USAF PACERFORGE - Ep 610

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Aaron and Peaches sit down with TSgt Kaleb Schmidt, a Military Training Instructor working at PACERFORGE, to talk about how Air Force Basic Training is changing and what new Airmen should expect.

Kaleb explains what life looks like for MTIs today, how Basic Military Training is modernizing, and why Pacer Forge is more than a new version of Beast Week. The conversation breaks down how trainees are being evaluated through small-team scenarios, squad-based movements, tactical combat casualty care, base defense, nine-line medical evacuation requests, UXO reporting, drone reporting, airfield operations, and decision-making under stress.

This episode is for anyone getting ready to ship to Air Force BMT, parents trying to understand what their son or daughter will face, and future Air Force Special Warfare candidates who need to understand that the pipeline starts before the pipeline.

The biggest takeaway: show up in shape, be selfless, be ready to think, and be ready to be wrong.

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Chapters:
00:00 - Intro, Tasty Gains, and Operator Training Summit
04:04 - Meet Tech Sergeant Kaleb Schmidt
04:44 - What Kaleb Does at PACERFORGE
05:14 - MTI Disclaimer and Personal Opinions
05:39 - What a Normal MTI Week Looks Like
07:19 - BMT Modernization and Building Better Flights
09:23 - Putting Out Fires in Basic Training
10:28 - Red Cross Messages and Family Emergencies
11:21 - Taking Care of Trainees as People
11:57 - How MTIs Shape Future Airmen
12:58 - Basic Training as a Two-Way Job Interview
14:30 - Weapons Training at BMT
16:00 - Immediate and Remedial Action
17:50 - Room Clearing Basics and Muzzle Awareness
18:40 - What Is PACERFORGE?
19:17 - Pacer Forge and Agile Combat Employment
20:15 - Small-Team Missions and Downed Airman Scenarios
21:40 - TCCC, FAST, UXO, SUAS, and Salute Reports
23:37 - Evaluating Flights and Instructor Effectiveness
25:53 - Why PACERFORGE Has Real-World Relevance
27:25 - Defending, Operating, Generating, and Sustaining Airpower
29:47 - Agile Combat Employment and Multi-Capable Airmen
31:52 - What Trainees Should Expect at PACERFORGE
34:11 - Hydration, Heat, and Simple Field Nutrition
36:14 - Communication, Humility, and Feedback
37:32 - Base Defense, Mass Casualty, and Counter-UAS Scenarios
39:41 - Tactical Combat Casualty Care and Security First
41:23 - Use of Force and Escalation
45:18 - Common Mistakes at PACERFORGE
48:32 - Teaching Trainees to Think
50:18 - Why Weather Is Always Wrong
50:41 - How to Physically Prepare for BMT
51:31 - Foot Strength, Plantar Fasciitis, and Injury Prevention
54:56 - Visualization and Battle Drills
56:53 - Planning, Litter Carries, and Rifle Accountability
58:29 - Why PACERFORGE Is Better Than Beast Week
01:00:42 - Final Advice for New Trainees
01:02:47 - Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

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