![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/STOtraining1.JPG.jpg\")
Training with Marines<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The squadron sent two airmen because \u201cwe never send one \u2014 we always have a buddy team,\u201d Martin said. \u201cThe intent was to put these guys in a position to better learn how to troop lead and how to make decisions and evaluate risks in advance of combat control school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two officers were chosen because they\u2019re still in training and haven\u2019t gone to an operational unit. One will next head to combat control school and the other to air traffic control school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Martin said the training prepared the airmen to \u201cbe the best they can be as leaders and being responsible for men and women going through the training pipeline.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two special tactics officers \u2014 the Air Force is not releasing their names because they are preparing to serve in special operations \u2014 told Air Force Times that learning from the Marines increased their abilities to lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen we go to our schools, we\u2019re working with just airmen or special tactics officer students,\u201d said one, who\u2019s been in the Air Force for three years. \u201cThe biggest difference was, while we were learning these new skills, we were also learning how to operate with members of a sister service, which is going to be huge for us later in our careers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Real-world experience<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n The first six weeks of the MARSOC training taught the participants the skills they would need for the duration of the course, the airmen said. This included communications and medical training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After that was three weeks of Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape training, followed by two weeks of amphibious assault training in Key West, Florida. The final four weeks of the course focused on ground tactics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe most valuable thing we learned was how to go about the planning process from guys that have experience doing that in the real world, and how to utilize all of the people on your team,\u201d said the second officer, who has been in the Air Force for about nine months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Marines were very accommodating and were very welcoming to us,\u201d he said. \u201cThree, four, five years from now, we\u2019ll absolutely be able to call up any one of our teammates and work together in an operational environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Integrated training is vital, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe can both be more successful because we\u2019re not going to be working in a vacuum, no matter where we\u2019re operating at,\u201d said the airman who\u2019s been in for three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Air Force will continue to send airman to MARSOC training as well as to Army Ranger School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/STOtraining3.JPG.jpg\")