare, as demonstrated by the current focus on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and (counter) C-UAS TTPs.

The Current Initiative: Mastering the Drone Age

This strategic shift is evident in the most recent iteration of BRACER FORGE, which zeroes in on one of the most disruptive technologies employed on the battlefield: the UAS. This focus is a direct response to global events; as UAS platforms dominate the war in Ukraine and are being employed against our forces in USCENTCOM. The imperative to adapt is clear, and to address the dual nature of UAS technology as a tool to master and a threat to counter, the cadre are working to craft a rigorous UAS curriculum. The current exercise simulates a scenario where the Airmen in Training are ordered to mobilize. The Airmen are given Reporting Instructions and an Operation Order (OPORD), tasking the 368 TRS to provide “Just in Time” training and deploying the Airmen to a recently attacked Forward Operating Base (FOB) with a damaged airfield. In the scenario, the FOB is in a unique location that requires the Airmen to rucksack march for 5 kilometers with their equipment from a remote insertion point. Once there, they must form an Airfield Damage Assessment Team (ADAT) and make a Minimum Operating Strip (MOS) determination to facilitate the delivery of runway repair supplies. Additionally, they are expected to defend the FOB by establishing Defensive Fighting Positions (DFP) and thwart enemy UAS attacks. Ultimately, the exercise serves as the final preparatory gate before these Airmen are considered mission-ready.

The training day pushes teams through a time-constrained gauntlet:

The primary learning outcomes are distinctly focused on developing Air-minded Warfighters. By plunging Tech School Airmen into demanding, time-constrained scenarios, where they develop foundational competencies such as perseverance, resilience, self-control, and teamwork. Embodying the Multi-Capable Airman (MCA) concept—which requires Airmen to apply expeditionary skills outside their primary specialty to enable Agile Combat Employment (ACE)—these Airmen proved they can rapidly absorb new operational concepts and pivot from their technical baseline to an adversary-focused, mission-driven operational posture.

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The Future: Driving Toward the Next Fight

The 368 TRS is committed to accelerating the development and enhancement of the lethality of our Airmen. To ensure every Airman who comes through the schoolhouse experiences this critical training at least once, the squadron is increasing the frequency of BRACER FORGE events from quarterly to bi-monthly. This adjusted tempo will provide the cadre with critical data points to further develop and refine operationally relevant training scenarios such as expanding to include mounted operations, Counter-UAS (C-UAS), Airfield Damage Assessment Team (ADAT) operations, and Rapid Airfield Damage Repair (RADR). Beyond the exercise itself, the 368 TRS is actively standing up a dedicated Squadron UAS Program. By leveraging Fort Leonard Wood’s Maneuver Support Center of Excellence (MSCoE) UAS program, the squadron is working to procure UASs and train a dedicated pool of instructor pilots to formally integrate UASs into our curriculum. Additionally, recognizing the emerging threat drones pose to convoy and line-haul operations, the 368 TRS is pursuing specialized, vehicle-based C-UAS training tailored for the Ground Transportation (GT) community.

The future of BRACER FORGE centers on honing Airmen’s ability to Defend, Operate, Generate, and Sustain (DOGS) airpower. The squadron is fundamentally shifting its training paradigm to produce innovative warriors ready to execute the mission in small, agile teams under extreme pressure. The ultimate reward is witnessing the transformation firsthand. We take Airmen out of their normal environment, put them in charge, and force them to overcome challenges and rely on one another. It’s incredibly gratifying to see their initial hesitation give way to resolve as they step up to motivate their peers. This raw display of teamwork and determination is the clearest indicator of success and the very essence of the Air-minded Warfighter BRACER FORGE aims to create.

About the Author

Capt Nathan Elking is a USAF Logistician. He enlisted in Air Force Reserves in 2014 under the 442nd Force Support Squadron at Whiteman AFB. Since receiving his commission from the University of Missouri’s AFROTC program in 2017, he has served in a variety of mission support assignments related to logistics readiness, contracting, and aircraft maintenance. He holds a degree in political science and is currently assigned to Fort Leonard Wood as the Director of Operations for the 368th Training Squadron.