Air Force Installation & Mission Support Center

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The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center is developing Air Force Combat Support Training Ranges to fill gaps in current expeditionary training capabilities for installation and mission support Airmen and satisfy unit needs to train on tactics, techniques and procedures required for the high-end fight. The ranges will give commanders the platforms and equipment necessary to conduct unit-led expeditionary training, helping them maintain readiness and ensure Airmen are prepared to deploy and win future wars.

The Air Force is focusing on installation and mission support readiness and preparing Airmen for future conflicts. Over the past 30 years, readiness models focused on steady-state deployments in permissive environments, which emphasized Air Force specialty code skills proficiency but left combat skills underdeveloped. As the force generation model evolves to create standing units ready for immediate employment in high-threat environments, there is a pressing need for training that integrates both technical and combat skills.

Combat Support Training Ranges are premier training platforms with the essential equipment and vehicles, natural and built infrastructure, and realistic threat environment to enable combat support and combat service support teams to build mission capacity through training sets and reps to compete and win in the future fight.

The CSTR concept began as the Civil Engineer Regional Training Site initiative under the Department of the Air Force Directorate of Civil Engineers in 2018. Between 2018 and 2022, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center expanded existing Silver Flag and Air Reserve Component RTS sites and established contingency training locations at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; RAF Feltwell, England; Mountain Home AFB, Idaho; and Nellis AFB, Nevada.

During this same period, the Security Forces enterprise greatly expanded the capabilities of the Desert Defender Ground Combat Readiness Training Center and modernized the curriculum to improve pre-deployment training skills and readiness for Security Forces Airmen. Recognizing the need to expand these concepts even further, AFIMSC began working in 2022 to develop CSTR sites and prove their effectiveness for unit-led combat support and combat service support training events.

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Under the Air Force Force Generation model, or AFFORGEN, units follow a 24-month cycle that is split into four, six-month phases. CSTR becomes essential at the 200 and 300 level as units need access to the high-demand, low-density equipment that isn’t practical for the Air Force to put at every home station.

CSTR enables larger units and more complex events at the higher levels of training. This is different from current 100-level functional training sites, such as Silver Flag and Desert Defender, which are primarily used for 100-level and some 200-level training. While CSTR is currently focused on 200- and 300-level training, AFIMSC is also working with command exercise planners to explore how CSTR could support 400-level training events in the future.

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AFIMSC is establishing six fully capable CSTR sites in the coming years, validating each site, building relationships with host installations, and maturing plans to reach full operational capability. The initial six sites can accommodate training for combat support and combat service support forces aligned to CONUS-based deployable combat wings, combat air base squadrons and capability enhancement teams. The center created a data-driven, scalable investment plan to consider projected costs, expected training needs and ongoing development. Future expansion options will be evaluated once initial sites are operational.

Each site has some amount of training capability today, which can be categorized into three distinct areas:

Equipment: Equipment necessary to fulfill training requirements for various core tasks.
Operations: Agreements and services that are necessary to sustain both training and operations.
Infrastructure: Facilities necessary to facilities training events.

At full operational capability, CSTR sites will provide comprehensive expeditionary training for all types of combat support units, including combat air base squadrons, mission sustainment teams and capability enhancement teams. Initially, the training capabilities will focus on the 57 core tasks outlined in the ATF training plan, ensuring a well-rounded approach to meet training objectives. These tasks are categorized into three key base operating support functions: sustainment, protection and airfield operations. For each task, the team has identified the infrastructure and equipment requirements a site needs to support the training activity.