39th SFS Defenders enhance readiness through adaptive training

Published Aug. 25, 2026
By Senior Airman Luis E. Rios Calderon

INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Türkiye --

From responding to emergency scenarios and treating casualties to assisting in defending the base, Defenders assigned to the 39th Security Forces Squadron routinely train to enhance their skills for the varied demands of the local mission.

To support this collective effort, the 39th SFS uses adaptive training to prepare its personnel to help protect the installation and its people. This approach combines standard security forces requirements with tailored scenarios, ensuring Defenders are ready to integrate and respond during unpredictable situations.

This training directly enhances installation security, ensuring that the entire base population is prepared and informed. A vigilant, educated community strengthens overall safety, and the 39th SFS training ensures first responders are fully prepared to bolster this shared defense effort.

To operationalize this shared defense, the squadron's unit training instructors, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jonathan Delao and Staff Sgt. David Henry, build their training program on standards established by the Air Force Security Forces Center, tailoring those foundations to address specific local security requirements.

These training events cover a wide range of scenarios designed to prepare personnel for various situations.

“Our primary training focuses on close-quarters battles, recapture and recovery, familiarization training, active-shooter response, baton procedures and use-of-force that will help us protect our personnel here,” Delao said.

With response training, instead of presenting the Defenders with a scenario and evaluating the final result, instructors use a "crawl, walk, run" approach.

First, Defenders receive information and develop their applicable standard operating procedures for the scenario before reviewing it with instructor guidance. After that, they go into a full-speed iteration.

“We're playing ‘Monday Night Football’ as trainers the whole time, but instead of talking to the audience, we speak to ‘the players’ directly,” Henry said. “We point out small errors to them—a missed corner here, an overlooked person or an incorrect trigger pull—then we explain how those mistakes could affect an actual response.”

The process is designed to build proficiency instead of just checking a box. Instructors do not expect every Defender to become an expert in every task, but rather to understand the purpose behind their actions to respond effectively during a real incident.

To achieve this, instructors work with other agencies to find alternatives and prevent limitations from becoming barriers. Medical personnel provide the resources to train Defenders in life-saving aid, while firefighters help polish their hazard-response skills.

“I would say Incirlik is a special place to operate as a first responder,” Henry said. “We have a different mission-set than most bases, so we rely on our Turkish counterparts for support and work closely together to make sure these training scenarios go through without hiccups.”

During emergency response scenarios, Defenders are trained to focus first on minimizing casualties and addressing the immediate situation. Once the area is secure, their responsibilities can shift toward helping preserve life until additional emergency responders arrive.

Lifesaving skills like CPR and Tactical Combat Casualty Care give Defenders another tool to use during the critical minutes between an incident and the arrival of medical personnel.

“If we provide CPR to help them regain their breathing or a tourniquet on a bleeding limb before medical gets there, then we helped that person survive,” Henry said.

That training and mindset reinforces the vigilance Defenders must maintain, remaining aware not only of threats, but also of what is happening around them and what they can do to help.

“Every base is different, whether it is the location, funding, or how developed their training program is,” Delao said. “We use all our tools and different agencies so when our Defenders eventually move on to a different installation, they may not be subject matter experts, but they’ll have the knowledge and adaptiveness to go further.”

By combining realistic scenarios, cross-functional training and a willingness to find solutions, the squadron continues to sharpen its Defenders and strengthen the installation's overall readiness.