United States Air Force Security Forces are the
Military PoliceMilitary police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
, Base Security and
Air Base Ground DefenseAir Base Ground Defense is the operational term used by the United States Air Force to denote ground combat operations in defense of U.S. Air Force bases. This specialty is filled by members of the Air Force Security Forces, who serve not only as Police/Law Enforcement officers, but as ground...
(ABGD) forces of the
United States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. Security Forces, or simply "SF", were formerly known as Military Police (MP), Air Police (AP), and Security Police (SP).
History
The Security Forces career field has a long, rich history which predates the inception of the Air Force in 1947. The invention of the aircraft and its subsequent military use required a protective force to guard the aircraft and defend the people who fly and fight. In 1921, Italian General
Giulio DouhetGeneral Giulio Douhet was an Italian general and air power theorist. He was a key proponent of strategic bombing in aerial warfare...
said, "It is easier and more effective to destroy the enemy's aerial power by destroying his nests and eggs on the ground than to hunt his flying birds in the air." Security Forces are, and have been, that protective force.
Military Police
In early 1943, the first Army Aviation Military Police Companies were established from existing Army MP units. The USAF Security Forces lineage can be traced to its beginning in WWII with the German blitzkrieg.
BlitzkriegFor other uses of the word, see: Blitzkrieg Blitzkrieg is an anglicized word describing all-motorised force concentration of tanks, infantry, artillery, combat engineers and air power, concentrating overwhelming force at high speed to break through enemy lines, and, once the lines are broken,...
relied on swift attacks by land and air. One of the tactics employed by blitzkrieg was the use of paratroops and airborne forces to capture or destroy in advance, air bases. A key turning point in air base defensive thinking came with the loss of the island of Crete to German forces and the subsequent capture of the British air base at
MalemeMaleme is a town and airport to the west of Chania, in North Western Crete, Greece. It is located in Platanias municipality, in Chania prefecture....
in 1941. This single action led then, Prime Minister
Winston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, to study British air base defense policy and in condemning memo to the Secretary of State for Air and to the Chief of the Air Staff dated June 29, 1941, Churchill stated he would no longer tolerate the shortcomings of the Royal Air Force (RAF) in which half a million RAF personnel had no combat role. He ordered that all airmen be armed and ready “to fight and die in defense of their air fields.” That every airfield should be a stronghold of fighting air-ground men and not “uniformed civilians in the prime of life protected by detachments of soldiers.”
On February 12, 1942 the United States adopted the British air defense philosophy. It was then Army Chief of Staff, General George C. Marshall, approved the allocation of 53,299 blacks to the Army Air Forces with the “stipulation that air base defense ‘for the number of air bases found necessary’ be organized and that Negro personnel be used for this purpose as required.” This order formed the Army Air Forces (AAF) air base security battalions in June of 1942 and was influenced by racial as well as military considerations. Units were deployed throughout the European, Asian and African theaters and designed to defend against local ground attacks. These units were armed with rifles, machine guns, and 37-mm guns. Of the initial planned 296 air base security battalions, 261 were to be black, however, the widening Allied superiority of air and ground had reduced this threat and resulted in a diminished need for this goal and by 1943 inactivation of units formed had already begun. In 1945 all AAF air base security battalions were closed.
Air Police
The National Security Act of 1947 established the current
United States Department of DefenseThe United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
or DoD and formed the
United States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
from the Army Air Forces as a separate service. MP units serving with the Army Air Corps before this separation were transferred to the Air Force. The Army-Air Force agreement of 1947 stated that “each department will be responsible for the security of its own installations.” However, the agreement made no mention of an Air Force ground combat mission. Furthermore, the Key West Agreement of April 21, 1948 identified base defense as one of a number of functions common to all of the military services, yet, nowhere in the agreement was the assignment of the Air Force to defend its own bases. On January 2, 1948, General Order No. 1 from Headquarters USAF designated those transferred units and personnel as "Air Police" (AP). On 1 September 1950, the first Air Police school was established at Tyndall AFB,
FloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
In June 1950 the Air Force began urgent operations focused on air base defense with the outbreak of the Korean War. A buildup of ground combat forces began. The center of this buildup was the expansion of the Air Force Air Police from 10,000 in July 1950 to 39,000 in December 1951. Still, one year into the war, the Air Provost Marshal reported that “the Air Force is without policy or tactical doctrine for Air Base Ground Defense.” In haste, Air Police serving as the cadre of this force were outfitted with armored vehicles, machine guns, and recoilless rifles. Air base defense was officially implemented by Air Force Regulation (AFR) 355-4 on March 3, 1953. AFR 355-4 defined air base defense “as all measures taken by the installation commander to deny hostile forces access to the area encompassing all buildings, equipment, facilities, landing fields, dispersal areas and adjacent terrain.” However, the regulation did not include provisions for sustained ground defense operations. Performance of this mission fell to the provisional base defense task forces to be organized and equipped like infantry. It was the
Strategic Air CommandThe Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
’s (SAC) October 1952 edition of the SAC Manual 205-2 which rejected the notion that the USAF’s ground defense mission conflicted with Army functions. SAC officials felt that success of the Air Force mission might require point defense elements which the Army could not afford to protect, much less have the Air Force rely on the Army to come to the rescue. Though at times some 32,000 to 35,000 North Korean guerrillas were operating in United Nations controlled territory they ignored US air bases. This would not be the case for USAF Air Bases in the Republic of Vietnam.
In 1952, the Air Police school was transferred to Parks AFB,
CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and redesignated as the "Air Base Defense School" to emphasize on air base defense capabilities. It soon became evident the emphasis on air base defense was not making much headway. On October 13, 1956, Air Police training was transferred to Lackland AFB,
TexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
where it evolved into Security Police training and eventually became the US Air Force Security Forces Academy.
