Air Force Security Forces

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USAF policemen from Tan Son Nhut Air Base, watch for Viet Cong infiltration attempts along the base perimeter, during the Vietnam war

Air Force Security Forces (AFSC Enlisted: 3P0X1, Officer: 31PX) (formerly named Air Police, then Security Police; colloquially called "cops" by USAF personnel), are the military police of the United States Air Force. Airmen in this field go through about 13 weeks of training at Lackland Air Force Base with the 343rd Training Squadron, also known as the Security Forces Academy.

[edit] Duties

Air Force Security Forces members provide resource protection for vital national security assets, including fighter jets, bombers, nuclear bombs and nuclear missiles. Their main function is protection for all Air Force personnel, property, and operations. They are the ground troops for the USAF along the lines of the RAF Regiment or the German Air Force Objektschutzbataillon. They are trained in ground combat skills, including land navigation, crew served weapons systems, claymore mines, fragmentation hand grenade use, light anti-tank weapon rocket, hand and arm signals, squad movements, and many other Infantry skills. Security Forces also provide the law enforcement function on all Air Force bases to include response to emergencies, response to building alarms, traffic direction, traffic regulations enforcement, criminal and traffic accident investigations, and crime scene securing for major crimes. Security Forces personnel have also been deploying to augment Air Force Vehicle Operators (AFSC 2T1X1) providing convoy security and line haul support directly to U.S. Army units within Iraq. Security Forces have been deploying to augment the US Army in Detainee Operations at Camp Bucca and as Police Transitions Teams working with the Iraqi Police in Baghdad and Tikrit. Members of the Air Force Security Forces can be seen on an Air Force base wearing their dark blue berets. The Security Forces field is one of only five Air Force jobs that receive a beret upon graduation of technical school. Security Forces are to adhere to a high standard of discipline even for small infractions. Security Forces, as enforcers of the law and the Uniform Code of Military Justice, are normally held to a higher standard of conduct than the common Airman.

[edit] Advancement and specialties

Badge

Members in this career field can later move on to other specialties like the Phoenix Raven program, consisting of airmen who secure air strips in dangerous or combat zones that do not already have adequate security. Security Forces also deploy Close Precision Engagement (CPE) teams, also known as counter-snipers, who go through an extensive Close Precision Engagement Course (CPEC) by U.S. Army training personnel at Camp Robinson. Security Forces members may also go through technical schools to help them as their careers develop. Some of these schools consist of, but are not limited to: S.W.A.T./Emergency Services Team (E.S.T.), Security Forces Dispatch Communications, Tactical Automated Sensor Systems Operator (TASS), Combat Arms Training and Maintenance (CATM), or Military Working Dog Handler (MWD).

Security Forces members survey the installation perimeter at Manas Air Base.

TASS Operators consist of mostly Airman of a lower rank who complete a course on operation and maintenance of thermal imagers, sensors, and their components. Operators set up and provide surveillance to built-up 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 CCTV 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.

Air Force Specialty Code 3P0X1B (CATM) are personnel who train base personnel in the use of small arms weaponry, oversee and maintain and repair all small arms in the Air Force inventory. A second career direction Security Forces have is the Military Working Dog (MWD) program Air Force Specialty Code 3P0X1A. Military Working Dog teams deploy explosive detection and narcotics detection dogs throughout the base. Most Dog Handlers perform law enforcement duties at their duty station, and have opportunities to deploy, go Temporary Duty (TDY) for various reasons, including protection of the President of the United States.

Phoenix Raven is a United States military counter-terrorism organization program instituted in 1997 by Gen. Mills.

