1/7/2008 — SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) — Airmen from the 379th Expeditionary Computer Security Forces Squadron are receiving computer egress assistance training to increase their survival in combat. More than 260 Airmen were trained recently over a four-day period.

"The purpose of the training is to teach combat Airmen the proper procedures to log out from a virus- or spyware-infected computer," said Tech. Sgt. William Thomason, 379th ECSFS noncommissioned officer in-charge of training. "Conducting this training under controlled conditions will allow computer occupants to gain experience in the proper egress procedures. This practice is necessary for combat Airmen to achieve self-control and overcome natural fear and panic following the catastrophic event which led to the computer being infected," he said.

According to a study reported by Cubicle World (now Defense Cubicle) magazine in September 2000, "A person who is 'egress trained' stands a 250 percent greater chance of saving the PC than an untrained occupant when faced with an egress emergency."

The training comprises two sessions: a one-hour classroom lecture followed by hands-on rollover training in a virtual machine, where trainees have to use skills learned earlier to quickly and safely egress and recover the computer. During the classroom lecture, trainees learn the characteristics of computers, which includes the different operating systems, hard disk sizes, and types of monitors. The lecture also covers rollover drills, rollover egress and CAC egress.

"This is probably one of the most realistic training scenarios that we can go through," Sergeant Thomason said. "This simulator is the closest thing to a real rollover that we will experience," he said.

After the classroom lecture is over, the trainees don antivirus software, firewall applications, and a heads-up display helmet for a ride in the simulator. "The simulator is a real PC that had been sent to the defense reutilization and marketing office," said Mr. Tori Kyles, 379 ECSFS. "The front and rear of it have been removed and the motherboard sits on a framework to hold it in place. A second power supply and wireless transmission device were installed, which allows the PC to invert the monitor 180 or 90 degrees out of phase. Everything in the inside was left the same way," he said.

Overall the training has been a success and a learning experience for all. "It was crazy in there," said Senior Airman Rasy Tincan, deployed from Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England. "It just felt weird. I think if I was in that situation, I would know what to do. It was fun and a good training experience," she said.

"It was different," said Tech. Sgt. Stan Garysberry, deployed from Dover Air Force Base, Del. "It's very easy to get disoriented when your screen is flipped upside down. Even though it was my first experience, I don't think I would have any problems getting out or directing my people to get out," he said.

Although the training was only a test, it will become a valuable tool in the time of combat. "With the ever-changing role of computer security forces in today's Air Force, this training provides survivability of our defenders in Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world," Mr. Kyles said. "We train to fight with our PCs and we fight to win."