On November 1, 1964, between the 12:25 and 12:33 AM, Vietnamese Communist (VC) troops attacked Ben Hoa Air Base with six 81-mm mortars positioned about 400 meters north of the air base. The VC fired 60 to 80 rounds into parked aircraft and troop billets then withdrew undetected and unabated. The attack killed 4 US military personnel, wounded 30, destroyed and/or damaged 20 B-57 bombers. U.S. air bases had become targets and became routine targets thereafter. The Air Force was not equipped to deal with this type of ground attack threat. The U.S. Army was cited as being tasked to control the security of the area around the air base and after action scrutiny along with politics served to foster distrust and jealousy between services and chains of command. As a result, air bases in South Vietnam were left vulnerable. By striking at USAF air bases the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and VC employed Giulio Douhet's military concept which stated the only effective way to counter air power was to destroy its bases on the ground. This concept has also been proven effective during the Indochina War, from 1946–1954, when the
Viet MinhViệt Minh was a national independence coalition formed at Pac Bo on May 19, 1941. The Việt Minh initially formed to seek independence for Vietnam from the French Empire. When the Japanese occupation began, the Việt Minh opposed Japan with support from the United States and the Republic of China...
regularly attacked French air bases and were successful.
The NVA/VC routinely reconnoitered U.S. air bases for lengthy periods and assessed them for vulnerable points which included terrain, reinforcement approach routes, reaction time of artillery support, and the daily routines of U.S. personnel which included their sleeping and eating times, patrol operations and guard shift changes. However, as good and exact as their reconnaissance was, their failure and/or inability to chart Security Police patrol patterns became evident in one case when their presence was detected by a USAF Sentry Dog Patrol and a Security Alert Team which lead to their capture. During another incident, nine Sappers, well-trained and highly disciplined combat engineers, failed to locate Security Police postings on the flightline. The anxious Sappers met their end when they tried to enter the parking ramp by passing directly in front of a SP machinegun emplacement.
The
USAF Sentry DogDogs in warfare have a long history starting in ancient times. From 'war dogs' trained in combat to their use as scouts, sentries and trackers, their uses have been varied and some continue to exist in modern military usage.-History:...
program was a product of the
Korean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. By 1965 the USAF had a pool of sentry dog teams available for deployment to
South VietnamSouth Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
. Nightly at every air base, sentry dog teams were deployed as a detection and warning screen in the zone separating combat forces from the perimeter. Nearly all air base defense personnel agreed that the Sentry Dog Teams rendered outstanding service. Some of which went as far as to say “Of all the equipment and methods used to detect an attacking enemy force, the sentry dog has provided the most sure, all inclusive means”.
In response to the threat to air bases, it was the Safe Side Program under the
Seventh Air ForceThe Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....
approved by the Chief Staff which created a 226-man 1041st USAF Police Squadron (Test) trained in using the M-16 rifle, M-60 machinegun, and air base ground defense tactics. After their initial deployment to Vietnam, the Safe Side participants were used as instructors and cadre for future units. All were oriented toward US
Army RangerUnited States Army Rangers are elite members of the United States Army. Rangers have served in recognized U.S. Army Ranger units or have graduated from the U.S. Army's Ranger School...
operations, much of which did not necessarily directly apply to
Air Base Ground DefenseAir Base Ground Defense is the operational term used by the United States Air Force to denote ground combat operations in defense of U.S. Air Force bases. This specialty is filled by members of the Air Force Security Forces, who serve not only as Police/Law Enforcement officers, but as ground...
(ABGD) such as long-range recon/ambush, land navigation, stream crossing, and rappelling.
Security Police
In 1966, the name of the career field was changed to "Security Police" (SP) and the basic
Air Force Specialty CodeThe Air Force Specialty Code is an alphanumeric code used by the United States Air Force to identify an Air Force Specialty . Officer AFSCs consist of four characters and enlisted AFSCs consist of five characters. A letter prefix or suffix may be used with an AFSC when more specific identification...
(AFSC) from 771XX to 811XX. The term was considered descriptive, concise and uniformly applicable as it combined two main mission elements: Police and Security functions.
In 1968, the Air Force accepted the Safe Side Program's recommendation to establish 559-man Combat Security Police Squadrons (CSPS) organized into three field flights. Three CSPS were activated, trained and deployed in 179-day TDY rotations to South Vietnam. Troop ceilings on forces in South Vietnam did not permit permanent assignment of a CSPS until 1970. On March 15, 1968, the 821st CSPS began training at Schofield Barracks,
HawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and was in place at
Phan Rang Air BasePhan Rang Air Base is a Vietnam People's Air Force military airfield in Vietnam. It is located north-northwest of Phan Rang-Thap Cham in Ninh Thuan Province....
on its TDY deployment by April 15. The 822nd CSPS was organized, more completely trained, and replaced the 821st in August 1968. The 823rd CSPS was trained at Ft. Campbell,
KentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
and replaced the 822nd in March 1969. Over time, the Air Force Security Police would hone their ground combat skills and tactics based on these initial squadrons and lessons learned in combat.
In March 1971, the security police career field was split into two separate functions: Law Enforcement and Security specialties. Law Enforcement personnel provided the typical "police" response to safeguard personnel and property while Security personnel preformed duties associated with physical security, the flight line and weapons storage areas. The standard issue sidearm for Security Police was the Smith & Wesson Model 15
Combat Masterpiece in caliber .38 Special with a 4-inch barrel, firing M41 .38 ball ammunition. Security Forces train for 13 weeks.
In 1996, the
Khobar Towers BombingThe Khobar Towers bombing was a terrorist attack on part of a housing complex in the city of Khobar, Saudi Arabia, located near the national oil company headquarters of Dhahran. In 1996, Khobar Towers was being used to house foreign military personnel.Al-Qaeda has incorrectly been described by...
lead to the reassessment of the force protection and Security Police mission and ultimately laid the foundation for the career field transformation into the current Security Forces. Security Police members SSgt Alfredo Guerrero, SrA Corey Grice and A1C Christopher Wager received the
Airman's MedalThe Airman’s Medal is a military decoration of the United States Air Force and is awarded to those service members or those of a friendly nation who, while serving in any capacity with the United States Air Force, distinguish themselves by heroic actions, usually at the voluntary risk of life, but...
for their actions prior to and after the terrorist attack. Secretary of Defense
William J. PerryWilliam James Perry is an American businessman and engineer who was the United States Secretary of Defense from February 3, 1994, to January 23, 1997, under President Bill Clinton...
stated "...the Khobar Towers attack should be seen as a watershed event pointing the way to a radically new mindset and dramatic changes in the way we protect our forces..."
Security Forces
As threats to the world security changed, so did the requirements for security police to better respond to worldwide contingencies and protect Air Force resources. Specialized fields with single skills could no longer meet AF needs. Consequently, Air Force Chief of Staff directed SP staff to reorganize the entire career field.