The Phoenix Raven program, implemented by Air Mobility Command Commander Gen. Walter Kross in early 1997, consists of groups of specially trained security forces personnel dedicated to providing force protection for aircrews and resources that operate in areas with a high threat level from criminals and terrorists. The Ravens are a select group of security forces volunteers "who have reached and maintained high standards during their military careers and aim to provide top-notch security for AMC personnel and en route aircraft around the world." Ravens advise the aircraft crew on force protection measures, perform close-in aircraft security and airfield assessments highlighting security measures and weaknesses, and assist with aircrew duties. Security forces members who opt to become a Raven undergo a two-week course at the Air Mobility Warfare Center, Fort Dix. They study topics such as international law, and they learn hand-to-hand defense techniques. Ravens have deployed worldwide and remain a vital component in the overall Force Protection of U.S. resources and national security. Air Mobility Command’s Phoenix Raven program, implemented in 1997, consists of teams of specially trained security forces personnel dedicated to providing security for AMC aircraft that transit high terrorist and criminal threat areas.

Also, a number of Security Forces are accepted into other training programs like the Army's Air Assault School, Airborne jump school (there are at least two Security Forces Squadron on jump status, the 786 SFS (members of the 786th Security Forces Squadron took part in the combat jump into northern Iraq in March 2003) and the 820 SFG), and the pre-Ranger and Ranger School training. Security Forces members can also go through advanced training in investigations or advanced driving school training by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI). Security Forces maintains a qualification with the M-4 Rifle and M-9 pistol at the least. Different weapons skills can be obtained, such as the M-203 Grenade Launcher, the M-249 automatic rifle, the M-60/M-240B machine gun, the M-2 50 caliber machine gun, and the MK-19 grenade launcher.

Many bases maintain Emergency Services Teams (EST) which are the Air Force equivalent of police SWAT teams. Although these teams have been taken 'off-line' on an official basis due to budgetary constraints, many bases (e.g, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia) still maintain an Emergency Services Team with funds allocated locally. Some EST members undergo vigorous SWAT tactics training (Special Reaction Team Course, Phase 1 and 2) at the Advanced Law Enforcement Training Division (ALETD) located at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. 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 Corp Military Policemen as well as Air Force Security Forces and some civilian police departments. SRT instructors at ALETD come from varied backgrounds to include former SWAT Team operators and commanders from civilian police departments as well as SRT and EST military police operators from the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force. Though not every Air Force base has an EST team, all Air Force bases housing nuclear weapons maintain a Tactical Response Force which perform the same function as EST along with protection, transport, and tactical recovery of nuclear weapons.

[edit] Predicament within Security Forces

Security Forces is one of the most labor-intensive job duties within the Air Force. This is due to the nature of the job, which can include a 12 to 14 hour shift work schedule, and very high deployment rates, (which have doubled in recent years from an average of 94 days deployed a year to over 180 days a year)^[1]. Further compounding the problem is with an average break between deployments only lasting 6 to 8 months, many find the operations tempo too high, which has led to many first term enlistees opting to either cross-train to a different career field, or separate from the military all together. ^{[2] [3]} many 'first term enlistees' choose to get out of the Air Force after their first term, despite the fact other Air Force career fields have a much lower turnover rate. This is due in part to the extreme job tempo that is currently associated with the Security Forces career field. Curiously, the Air Force has canceled the enlistment bonus that used to accompany an enlistment or re-enlistment. Another reason that the turnover rate is as high as it is may be because many security functions within the career field are of a responsive nature (as opposed to an active one), leaving airmen in a position of always waiting around for something to respond to and feeling a sense of wasting away in the process.

[edit] Minot AFB Nuclear Inspection and fallout

Security Forces personnel have been cited for the major reason why the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot AFB, North Dakota failed their Nuclear Security Inspection due to a myriad of reasons. The main reason for the failure were errors primarily due to lack of supervision and leadership among Security Forces.

Inspectors observed an Airmen playing a video game with a cell phone. Cell phones are not allowed on any Security Post because of the possible distractions. Among the other major issues highlighted by the inspection team were Security Forces failure to use proper entry codes, know and understand the 'two man concept', other airmen not knowing their basic responsibilities, failure to properly search vehicles entering and exiting weapon storage areas as well as failing to properly clear a building, which led to the 'killing' of 3 out of 4 responding security forces members. Other areas of concern were failing to respond properly to a simulated attack on a weapon storage area, failures to check vehicle routes used in the transportation of nuclear weapons or even to arm posted sentries along the routes used.Inspectors made a special note that security forces leaders "were unengaged in the proper supervision of SF airmen." which has been noted previously as a major fault among Air Force Security Forces units worldwide. One of the inspectors, Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists even went so far as to directly chastise SF leadership in the written report;

“If the leadership is still unengaged after all that has happened with the warheads, the missing ballistic missile fuses and problems with the first inspection, then they’re not fit to have this mission,” Kristensen said. “It’s really frightening.”

