Air Force Security Forces is Looking Back to Adapt to the Future
CMSgt Donald S. Gallagher

Security Forces has a long and distinguished history filled with change. Through the decades we evolved from our humble beginnings as Military Police and Air Police, to Security Police, and finally in the late 1990’s as Security Forces. During these periods, emphasis shifted between law enforcement, Air Base Ground Defense, and resource security, depending on the political environment and threat.

Today is no different. We face “peer-peer” and “near-peer” competitors in both nuclear and non-nuclear capabilities, including such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. These current challenges and key events require us to change once more. This is how the career field can best defend air and space bases wherever our nation needs us to do so. We must learn from our past to fight current and future threats.

From approximately September 11, 2001 until 2018, our career field focused on Air Base defense and counterinsurgency in the AFCENT theater. After that time period, we were not sure what the next fight would be. The career field worked hard to be great at everything – but it became clear that certain skills downrange atrophied.

Studies and working groups examined the career field and determined what Security Forces should be - words such agile, elite, qualified and proficient were often used. One word that was missing however was focus.

Becoming an agile and elite force is virtually unachievable without focus.

Today, our Focus is provided by a Chief of Staff of the AF initiative - DEFNXT 32. The principal goal is to refocus Air Base Ground Defense competencies as the Security Forces foundation from which all is constructed. This initiative draws on our past and began in March 2021. It will wrap up by end of 2023. DEFNXT32 will ensure we are organized, equipped, and have the training backbone to be the world’s most agile and elite Air Base Ground Defense force.

Near-peer competitors will not allow our Air Force to organize for deployment like we did in the past. Fiscal and global constraints make it prohibitive to establish large basing footprints around the world. The days of large air bases like we had in England during WW2, Kimpo during the Korean conflict, Tan San Nut in Vietnam, Balad & Bagram in Iraq and Afghanistan respectively will serve as an easy target for our enemies moving forward.

These assumptions drove the development of the Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept where the Air Force will project power from small non-enduring locations for anywhere from 24-72 hours. This will require Defenders who can operate in small teams and squad-sized elements to defend that footprint through integration of multi-capable Airmen into the Air Base Ground Defense team. This could be in the Pacific, fighting island to island or in the European theater moving from airfield to airfield. These teams must be able to shoot, move, and communicate; perform mounted and dismounted patrols; guarantee perimeter defense; and be ready to move out to a new location - and do it all over again at a moment’s notice.

Our DEFNXT initiatives for equipment are critical to ensure we can defend air and space power while organized for ACE. We have almost completed the fielding of new weapons systems to the force.  We replaced the Beretta M9 after 30 years of use with the M18. After almost 20 years of service from the M4, we began fielding the M4A1 Carbine Rifle to replace the legacy rifle which also brings back the automatic firing option. Our M320 Grenade launchers with their incredibly accurate laser sights replaced the ageless M203s, making leaf sights and quadrant sights a thing of the past.

Additionally, due to the ever-changing face of warfare, we are looking at the feasibility of the returning some of our weapons systems of the past.  We need to question everything and think bigger than we have in the past. We are looking at weapons used today in Ukraine and comparing their capabilities.

The future fight will have our SSgts, TSgts, and MSgts leading Fire Teams and Squads in dynamic situations for short periods of time. Therefore, our training must prepare them for that.

In the past year we took a comprehensive look at our full range of training courses and determined that we must establish realistic, hard and challenging training for all Defenders ranging from the 3 Level Apprentice Course and Officers Course to the advanced training we were providing to our NCOs/SNCOs & Officers. Arguably, the stage for everything we do is firmly established at the Security Forces School House.

Some of the names of our “New” courses may sound very familiar to you. The Combat Leaders Course (CLC) returned and went live August 2022. This replaced the Intermediate Course that existed since Fall of 2018. It is tough and focuses on our SSgts/TSgts and our newest Officers.