In April 1997, three distinct career fields or Air Force Specialties (Air Force Specialty Code - AFSC) merged to become "Security Forces" (SF). Security Specialist (AFSC: 811X0), Law Enforcement Specialist (AFSC: 811X2) to include Military Working Dog Handler (AFSC: 811X0A), and Combat Arms Training and Maintenance (AFSC: 753X0). Upon completion of the merge, all SF personnel were reassigned
AFSCThe Air Force Specialty Code is an alphanumeric code used by the United States Air Force to identify an Air Force Specialty . Officer AFSCs consist of four characters and enlisted AFSCs consist of five characters. A letter prefix or suffix may be used with an AFSC when more specific identification...
s. The current AFSCs are as follows: Enlisted (3P0X1), MWD/K-9 (3P0X1A), CATM (3P0X1B), and Officers (31PX).
In 1997, the Air Force activated the 820th Base Defense Group, a
Force ProtectionForce protection or FP is a term used by the US military to describe preventive measures taken to mitigate hostile actions in specific areas or against a specific populous, usually Department of Defense personnel , resources, facilities, and critical information.-See also:*Pentagon Force Protection...
unit based at
Moody Air Force BaseMoody Air Force Base is a United States Air Force installation located in Lowndes County and Lanier County, about northeast of Valdosta, Georgia, United States.Moody Air Force Base is home to the 23d Wing...
,
GeorgiaGeorgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. The unit is a trained force protection unit of 12
Air Force Specialty CodeThe Air Force Specialty Code is an alphanumeric code used by the United States Air Force to identify an Air Force Specialty . Officer AFSCs consist of four characters and enlisted AFSCs consist of five characters. A letter prefix or suffix may be used with an AFSC when more specific identification...
s with an
airborne- Music :* Airbourne , an Australian hard rock band* Airborne , a jazz band based in Connecticut* Airborne * Airborne * Airborne...
capability. At a moment's notice, the group provides one of expeditionary Air Force's worldwide deployable, "first-in", fully integrated, multidisciplined, self-sustaining force protection capability. There are few other Security Forces and force protection units in the Air Force with the extensive amount of training, diverse deployment history and multi-service validation as the 820th BDG.
435th SFS, 435th Security Forces Squadron is a United States Air Force unit capable of overland airlift, air assault, or airborne insertion into crisis situations. The unit incorporates more than 13 different specialties including people with civil engineering, medical, intelligence, investigative, fuels, logistics, personnel and security skills. It was formerly known as the 786th Security Forces Squadron. In March 2003 the 786 SFS participated in a combat parachute drop into Bashur Airfiled in conjunction with the 173rd Airborne Brigade to open up the northern front in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 786 SFS is the first conventional Air Force unit to participate in an airborne jump. The 786th SFS was re-designated the 435 Security Forces Squadron on 16 July 2009, and falls under the 435 Contingency Response Group (CRG) (formerly 86 CRG).
1st Special Operations Security Forces Squadron, 1st SOSFS,
1st Special Operations WingThe 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida is one of two United States Air Force active duty Special Operations wings and falls under the Air Force Special Operations Command ....
. Some Special operations security forces are upgrading their training to protect high risk aircraft in deployed locations. Handpicked members of security forces squadrons from all over Air Force Special Operations Command are participating in a new training program called DAGRE (Deployed Aircraft Ground Response Element) to upgrade their combat skills to support future AFSOC deployments into contingency areas. During this inaugural 11-week course, security forces Airmen from the 352nd Special Operation Group, RAF Mildenhall, 353rd Special Operation Group, Kadena AB 27th Fighter Wing at Cannon AFB, N.M., 919th Special Operations Wing, Duke Field, FL and Headquarters AFSOC and 1st Special Operations Security Forces Squadron here, are learning advanced combat and shooting tactics and honing unarmed fighting and combat first aid skills. They have all received certification from the Air Force's PHOENIX RAVEN program which trains them to provide security for Air Mobility Command's aircraft in high threat areas. In between their combat courses and tough physical training regimen they are also taking classes at the Air Force Special Operations School here in anti-terrorism, counter insurgency and other specialized courses. This further prepares them for scenarios they will find in Iraq, Afghanistan and other hot spots around the globe. The training culminates with an 8-mile tactical road march into a scenario where each team will be required to showcase their new skills in an austere environment under hostile conditions.
General Orders
Security Forces members are required to know and adhere to three general orders which form the foundation of their duties. These orders apply to every assigned post or patrol they will ever assume. The general orders are as follows:
- I will take charge of my post and protect all personnel and property for which I am responsible for until properly relieved.
- I will report all violations of the orders I am instructed to enforce and call my superiors in any case not covered by instructions.
- I will sound the alarm in any case of disorder or emergency.
Security Forces Motto
The motto of Security Forces is the Latin phrase "Defensor Fortis". The United States Air Force maintains the SF motto means "Defenders of the Force" which characterizes the function of Security Forces as the Defenders of the Air Force. The literal meaning of the motto translates to "Defender of the Mighty One".
Security Forces Creed
Before the
Airman's CreedIn 2007, General T. Michael Moseley, Chief of Staff of the US Air Force, introduced the Airman's Creed. In a letter introducing the creed, Moseley wrote that one of his "top priorities" was to "reinvigorate the warrior ethos in every Airman of our Total Force." Thus, the intent of the creed was...
replaced all other AF creeds, the career field had the Security Forces Creed, a promise to the United States, the Air Force, individual SF members and all those who came before. It is a promise to honor the past, protect the present and secure the future. It is a promise to be ready to act and to live the ideals that will guide the actions of SF members. The creed is recited as follows:
"I am a security force member. I hold allegiance to my country, devotion to duty, and personal integrity above all. I wear my shield of authority with dignity and restraint, and promote by example high standards of conduct, appearance, courtesy and performance. I seek no favor because of my position. I perform my duties in a firm, courteous, and impartial manner, irrespective of a person's color, race, religion, national origin, or sex. I strive to merit the respect of my fellow Airmen and all with whom I come in contact."
