Security Forces take a swing at baton training Published March 11, 2019 By Staff Sgt. Jeff Grossi 910th Airlfit Wing Public Affairs YOUNGSTOWN AIR RESERVE STATION, Ohio -- More than 20 Reserve Citizen Airmen from the 910th Security Forces Squadron here took a swing at a use of force refresher training March 10, 2018, in the old combat arms training and maintenance building here. The focus of the training centered on how to use and strike with an 18-inch telescoping baton to deescalate a situation in a non-lethal way. The class began with formal instruction covering offensive strikes and defensive guards the Airmen could use to subdue targets. Instructors provided guidance on which areas of the body are “green” targets—legs, arms and other large muscle groups of the body—as well as areas considered “red” that should not be struck—the skull, spine, sternum and groin. The Airmen practiced these maneuvers in preparation for a practical examination known as “The Red-Man.” Senior Airman Eusevius Howard, a fireteam member with the 910th SFS, said, “Red-Man is a one-on-one fight to go over the tactics learned with the baton to defend yourself, like keeping your hands up and practicing strikes so each contact is legal. The fights don’t last long but you feel it. If you don’t have endurance, you’re not going to make it.” During this examination, a team of two security forces Airmen enter a room and use the skills provided to deescalate a situation provided by two instructors. Each scenario is a three-minute sparring match against the instructors acting as the perpetrators. The only catch, the instructors are wearing a complete suit of red body armor and aren’t going down without a fight. “This allows them to interact with an individual, to actually strike an individual and get their heart rate up all while maintaining their composure,” said Tech. Sgt. Richard Lape, a fireteam leader with the 910th SFS. “This is real-life, real-world training that gets your adrenaline pumping while you’re trying to complete a job. Training is big. We always fall back on our training. We want to break any bad habits and instill a sense of muscle memory to our Airmen.”