The U.S. Air Force,
with over 20,000 of its airmen having served in Iraq, and been exposed to ground combat,
has decided to upgrade the combat training all airmen get. While the air force
has its own force of security troops, who receive infantry training, Iraq
demonstrated that the war could come to everyone. Not since Vietnam, have air
force ground operations faced the threat of ground attack. While most air force
warplanes operate from nearby nations, and not in Iraq itself, there are still
plenty of airfields in Iraq and Afghanistan that have to be defended, and are
always subject to terrorist attack. Such attacks have been rare, largely
because the air force has, like the army, put a lot of effort into defending
those bases.

But from now on, in addition to more
training with assault rifles and pistols, all airmen will also take a course in
hand-to-hand combat. The new Air Force Combatives program [PHOTO] is a 20 hour version
of the 40 hour U.S. Army Combatives Program. It basically teaches you the best
moves to make if you are ever in a hand-to-hand combat situation. Airmen will
be encouraged to take additional training, after they have completed the
mandatory 20 hours of instruction. Those who have served in Iraq, and
especially those who came back with a combat badge, don't need much
encouragement.