Security Forces Prayer
In 1980, Colonel Jerry Bullock, an ordained minister, wrote the official Security Forces prayer while serving with Brig Gen WIlliam R. Brooksher as the deputy commander of the Air Force Office of Security Police. The prayer is recited as follows:
"Lord, you have called us to be guardians of a nation founded on Your principles. Whatever our tasks as Security Force men and women, we do them to serve You and our nation. We are proud to accept the responsibility of this high calling. We dedicate ourselves to our vocation, and ask for guidance and courage in aiding our people to live with dignity, in safety and peace. We know true security comes from your presence, so we pray with the Psalmist: You bless those who obey You, Lord; Your love protects them like a shield. Use us, O Lord, as shields for Your people, reflecting Your security and peace."
United States Air Force Base Honor Guard
United States Air Force Base Honor GuardThe United States Air Force Honor Guard is the official ceremonial unit of the United States Air Force. The Honor Guard's primary mission is to represent the Air Force at all public and official ceremonies within the National Capital Region and abroad when directed by the Military District of...
origins can be traced to May 1948 when Headquarters Command, United States Air Force, directed the creation of an elite ceremonial unit comparable to that of the other services. A ceremonial unit was activated within the 1100th Air Police Squadron at Bolling AFB,
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, with the responsibility of maintaining an Air Force ceremonial capability in the National Capital Region. 24 years later, USAF HG officially became a separate squadron in 1972 and has remained at Bolling AFB to this day.
Security Forces Shield
In 1959, General Curtis E. LeMay, the USAF Vice Chief of Staff, issued the first official AP shield to Brig General R. F. Burnham, the Air Provost Marshal. The shield actually started out as a Military Police/Air Police
BrassardA brassard or armlet is an armband or piece of cloth or other material worn around the upper arm, used as an item of military uniform to which rank badges may be attached instead of being stitched into the actual clothing...
, but repeated requests to Air Force Headquarters finally resulted in the Air Force approving the first trial issue shield in 1957. Instead of the conventional police badge design, which most police units use today, the Security Police shield is unique in shape. The shield was later incorporated into a cloth design in the 1970s for use with the fatigue uniform and subsequently use with the
Battle Dress UniformThe Battle Dress Uniform were the fatigues that the armed forces of the United States used as their standard uniform for combat situations from September 1981 to April 2005. Since then, it has been replaced in every branch of the U.S. military. Only the U.S. Navy currently authorizes wear of the...
. Leather nametags with the embossed shield were used in the early 1990s but were soon phased out.
The current shield was adopted in 1966, the birth year of the Security Police. It consists of a three-element design derived from the Great Seal of the USAF, surmounting a circular body representative of a warrior's battle shield, symbolic of the protection Security Forces provide to Air Force personnel and assets.
Individual elements of the design symbolize Air Force strengths and traditions. The
American bald eagleThe Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
, taken from the crest on the Great Seal, is the symbol of the United States and air striking power. The cloud formation depicts the creation of a new firmament, and the wreath on which the eagle is perched, composed of six alternate twists of silver and blue, incorporates the colors of the basic shield design. The
coat of armsA coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
shield of the Great Seal, divided by the nebuly line formation representing clouds, is charged with the
heraldicHeraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
thunderboltA thunderbolt is a discharge of lightning accompanied by a loud thunderclap or its symbolic representation. In its original usage the word may also have been a description of meteors, or, as Plato suggested in Timaeus, of the consequences of a close approach between two planetary cosmic bodies,...
. The thunderbolt portrays striking power through the medium of air.
Blue Beret
The Strategic Air Command's Elite Guard, an Air Police unit first established in December, 1956 to provide security at USAF SAC headquarters, was the first USAF unit officially authorized to wear a blue beret (with affixed SAC patch) in 1957 as part of their distinct Elite Guard uniform. The Elite Guard's dark blue serge wool beret was worn on duty, at both guard and ceremonial functions, from 1957 onwards.
In 1966-67, during Operation Safe Side, the first
Security Police beret was issued by the 1041st Security Police Squadron. This experimental and specially trained Air Base Ground Defense (ABGD) unit adopted a light blue beret displaying a falcon as its emblem. Operation Safe Side developed into the 82nd Combat Security Police Wing, consisting of three "combat security police" squadrons, but was inactivated in December 1968, ending the unofficial use of the light blue beret.
Elsewhere during the Vietnam War, although not an authorized uniform item, some local security police commanders approved a dark blue beret similar to the SAC Elite Guard beret for their units as an less-conspicuous alternative to the official white Security Police cover for certain specialized personnel. In Thailand during the late 1960s and early 1970s,
Military Working DogDogs in warfare have a long history starting in ancient times. From 'war dogs' trained in combat to their use as scouts, sentries and trackers, their uses have been varied and some continue to exist in modern military usage.-History:...
handlers assigned to the 6280th SPS at the
Takhli Royal Thai Air Force BaseTakhli Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force facility. It is located in Central Thailand, approximately 144 miles northwest of Bangkok in Takhli district, Nakhon Sawan Province, near the city of Nakhon Sawan.- Units :...
sported a dark blue beret with no insignia. Other units adopted a beret to distinguish their guards.
In 1975 Brigadier General Thomas Sadler was appointed Air Force Chief of Security Police with the task of bringing the Security Police career field into the mainstream of the Air Force. One tool he employed was recognition of members of a distinctive portion of the force, with the beret proposed as a uniform change. Significant opposition to the beret from senior colonels and Major Command (MAJCOM) Chiefs was gradually overcome by the popularity of the concept with personnel. The uniform board approved the proposal, and the beret was officially worn worldwide starting in February 1976.
The 1976 beret was worn with the MAJCOM crest of the appropriate major command to which the unit was assigned. It continued in this manner for 20 years until the forming of the Security Forces. In March 1997, the 82nd CSPW was reactivated and redesignated the
820th Security Forces GroupThe 820th Base Defense Group is a force protection unit of the United States Air Force currently based at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. The group was activated in 1997 as an exceptionally trained force protection unit of 12 Air Force Specialty Codes with an airborne capability...
. The heraldry of the 820th SFG then replaced the individual MAJCOM emblems as beret insignia. Enlisted personnel wear the dark blue SF beret which bears the fabric SF "Flash" depicting a falcon over an airfield with the SF motto Defensor Fortis underneath. An officers "Flash" is similar in appearance but replaces the embroidered falcon and airfield with either metal "pin on" or embroidered rank.