Our Advanced Course was replaced by another familiar course from the past - IDC3, otherwise known as the Integrated Defense Command, Control, Course. This course places our SNCOs/CGOs/FGOs in leadership roles in “S” functions as they “run” operations in a deployed situation, plan the base defense and test their planning vs. computer generated scenarios.

The Security Forces Officers Course (SFOC) relaunched as the Basic Officers Course (BOC), the course builds on individual, and team skills and places our future Defender leaders in stress-based leadership scenarios that culminate with a 14-day FTX before graduation.

The last course relaunch is our 3-level Apprentice course which will be known as the Basic Defender Course (BDC). This 13-week course will focus on Individual and Team skills and will spend a significant amount of time on shoot/move/communicate skills and introduces Defenders to the basics of mounted/dismounted/perimeter defense operations. Students will qualify with their weapons and then fire on three additional occasions to continue to sharpen their basic rifle and pistol marksmanship skills.  This course will also conclude with an FTX to preform basic Air Base Ground Defense operations. To free up time and space and to ensure proper focus on the basics of Air Base Ground Defense, we removed law enforcement subjects, except for basic searching & handcuffing, jurisdiction and rights advisement from the curriculum.

Many have heard the career field is splitting, and Law Enforcement and Security will become separate again. That is not accurate. In order to ensure we are agile and elite Air Base Ground Defenders, we are going to begin their careers building core skills. A subset of our military members will then get to professionalize in Law Enforcement, ensuring we are experts at that important part of our mission.

We created a Law Enforcement SEI as we move to “professionalize” our Law Enforcement mission again. We will publish the qualifying factors to be considered for selection to attend Law Enforcement training at either the Veterans Administration Law Training Course (VALETC) or the Marine Corps Basic Police Officers Course (BPOC) and award or the SEI. The career field is professionalizing; it is not splitting nor is it specializing.

These are just a few of initiatives we as a career field have been working one over the last 18 months. As you can see, whether it’s how we organize for war, the weapons systems we employ, the way we train, or the way we conduct Air Base Ground Defense and Law Enforcement, what was once old is new again. We are learning from the past to adapt to the future. We will continue to evolve as a career field - always improving our fighting position and always striving to be better than we were the day before.

We are still jack of all trades, but we are masters of one: Air Base Ground Defense!

A Year in Review -- 2022

Mr. Timothy A. Gerald – Acting Security Forces Director

The past few years were busy for Defender Nation as it. We maintained readiness through a global pandemic, assisted in the evacuation of Afghan refugees, and protected bases at home and abroad.

During my tenure as Deputy Director and now Acting Director, the career field has refocused on Air Base Ground Defense.

Air Base Ground Defense (ABGD) is the operational term to assign ground combat operations in defense of U.S. Air Force bases and resources. Security Forces moves, shoots, and communicates to conduct these operations around the world.

The Security Forces Enterprise focused on the following key initiatives throughout 2022 and will continue to prioritize them in the coming years:

• WEPTAC: Air Force Security Forces is establishing the Security Forces Weapons and Tactics Program to effectively counter threats to our warfighting missions across the globe. The Program aims to develop and leverage the SF Enterprise institutional reservoir of tactical and operational knowledge by graduating Defenders from the Instructor Course. Modeled after the USAF Weapons School, established in 1949, the SF Weapons & Tactics Instructor Course aims to align Defenders with the community’s well-established W&T program and tactics development process.
  
  
• Training: Training is an investment. Proper training provides our Total Force Defenders with the agility necessary to address future conflicts in high-threat areas and pressing worldwide commitments, flight line security, resource protection, and base security zone coordination. Our commitment to taking care of the force and revectoring to ABGD is exemplified in the Exception waiver for staff sergeant and technical sergeants testing for next year’s Lt Colonel and Colonel promotion cycle.
  
  
• Fitness Test: We continue to press forward in the five-step effort to develop tier 2 occupationally specific and relevant physical fitness test and standards for the career field.
  
