Flight of the Raven: protecting aircraft, airmen anywhere anytime

Published July 7, 2011
By Staff Sgt. Rashard Coaxum
315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

Joint Base Charleston, S.C. -- Preferring to be seen and not heard, the U.S. Air Force's special operations security forces unit, code named the "Ravens", have a unique mission in today's Air Force landscape. Their ultimate mission - top flight security and mission safety.

"Protecting the aircraft, its crew, and most importantly the Air Mobility Command's assets assigned to the mission is our assignment," said Tech. Sgt. Steven Smith, of the 315th Security Forces Squadron here.

"The Air Force has determined that certain locations and airfields pose a higher risk to the safety of Air Mobility Command assets, so we are tasked with the protection of those assets," Sergeant Smith added.

Sergeant Smith is a member of Joint Base Charleston's reserve security forces squadron and also a member of the bases elite Phoenix Raven security program who recently flew with the 300th Airlift Squadron on a humanitarian aid mission of the island nation of Haiti.

The Phoenix Raven program took root in early 1997 and has graduated over 1900 security forces airmen who have been assigned to Air Mobility Command bases across the nation. Their duties when on assignment include counter-threat assessment and aircraft security and location security. The Ravens operate in small teams of two to six highly trained airmen who deploy as aircrew members on missions that have been determined to be of high risk.

"We deploy with the aircraft and aircrews to some the most hostile locations in the world in some of the most austere conditions," said Staff Sgt. Eugene Nace, of the 628th Security Forces Squadron here.

"Regardless of where we have to deploy to we ensure that the Air Mobility Command assets reach their destination, the aircraft is protected from any potential threat that may exist, and that the crew is kept safe out of harm's way. That all falls back on our training," said Sergeant Nace.

Airmen who have been selected for the Phoenix Raven program go through a rigorous training regimen consisting of a pre-Raven training course as well as the Raven school certification course. The pre-Raven training course is a 45 day long class which tests both the physical and mental capabilities of the airmen selected to become Ravens.

"The class is a designed to put you through your paces to see if you have what it takes to become a Raven," said Staff Sgt. Benjamin Lee. "You are pushed to the max in both the physical training and classroom knowledge aspects to evaluate if you can move to the actual Raven certification course." Sergeant Lee is also a member of Joint Base Charleston's 628th Security Forces Squadron. After the airmen have completed the pre-certification course they move on to the Phoenix Raven course held at Fort Dix, N.J. where they learn the tools they need for deployment with an aircraft.

"At the school we learn all the things that keep the aircrew and the entire mission safe. This includes counter-terrorism threat assessments, anti-hijacking procedures, as well as hand-to-hand combat techniques to protect the crew and the Air Mobility Command assets aboard the mission," said Sergeant Nace.

"It's very intense with long days and a lot of training but it's all worth it to make sure everyone comes home at the end of the mission," said Sergeant Nace. Whether near or far, the Ravens are ready at a moment's notice to deploy where ever, whenever he added. "There's no place the Ravens can't go and there's no place the Ravens won't go."