Brassard
Before the issue of the Security Forces Badge, Air Force Military Police and Air Police wore
brassardA brassard or armlet is an armband or piece of cloth or other material worn around the upper arm, used as an item of military uniform to which rank badges may be attached instead of being stitched into the actual clothing...
s. The brassard was a symbol of legal authority which identified the wearer as a Military Policeman. Despite the history behind the Military Police brassard, many Air Police of the time felt that it was a poor insignia of authority. The brassard was prone to wrinkle extensively during the course of duty and often slipped down the arm. As a result, Air Police leadership requested a shield to replace the brassard. To this day Air Force Security Forces still issues/utilizes the brassard at many deployed locations. In addition, some non-deployed bases issue brassards to specialty units such as Town Patrol and Customs. Generally, numerous SF members have negative or mixed opinions of the modern day brassards, pointing out the flaws of previously issued, and phased out, brassards.
ASVAB Qualification Requirements
Security Forces recruits are required to score a 33 General on the ASVAB.
Technical and Required Training
Following completion of
Basic Military TrainingUnited States Air Force Basic Military Training is an eight and a half week rigorous program of physical and mental training required in order for an individual to become an Airman in the United States Air Force, United States Air Force Reserve, or Air National Guard. It is carried out at...
, Airmen in this career field undergo 65 academic days of technical training at
Lackland Air Force BaseLackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located west-southwest of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
,
TexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, with the
343rd Training SquadronThe 343rd Training Squadron is a United States military training facility used for the instruction of United States Air Force Security Forces....
, known as the Security Forces Academy. Students learn the basics of missile security, convoy actions, capture and recovery of nuclear weapons, law enforcement, directing traffic and nonlethal tactics. The
Air Force Security Forces CenterThe Air Force Security Forces Center organizes, trains, and equips Air Force security forces worldwide. It develops force protection doctrine, programs, and policies by planning and programming resources to execute the missions of nuclear and non-nuclear weapon system security, physical security,...
(AFSFC) organizes, trains, and equips Air Force Security Forces worldwide. Upon graduation of the Security Forces Academy, the SF member is awarded their Security Forces badge and blue beret bearing the fabric SF flash. After graduation the Airman is "PCS'd", or
Permanent Change of StationIn the United States armed forces, a Permanent Change of Station is the official relocation of an active duty military service member—along with any family members living with her or him—to a different duty location, such as a military base...
, to their assigned duty location or various
Security Forces Squadrons.
When Security Forces members arrive at any new duty location, they will receive base-specific training from their respective squadrons. This includes base policies, anti-terrorism measures, squadron standard operating procedures, etc. To attain fully qualified duty status you must pass a Quality Control (QC) Evaluation. The QC consists of multiple written tests, a verbal test and a practical evaluation on the previously listed training. In addition, SF members arriving at their first duty station are required to complete required on the job training and Career Development Courses.
Upon selection for promotion to
Staff SergeantStaff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
, the SF member will be required to complete additional on the job training and another set of Career Development Courses. The member is also required to attend additional training at the Security Forces Academy.
Weapons Training
All Security Forces members are required to maintain qualifications on the
M-4The M4 carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 designed by Eugene Stoner and made by ArmaLite. It is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle, with 80% parts commonality.It is a gas-operated,...
Carbine and M-9 pistol. New Security Forces trainees receive training on the
M-4The M4 carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 designed by Eugene Stoner and made by ArmaLite. It is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle, with 80% parts commonality.It is a gas-operated,...
Carbine, M-9 pistol, M-203 grenade launcher, the M-249 squad automatic weapon (SAW) and the M-240B machine gun. Additionally, personnel may receive training on the M-2 heavy machine gun,
MK-19The Mk 19 Grenade Launcher is a 40 mm belt-fed automatic grenade launcher or grenade machine gun that entered U.S. military service during the Cold War, first seeing action during the Vietnam War and remaining in service today.-Overview:...
automatic grenade launcher, M24 sniper rifle, M-107 Barrett .50 caliber sniper rifle or
M870 shotgunThe Remington Model 870 is a U.S.-made pump-action shotgun manufactured by Remington Arms Company, Inc. It is widely used by the public for sport shooting, hunting, and self-defense. It is also commonly used by law enforcement and military organizations worldwide.-Development:The Remington 870 was...
. Security Forces may receive training on "less than lethal" weapons to include the
ASP Expandable BatonArmament Systems and Procedures, Inc. , is an offensive compliance weapons manufacturer providing equipment to law enforcement and private security companies. ASP is perhaps best known for its telescoping batons.-History:...
, Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) and
TASERA Taser is an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. Its manufacturer, Taser International, calls the effects "neuromuscular incapacitation" and the devices' mechanism "Electro-Muscular Disruption technology"...
. Weapons previously utilized by Security Forces/Police include the
M16 RifleThe M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
,
M29 81mm mortarThe M29 is a United States produced 81 millimeter calibre mortar. It began replacing the M1 Mortar in U.S. service in 1952 being lighter and with greater range. It was replaced by the M252 Mortar in 1984...
,
M67 recoilless rifleThe M67 recoilless rifle was a 90-mm antitank recoilless rifle made in the United States and later in the Republic of Korea. It could also be employed in an antipersonnel role with the use of the M590 antipersonnel round...
,
M72 LAWThe M72 LAW is a portable one-shot 66 mm unguided anti-tank weapon, designed in the United States by Paul V. Choate, Charles B. Weeks, and Frank A. Spinale et al...
,
M1 CarbineThe M1 carbine is a lightweight, easy to use semi-automatic carbine that became a standard firearm for the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and was produced in several variants. It was widely used by U.S...
or M2 Carbine (1947–1972),
M-60The M60 is a family of American general-purpose machine guns firing 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges from a disintegrating belt of M13 links...
(1965–1998), S&W Model 15 .38 caliber pistol (1960–1990), XM148 (1966–1991), and
M79 grenade launcherThe M79 grenade launcher is a single-shot, shoulder-fired, break-action grenade launcher that fires a 40x46mm grenade which used what the US Army called the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low, and first appeared during the Vietnam War...
.