As a result of this incident and many others events in the USAF in recent months, Air Force Chief of Staffs forced resignation from the air force.

[edit] Description of the Security Forces career field

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The Air Force 'combined' the career field in 1997. Before then, elements were separated by two fields: Security and Law Enforcement. However, this is largely only a 'paper move' since even though the career field is combined; there are still units where their primary task is either Security or Law Enforcement. This is a common theme with Security Forces. Upper Air Force leadership makes a decision based on what little accurate information they have and the actually field SF units continue on with what best serves the Air Force. The Security Forces Mission is Constantly Evolving...often with little or no real direction from the Air Force, leaving much of the decision making to unit commanders.^[4]

In addition to law enforcement and security duties, Security Forces are trained in infantry skills and are tasked with defending the air base upon attack. In fact, part of the training Security Forces received was previously administered by an Army Infantry unit at Ft. Dix, New Jersey entitled Air Base Ground Defense. The training was integrated into the regular Security Forces training at Lackland in 1995.

The Air Force seems to be confused with what to do with Security Forces, and have decided to shake up the career field yet again, this time due to increased operations in Iraq an Afghanistan. For years, the Air Force has used the term 'Defensor Fortis' to describe Security Forces, which literally means 'Defenders of the Force'^[5]. ^[6]. The Air Force announced a new policy in early 2006 with the intent of training ALL Air Force members, regardless of their Air Force Specialty Code, on security of all installations, using the terms Warrior and Base Defenders. This new policy is largely ignored by the rest of the Air Force since most units only provide a few augmentees and officials have yet to enforce this policy. At the same time, the Air Force made the attempt to cut the normal 179 day deployments back to the usual 120 day deployment schedule the rest of the Air Force was using but since the announcement, deployments of Security Forces members has only increased. In November of 2007, it was announced that the Air Force was going to triple the number of Security Forces personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan to backfill Army and Marines Corps mission taskings. Many units are so over tasked with deployments that breaks between deployments can last only four to five months before deploying once again.^[7]
Currently, many Security Forces Airman are now performing 'In Leiu Of' operations with the Army and Marines in Iraq and other locations. Most of these 'In Leiu Of' assignments are 1 year deployments with several months of training before the actual deployment. These roles include combat patrols, assisting with the transportation of supply across Iraq's most dangerous routes, prison guard duty and EOD among many other functions the Air Force is being asked to assist with due to manning shortages within other services.

[edit] Security Forces Controversy

It was announced in June 2005 that Lt Col Joseph L. Romano, a Security Forces commander from the 31st Security Forces Squadron in Aviano Italy was 1 of 26 American nationals the Italian Government was charging in connection with the 2003 kidnapping of Italian cleric Hassan Nasr as part of an alleged covert CIA operation. ^[8]

[edit] See also

A member of the USAF Security Police (173d Security Forces Squadron).

• RFF 619
• United States Army Military Police Corps
• Royal Air Force Regiment
• Airfield Defence Guards
• Objektschutzregiment der Luftwaffe
• Fusiliers Commandos de l'Air

[edit] External links

• Official Air Force Security Forces website
• Official Air Force Security Forces factsheet
• The Air Force Security Police Association
• Unofficial Air Force Security Police website
• Brief History of the USAF Security Forces
• Air Force Security Forces Myspace Community
• the UnOfficial 81st SPS RAF Bentwaters/Woodbridge Site
• Unofficial security history of Westover AFB (SAC) 1955 - 1974
• Tinker AFB Murder Details Emerge

[edit] References