403rd SFS sharpens combat readiness during austere Camp Shelby exercise

DVIDS – News – 403rd SFS sharpens combat readiness during austere Camp Shelby exercise

403rd SFS sharpens combat readiness during austere Camp Shelby exercise

CAMP SHELBY, MISSISSIPPI, UNITED STATES

07.15.2026

Story by Jessica Kendziorek 

403rd Wing

403rd SFS sharpens combat readiness during austere Camp Shelby exercise
Your browser does not support the audio element.
During the July Unit Training Assembly weekend, the 403rd Security Forces Squadron utilized the Camp Shelby training area as a simulated Forward Operating Location to execute a rigorous, two-day deployment readiness exercise.
Designed to test the squadron’s ability to establish base operations from the ground up, the exercise challenged Defenders to secure and defend an installation against complex, theater-derived threats.
The weekend training kicked off at 7:30 a.m. on the first day. Squadron members immediately initiated area patrols, secured the perimeter, and established their operational footprint by standing up the simulated FOL. The training environment was intentionally selected for its lack of established infrastructure, forcing the unit to operate self-sufficiently.
“Camp Shelby was specifically selected because the environment allowed us to simulate a quasi-bare base,” said Master Sgt. Brandon Breaux, 403rd SFS training and readiness section chief. “In this setting, we were responsible for establishing a footprint from the ground up without the infrastructure or support typical of established bases. As our career field constantly adapts to new mission sets and evolving warfare doctrines, this austere training area allowed our members to prepare for current operating environments and build the necessary readiness for their upcoming deployments this year.”
Master Sgt. Rachel Harris, a 403rd SFS squad leader, noted that the stark contrast between the austere conditions at Camp Shelby and a fully equipped installation like Keesler Air Force Base provided a critical training advantage and the location itself tested the Defenders’ resilience.
“Camp Shelby is a very hot and difficult environment, with the bare basic facilities much like what we will encounter on our deployments,” Harris said. “I definitely feel that the facilities at Camp Shelby help prepare us because we have to rely on training and being resourceful, which is not the case on Keesler Air Force Base.”
The operational tempo increased at 6:00 a.m. on the second day. Defenders began receiving training inject scenarios that introduced plausible attack scenarios, requiring them to take immediate and appropriate steps to defend the installation and its critical assets.
While Security Forces personnel are highly trained to mitigate standard threats in a garrison environment, Breaux said that downrange operations require a different level of tactical flexibility.
“When deployed, our career field regularly encounters more complex challenges, including Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Indirect Fire, foreign national interaction, asset protection, and ground attacks,” Breaux explained. “Our goal was to address some of these potential threats.”
The exercise successfully validated the unit’s ability to operate in contested environments, highlighting both successes and areas for growth.
“I feel that the exercise went well, it identified some weaknesses that we as a unit have and also identified where we can improve,” Harris said. “I think it opened our troops’ eyes to the difficulties we will face downrange and helped get them in the mindset we need them to be in so that we can be successful.”
Breaux echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the value of the realistic training block.
“Overall, this exercise served as a critical tool to gauge our readiness and identify key strengths and weaknesses,” Breaux concluded. ” Furthermore, it allowed our personnel to train against realistic, theater-derived threat scenarios reflecting our current operational reality. Utilizing these insights, we will continue to refine our training and optimize our preparation window to deliver a highly capable, combat-ready force.”

PUBLIC DOMAIN  

This work, 403rd SFS sharpens combat readiness during austere Camp Shelby exercise, by Jessica Kendziorek, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright

CONNECTED MEDIA

MORE LIKE THIS

CONTROLLED VOCABULARY KEYWORDS

No keywords found

No tags found

OPTIONS