Specialty Training
Additional training may be available to Security Forces to assist in the progression and enhancement of their careers. Some of these schools consist of, but are not limited to: Tactical Automated Sensor System (TASS), Emergency Services Team (EST), Close Precision Engagement Course (CPEC), Advanced Designated Marksman (ADM),
Phoenix RavenAir Mobility Command's PHOENIX RAVEN program, implemented in 1997, consists of teams of specially trained security forces personnel dedicated to providing security for Air Mobility Command aircraft and personnel transiting high terrorist and criminal threat areas, as well as in lieu of missions for...
Course, Army Military Police Investigator Course (MPI), Army Air Assault School, Army
AirborneAirborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...
school, Army
Ranger SchoolThe United States Army Ranger School is an intense 61-day combat leadership course oriented towards small-unit tactics. It has been called the "toughest combat course in the world" and "is the most physically and mentally demanding leadership school the Army has to offer". The course is conducted...
, Army Sniper School, Army Traffic Management and Collision Investigation Course, Army Anti-terrorism Evasive Driving Course
Air Force Office of Special InvestigationsThe Air Force Office of Special Investigations , is a Field Operating Agency of the United States Air Force that provides professional investigative services to commanders throughout the Air Force...
(AFOSI) Defensive Driving school and various Special Weapons And Tactics
SWATA SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
schools.
TASS Operators consist of Security Forces personnel who complete a course on operation and maintenance of thermal imagery, sensors, and their components. Operators set up and provide surveillance to existing installations as well as mobile base camps. Operators use microwave, thermal, seismic, and 'trip-wire' sensors. Operators can also use a variety of camera systems such as
CCTVClosed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
systems, or the high tech military version, called the Wide-Area Infrared Surveillance Thermal Imager or WISTI. WISTI's can detect enemy movement by tracking body heat, or other heat resonances; or can be automatically routed to another sensor that goes off, in which the WISTI will automatically focus in and track the programmed sensor.
Emergency Services Teams (EST), which are the equivalent to civilian
SWATA SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
, have been trained and maintained by the Air Force since 1979. EST members undergo special tactics training such as the Advanced Law Enforcement Training Division (ALETD) Special Reaction Team (SRT) Course (Phase 1 and 2) located at
Fort Leonard WoodFort Leonard Wood is a United States Army installation located in the Missouri Ozarks. The main gate is located on the southern boundary of St. Robert. The post was created in December 1940 and named in honor of General Leonard Wood, former Chief of Staff, in January 1941...
,
MissouriMissouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. SRT Phase I is a SWAT entry-team course and Phase II covers sniper emplacement, marksmanship, and tactics. ALETD is run by the U.S. Army and provides the majority of specialty training for U.S. Army and Marine Corps Military Police as well as Air Force Security Forces and some civilian police departments. The original concept to develop the Air Force military version of SWAT, was conceived during discussions with the General SP staff about 1977-78. Then, a TSgt Thomas Herbert, who was an instructor at Lackland AFB during that time at the SP Academy, was sent to monitor and observe the LAPD SWAT course. After returning from various specialized schools, TSgt Herbert along with a cadre of instructors started teaching the "Tactics for Tactical Neutralization Teams" course in 1979, with TSgt Herbert being assigned at the course manager. In 1979, the course was revised and renamed the "Tactics for Emergency Service Teams", and a new course writer and manager, then TSgt Chalma Sexton took over as course chief. Under TSgt Sexton guidance, the EST School flourished until 1993, when the doors of the school were closed. During the years that the EST School was open, they trained many Air Force Security Police as EST Field Supervisors, who were tasked to return to the home station and develop and train EST teams. The primary role of the EST Field Supervisor was to provide the SP Commanders and Installation Commanders with a highly trained SP team capable of operating under high risk situations, and to develop a phase development approach to high risk situations.
Close Precision Engagement (CPE) and
Advanced Designated MarksmanThe designated marksman is a military marksman role in a U.S. infantry squad. The term sniper was used in Soviet doctrine although the soldiers using the Dragunov were the first to use a specifically designed designated marksman's rifle. Sniper is also used in Russian doctrine...
(ADM) personnel, also known as counter-snipers, are trained on the use and employment of the M-24, M-107 and/or M-4 equipped with an
Advanced Combat Optical GunsightAdvanced Combat Optical Gunsights are a series of telescopic sights manufactured by Trijicon. The ACOG is designed to be used on the M16 rifle and M4 carbine, but Trijicon has developed ACOG accessories for certain other firearms...
(ACOG). Each sniper team consists of two people, the spotter and the shooter, which fulfill interchangeable roles within the team. The spotter’s responsibility is to assist the shooter to calculate target distance, wind direction,
relative humidityRelative humidity is a term used to describe the amount of water vapor in a mixture of air and water vapor. It is defined as the partial pressure of water vapor in the air-water mixture, given as a percentage of the saturated vapor pressure under those conditions...
and temperature then provide the shooter with corrections, or adjustments to the rifle optics, and record the results in the shooters Data of Previous Engagement (DOPE) book. The predecessor to the CPE course was the Security Police Sniper School. The Security Police Sniper School was started in 1996 by TSgt Ben Dolan a former Marine Scout Sniper and was conducted exclusively at Camp Robinson in Little Rock,
ArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
which is the birth place of the legendary Marine Corps sniper
Carlos HathcockCarlos Hathcock was a United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills. Hathcock's record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the Marine Corps...
. The Security Police Sniper Schools first "Top Shot" student team was TSgt William F. Heikkila and SSgt Fred Sobotka. The course is now conducted at several Air Force Regional Training Centers (RTC) throughout the United States. The 21 day CPE course instructs students on the operation of the M-24 and/or M-107 to include the fieldcraft required to expertly employ the weapon systems. The 14 day ADM course instructs students on the operation of the M-24 and M-4 equipped with an ACOG. The ADM course is a condensed or "watered down" version of the CPE course. The amount of fieldcraft training ADM students receive is significantly lower than CPE students which facilitates expedited qualification on the weapon systems under less stressful conditions.
Phoenix RavenAir Mobility Command's PHOENIX RAVEN program, implemented in 1997, consists of teams of specially trained security forces personnel dedicated to providing security for Air Mobility Command aircraft and personnel transiting high terrorist and criminal threat areas, as well as in lieu of missions for...
is an
Air Mobility CommandAir Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U.S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, east of St. Louis....