  
• Law enforcement specialty: The Department of Defense LE must be professional, effective, and efficient to be regarded as a model to follow worldwide. Adherence to the highest standards and fundamentals of professionalism is essential to the profession of LE; training constitutes the glue of effectiveness that forms the foundation for successful LE efforts. On many fronts, Security Forces units continue to excel, e.g., the monthly National Incident-Based Reporting statistics to the FBI have resulted in continual 100% success with zero warnings or errors reported. This is testament to the hard work of those doing the entry and the Indexing Compliance Managers review the cases.
  
  
• Equipment: The Air Staff is working hard to acquire the right equipment for Defenders. Helmets, properly-fitting body armor, and vests will make Defenders more ready for the fight.
  
  
• Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-sUAS): Defensive base operations is greater in scope than any single career field. Air and space professionals from multiple specialties have a role to play; support will include day-to-day execution and the transition into an effective fighting force. Joint A3 (Air Force Directorate of Air, Space, and Information Operations) and A4 (Air Force Chief Information Officer) synchronized efforts will support the new Department of the Air Force focal point and nest skillsets.
  
  
• Human Weapon System: We know that the only way we are going to accomplish our key priorities is by taking care of Airmen. We must think through how to best support Defenders from a physical, mental, and spiritual perspective. By enhancing a culture of well-being for Defenders, we can help cultivate a positive environment - and create a more effective force.
  
  
• Female Defender Initiative (FDI): Female Defenders are essential to Security Forces because they bring a different perspective to the career field. The Air Staff is making an effort to recruit, develop, and retain our female representation in the career field.

U.S. competitors and violent extremist organizations will challenge us. We must be ready to compete, deter, and win in an increasingly challenging environment. I am confident in Defender Nation and our ability to defend the base.

As we enter 2023, we will continue to look at our policies, procedures, and training. Together we will organize, train, and equip to ensure all Defenders remain proficient and ready to defend the base. I look forward to what comes next for Defender Nation.

5 January 2023

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

GENERAL OFFICER ASSIGNMENT:

BRIG GEN THOMAS P. SHERMAN

FROM:   Deputy Director, Capability Development and Operation Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategy, Integration, and Requirements, Headquarters United States Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, DC

TO:        Director, Security Forces, Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters United States Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, DC

Defender Nation Farewell Note!

Defenders - it is my honor to have this opportunity to say THANK YOU for your Leadership and Sacrifice over the last three plus years.  I have been honored to serve Defender Nation as the Director.  What I will remember most about this opportunity is the tenacity from the field to continue to work hard and ensure our Defenders are trained and proficient at the skills needed to protect our families, resources, mission and each other!

Although the time has flown by, I had the opportunity to visit many units and staffs and meet the faces behind the positions that truly make our Career Field great.  Every unit has a unique mission...and an internal culture that ensures our Defenders are well taken care of.   Many thanks to the Command teams across the career field!  Your leadership does not go unnoticed, as you ensure 43K Total Force Defenders remain OUR focus.

Over the last three years, we made substantial progress for the career field. Thank you to the Defenders who championed key initiatives and focused on our primary mission of Air Base Ground Defense.

Together, we made tremendous progress toward Air Base Ground Defense, female defender retention & progression, physical fitness, Integrated Case Management, Cyber Security, Weapons & Tactics, Law Enforcement and much more.

My heart remains with those Defender on the frontline that you lead...whom stand post all around the world and in all-weather conditions to ensure Mission Success!

We are very fortunate to have great SF COMMAND Teams, like YOU...on the frontline leading the Total Force and those that have come before us! 

I wish you ALL the very best in your Command "TEAM" tours!

Always remember we EARN our Badge and Beret every day...wishing you ALL the Best!

Stay Safe!

VR - Defender Collins
Brig Gen Collins
Director of Security Forces

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Editor's Note: Brig Gen Collins has moved to a joint command position and Mr Timothy Gerald is now the Action Director of Security Forces.