HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- Readiness isn’t a moment; it’s a requirement, built day after day. That’s the foundation of Ready Airman Training, Hill Air Force Base’s year‑round effort to ensure Airmen have the skills and confidence to deploy at any time. Since launching RAT in October 2023, Hill has continued to refine the program as new lessons and mission needs emerge.
The Air Force gives installations room to shape RAT to their mission, and Hill has used that flexibility to build a program that directly reinforces base-wide readiness. Instead of relying on unit level instruction, Hill delivers RAT through a dedicated cadre team that trains Airmen from every corner of the installation, enabling a unified and mission focused approach to readiness.
According to Capt. Tyler Moore, chief of readiness at the 75th Air Base Wing, this centralized model ensures consistent standards and allows the team to tailor instruction to the broad range of deployment requirements across Hill’s diverse units.
The RAT curriculum covers 12 focus areas designed to improve the knowledge and skills Airmen need to deploy quickly and increase overall expertise. Some of these training areas include resistance and escape, integrated defense, active threat response, cross cultural communication and tactical combat casualty care. Over the course of the week-long program, each day builds on the last, combining instruction with application to reinforce and advance the capabilities of Airmen.
Senior Master Sgt. Calin Cronin, superintendent of wing readiness, said the cadre’s approach directly supports the program’s readiness goals.
“The cadre need to have a very motivating, deliberate posture, but they also need to be able to relate to Airmen and let them know the cadre are there to teach,” he said. “Their interest and overall goal is to make Airmen absolutely successful as students and ready as military members.”
By building trust and engagement, he added, cadre help Airmen absorb and retain the skills RAT is designed to reinforce.
Continuous improvement is another key element of Hill’s readiness approach. After each iteration, cadre take time to review feedback, identify gaps, and adjust the course to better prepare Airmen for real world demands.
Cronin described the cadre’s teamwork as tightknit and deeply committed to the mission, noting that their shared drive strengthens the quality of instruction and directly enhances the readiness outcomes Hill aims to achieve.
While the cadre lead the instruction, RAT is a base-wide effort. Multiple organizations provide the training environment, equipment, and support that make realistic, mission-aligned instruction possible, reinforcing that readiness is a shared responsibility across Hill.
“Our wing commander has created a mission‑type order that underscores the importance of this training,” Moore said. “It signals to every squadron commander that readiness is non‑negotiable and that ensuring Airmen are proficient in these skills is a priority from the outset.”
Hill’s approach also reinforces a culture where readiness is understood as an ongoing responsibility rather than a one-time requirement. The course’s rigor, repeated practice, and the example set by the cadre help Airmen internalize readiness as part of their daily mindset.
Although much of RAT could be delivered through online or classroom instruction, Hill remains committed to hands-on, stress-induced training that mirrors deployment conditions. Moore emphasized that this environment is essential to building true readiness, because Airmen must be able to apply their skills under the same pressure they will face in real world operations.
As the chief of readiness, Moore is proud of the way that Hill stands out among other bases and feels that RAT at Hill truly helps Airmen embody what it means to be ready for anything that may come their way. He has the utmost confidence in the program and asserted that Hill’s RAT program is the best in the Air Force at preparing Airmen for the future fight.