(AMC) program, implemented in 1997, which consists of teams of specially trained Security Forces personnel dedicated to providing security for AMC aircraft that transit high terrorist and criminal threat areas. The Phoenix Raven program ensures an acceptable level of close-in security for aircraft transiting airfields where security is unknown or additional security is needed to counter local threats. The Phoenix Ravens sole training course is conducted by the 421st Ground Combat Readiness Squadron, Air Mobility Warfare Center (AMWC), Fort Dix,
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. The intensive two-week, 14-hour-a-day course covers such subjects as cross-cultural awareness, legal considerations, embassy operations, airfield survey techniques, explosive ordnance awareness, aircraft searches, and unarmed self-defense techniques. Phoenix Raven training is designed to provide Security Forces members with the skills required for their unique mission and builds on the basic security force skills taught at the SF academy. The first Ravens graduated AMWC in February 1997. Since then, more than 700 Air Force Security Forces have graduated from the Phoenix Raven Course. Upon graduation, graduates are issued a lifetime numeric identifier for their accomplishment.
Lateral Training
Security Forces may "Laterally Train" into two
AFSCThe Air Force Specialty Code is an alphanumeric code used by the United States Air Force to identify an Air Force Specialty . Officer AFSCs consist of four characters and enlisted AFSCs consist of five characters. A letter prefix or suffix may be used with an AFSC when more specific identification...
shreds, which are Military Working Dog Handler (MWD/K-9) and Combat Arms Training and Maintenance (CATM). Since these are laterally trained career fields, completion of the Security Forces Academy is mandatory prior to applying for these positions. It may take up to five years to become eligible to apply for lateral training into these AFSC shreds. Once an application is submitted there is no guarantee the applicant will be accepted. This is based on the applicant's duty performance history, Air Force manning requirements and other "needs of the Air Force." These schools are taught at
Lackland Air Force BaseLackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located west-southwest of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
,
TexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Military Working Dog Handler
Military Working Dog HandlersDogs in warfare have a long history starting in ancient times. From 'war dogs' trained in combat to their use as scouts, sentries and trackers, their uses have been varied and some continue to exist in modern military usage.-History:...
(MWD), AFSC 3P0X1A, are units which are highly trained teams consisting of a SF handler plus a specially selected/trained drug or explosive detector dog. They provide the Air Force with the capability to enforce military laws and regulations, suppress the use of illegal narcotics, detect explosives and protect air bases around the world during peacetime, wartime and in support of operations other than war. The MWD's primary mission is to deter, detect and detain intruders in areas surrounding Air Force resources. The majority of all assigned working dogs are Belgian Malinois, a variety of the Belgian Shepherd Dog. MWDs provide a tremendous psychological deterrent to would be violators as they are trained to pursue, attack and hold (bite and hold) a suspect with or without commands from the handler.
MWD Handler training is conducted at the DoD Dog Center, Medina Annex,
Lackland Air Force BaseLackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located west-southwest of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
in Texas. Until its deactivation in 1991 at Clark Air Base, Republic of the Philippines, the 3rd Security Police Group contained largest K-9 section in the Air Force. Clark AB was the largest USAF installation outside of the United States.
Combat Arms Training and Maintenance
Combat Arms Training and MaintenanceCombat Arms Training and Maintenance , or simply Combat Arms are U.S. Air Force Security Forces personnel who train base populace on the use of small arms, oversee, maintain and repair all small arms in the Air Force inventory.- History :...
(CATM), AFSC 3P0X1B, are personnel who conduct marksmanship training to prepare all Air Force personnel for home station and deployment operations. Combat Arms specialists lead, manage, supervise and implement
small armsSmall arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
weapons training programs. Their duties include operating firing ranges and associated facilities, enforcing range safety, inspecting/repairing weaponry, performing preventative maintenance, developing/utilizing training aides and determining training/maintenance resource requirements. Combat Arms personnel also provide training in safeguarding weapons, ammunition and equipment; instructing small arms weapons qualification training and providing guidance on weapons placement to SF and other ground defense force commanders.
Changes to Deployment Length and Training
The Air Force currently uses the Air and Space Expeditionary Force (AEF) concept to deliver versatile and responsive total force air and space power to meet the warfighter's global security requirement. The AEF concept is the Air Force's vision for the 21st century to organize, train, equip and deploy forces for contingency operations while remaining ready to meet national crises.
The following events outline the USAF SF transition from 90 day to 179+ and 365 day deployments.
On August 4, 1998, Air Force Chief of Staff General Michael Ryan and Acting Secretary of the Air Force F. Whitten Peters announced the Air Force would divide its forces into a number of nearly equally capable AEFs. Those AEFs would provide combat power on a rotating basis to combatant commanders worldwide, leveraging Air Force combat capabilities to better meet the national strategic requirements and joint operational objectives. At this time, deployment lengths were 90 days.
In March 1999, operations in Kosovo slowed the implementation progress and threatened to delay and possibly stop the AEF program all together.
On January 1, 2000, the Air Force enters the 21st century by announcing all AEFs have been organized and implemented.
On September 11, 2001, the AEF concept was put to the test during the Global War on Terrorism with simultaneous deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom,
Operation Enduring Freedom and
Operation Noble EagleOperation Noble Eagle is the name given to military operations related to homelandsecurity and support to federal, state, and local agencies...
. In 2003, during the height of OIF/OEF/ONE, more than 107,000 Airmen were deployed, nearly twice as many as during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
Since March 2004, the Air Force has provided airmen to serve combat support roles, despite the stress of working outside their usual duties. As a result, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley has sounded warnings about having airmen filling Army jobs they are not trained to do. Nevertheless, the Air Force steadily increased the number of Airmen serving in combat support roles for its sister services. The Air Force calls such missions “in lieu of” taskings, or ILO for short.
On September 1, 2004, deployment lengths increased to 120 days to meet the rising demands of air and space power worldwide.
Prior to June 2005, Security Forces were tasked with 179+ and 365 day deployments in support of OIF/OEF/ONE.
