United States Air Forces Security Forces: A Fraternity

The USAF Security Forces are a tighly knit and proud member of the national security team. Within the military community, both active and retired members are both noted and recognized for their achievements and sacrifices. Though our feats are little known to the general civilian populace, the USAF Security Forces conducts a wide variety of safety, security and general police duties throughout the world.

Does anyone know USAF SF's are stationed in Australia? How about Iceland? Or Greenland? We provided protection for the Panama Canal. What do we do in those remote locations? What have we done anywhere? Anything single thing you can think of, in any place you can point to on a world atlas.

Tromping through too-high snowdrifts in the nation's heartland to protect the integrity of our missile silos. Hours upon hours standing watch in front of alert aircraft assigned to NATO and the European Union. Radar sites scattered throughtout the world. We work in concert with our host countries' military's, to provide better communication and security to prevent conflict. Securing transport flights for sensitive material world-wide.

The initial training for an incoming SF recruit is an intense, driven period of learning skills to be used for survival, weapons training, and national resource protection. How intense? I completed my training in early 1980, and still remember every single bit of data, advice and skill-set that was presented to me. It was not an easy program, but it was a profoundly life-altering one.

Raise your hands if you know that USAF SF's (or SP's, as earlier known), maintained security of the runways of DaNang and Khe Sahn? Yes, Vietnam.  The times and relationships I experienced as a USAF SF member were culled from time spent in Germany, Panama and even California and Texas. We provided security for the West Coast Space Shuttle Launch Complex, SLC-6, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, in Lompoc, Ca. We took over security responsibility for the first "new bomber" in decades, the B-1B, at Dyess Air Force Base, in Abilene, Tx.

We do not compete with the United States Army, Navy or Marine Corps. Nor do we compete with the United States Coast Guard. We work in concert when required, we play together when able, and we fight together if necessary.There is always going to be intra-service rivalry, that's just a fact of life in the military services. But, in the end, we are all knitted together into a single, well-tied knot: the protection of all citizens of our country, our resources and our borders. When called upon, we provide the same exact services for other countries.

So, while the United States Air Forces Security Forces are but a small piece in the larger national security picture, we have our jobs to do. And we do it well. To all retired, active duty and former members of the USAF Security Forces, I raise my beret and badge in salute. May we continue our grand record of superlative service to our nation.