In January 2006, Brig. Gen. Robert Holmes, Director of Security Forces and Force Protection, stated "We want to make our Airmen more proficient, and to do that, we need to adapt. We're going to change our training, our tactics and our procedures and the Air Force will be better for it." General Holmes calls these transformations a "refocus" on how Security Forces train and fight. General Holmes elaborated, "We're not in the Cold War anymore; we have to alter our mentality and our practices for today's reality. Because of the nature of the threat, our Airmen are fighting the global war on terror on the front lines, and we owe it to them to provide training, equipment and resources to be effective. Essentially, Security Forces will focus on preparing for their warfighting mission at forward locations, as well as security at a fixed installation. Our Airmen are going ‘outside the wire’ to conduct missions and are proving successful in keeping people safe." General Holmes also said one of the transformation goals is bringing security forces back in step with standard Air Force 120-day deployments. General Holmes explained, “Right now our folks are going out for 179-day rotations. Our Airmen need time to reconstitute and train. So it’s important to get them in line with the rest of the Air Force. We aim to do just that.” Overall, General Holmes said the changes would make Security Forces more effective and relevant to Air Force needs in the face of the current changing nature of warfare.
In November 2007, it was announced that the Air Force was going to triple the number of Security Forces personnel in
IraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and
AfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
to back-fill Army and
Marines CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
mission tasks.
In September 2010, the Air Force announced it was increasing all combat deployments to 179 days beginning in 2011. Lt. Col. Belinda Petersen, a spokeswoman for the Air Force Personnel Center, said the increase in deployment duration is an effort to “improve predictability and stability for airmen and their families.” Peterson added, by revising the policy, airmen affected by the change will also “ideally” get more time at home. The dwell time for those airmen is expected to increase from 16 to 24 months. Despite these “improvements”, Security Forces, civil engineers, contractors and intelligence are among the busiest in the Air Force, with six-month deployments, followed by only six months at home.
Frankfurt International Airport Tragedy
On March 2, 2011,
Senior AirmanSenior airman is the fourth enlisted rank in the United States Air Force, just above airman first class and below staff sergeant. It has a pay grade of E-4...
Nicholas J. Alden, 25, of Williamston, S.C., assigned to the 48th Security Forces Squadron at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England and Airman 1st Class Zachary R. Cuddeback, 21, of Stanardsville, Va., assigned to the 86th Vehicle Readiness Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany were shot and killed by 21 year old Kosovo native of Albanian descent named Arif Ukaat at Frankfurt International Airport, Germany. Ukaat's relatives in Kosovo tell the Associated Press he's a devout Muslim and German federal prosecutors said they suspect he was motivated by extremist, Islamist ideology. A U.S. law enforcement official says the shooter shouted "Allahu Akbar", or "God is Great" in Arabic, as he opened fire. The Air Force says most of the airmen attacked were part of a Security Forces squad passing through Germany, on their way to a deployment in Afghanistan. In addition to the two dead, two other airmen were wounded. President Obama stated the incident is a “stark reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices that our men and women are making all around the world to keep us safe and the dangers that they face all around the globe.”
Operation Iraqi Freedom Casualties
As of May 30, 2011, 12 Air Force Security Forces members have died while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. These personnel total 22% of all Air Force casualties during OIF. Of those fatalities, seven were the result of hostile action such as
small armsSmall arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
fire and
Improvised Explosive DeviceAn improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
s. The remaining five were the result of non-hostile action such as vehicle accidents and medical problems.
Notable Members
- Arthur "Bud" L. Andrews
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Arthur L. "Bud" Andrews was the seventh Chief Master Sergeant appointed to the highest Non-commissioned officer position in the United States Air Force.-Biography:...
served as an Air Policeman for nearly 14 years. He became the seventh Chief Master Sergeant of the Air ForceThe Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force is a unique non-commissioned rank in the United States Air Force. The holder of this rank and post represents the highest enlisted level of leadership in the Air Force, and as such, provides direction for the enlisted corps and represents their interests,...
and served as adviser to United States Secretary of the Air ForceThe Secretary of the Air Force is the Head of the Department of the Air Force, a component organization within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Secretary of the Air Force is appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate...
and Chief of Staff of the Air ForceThe Chief of Staff of the Air Force is a statutory office held by a four-star general in the United States Air Force, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Air Force, and as such is the principal military advisor and a deputy to the Secretary of the...
on matters concerning welfare, effective utilization and progress of the enlisted members of the Air Force.
- Ben Nighthorse Campbell
Benjamin Nighthorse Campbell is an American politician. He was a U.S. Senator from Colorado from 1993 until 2005 and was during his tenure the only American Indian serving in the U.S. Congress. Campbell was a three term U.S. Representative from 1987 to 1993, when he was sworn into office as a...
was an Air Policeman stationed in KoreaKorea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
during the Korean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. He is an American politicianThe United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
who served in the United States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and the United States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. For some time he was the only Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
serving in the U.S. CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
.
- Chuck Norris
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...
was an Air Policeman stationed in Osan Air BaseOsan Air Base , is a United States Air Force facility located in the Songtan section of Pyeongtaek City, South Korea, south of Seoul. Despite its name, Osan AB is not within Osan City, which is to the north. The base is the home of the Pacific Air Forces' 51st Fighter Wing, and a number of tenant...
, South KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and March Air Force Base, CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
during his enlistment from 1958 to 1962. While stationed at Osan Air Base, he acquired the nickname "Chuck" and began his training in Tang Soo DoTang Soo Do is a Korean martial art promoted by Hwang Kee that has roots in various martial arts, including taekkyeon and Subak.-Etymology:...
(tangsudo).
- Elizabeth Jacobson
Airman 1st Class Elizabeth Jacobson was a member of the United States Air Force Security Forces who was killed in action in Iraq in 2005...
was a female Security Forces airman killed in action in IraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in 2005. She was the first female Airman killed in the line of duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the first Security Forces member killed in conflict since VietnamThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
George Carlin served as an SP in Minot North Dakota
See also
- List of United States Air Force security forces squadrons
- Department of the Air Force Police
The United States Air Force Police are the civilian uniformed police service of the United States Air Force, responsible for the Force Protection of assets and all aspects of Law Enforcement on Air Force installations, and other facilities operated by United States Air Force.The Air Force Police...
- 732 ESFS/DET-3
- United States Army Military Police Corps
- United States Navy Master-at-arms
- OSI - U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations - USAFOSI / OSI
- U.S. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), Department of State
The U.S. Diplomatic Security Service is the federal law enforcement arm of the United States Department of State. The majority of its Special Agents are members of the Foreign Service and federal law enforcement agents at the same time, making them unique...
External links