Boots on Ground: 403rd Wing Security Forces Deploy

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Ryan Labadens
  • 403rd Wing Public Affairs
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISS. --  The boots are finally hitting the ground. After more than a year of sweat and prep work, Citizen Airmen of the 403rd Security Forces Squadron deployed Jan. 23 in support of the Global War on Terror. 

For most of 2008, 403rd SFS members spent their time ramping up their training for their deployment to Southwest Asia. Some of the skills training they performed involved search procedures, entry control point procedures and identifying and relaying information regarding unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices. 

Security forces members also went through rigorous physical training during the year to help them prepare for the workload they might experience in their deployed environment. Before deploying, they also had to qualify on a variety of weapons, including the M4 carbine assault rifle - a shorter, lighter version of the M-16A2 rifle.

"Most of their training has revolved around the (security forces) career field, specifically skills such as land navigation and perimeter defense," said Capt. Sean McGraw, 403rd SFS commander. "Anything that has to do with air base ground defense--that's primarily what our mission is."

"This deployment is unique in that we've had ample notification. It gives people a lot of time to prepare (both squad members and families), but I think a lot of individuals can get antsy," said Captain McGraw. "They're ready to go, ready to do their job."

"These guys have worked real hard," said Master Sgt. Bryan Vincent, 403rd SFS first sergeant. "They had been preparing for the last year for this, before the Operational Readiness Inspection, so they were ready to go."

Security forces members deployed to the area of responsibility as part of an expeditionary security forces squadron, which is composed primarily of Citizen Airmen from several security forces units throughout the Air Force Reserve Command. The 403rd will send a second overlapping rotation to the AOR later this year.

"The bulk of the forces (in the AOR) is going to be your traditional reservists," said Captain McGraw. "They're broken off into six-month rotations - 180 days boots on ground." 

Members of the 403rd SFS have been activated for several missions since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Some Citizen Airmen from the 403rd SFS were stationed here to support Keesler's active-duty 81st SFS, while others deployed to Dover AFB, Del., to backfill positions of other security forces members. The squadron also deployed to several other locations, including Afghanistan, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in 2001, Uzbekistan in 2003, and Shaw AFB, S.C., in 2004.

On another occasion, during the 2002-2003 timeframe, members from the 403rd SFS helped guard enemy combatants captured in Afghanistan who were being transported to the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba.

"This had never been done before," said Sergeant Vincent, who served with other 403rd SFS members on the enemy combatant transport flights. "All (combat) prisoners had previously been transported by sea or by rail; they had never been transported by air before."

That was one of the more unique duties 403rd security forces members have been called to perform. The current mission to Southwest Asia is a more typical tasking for them.

"What they're going to be doing now is what they've always trained to do: base security," said Sergeant Vincent. "This time they'll actually be doing what their job is supposed to be."

For some of the deploying Citizen Airmen, this type of mission is old hat. For others, this will be their first time performing base security in a real-world situation.

"We have some people deploying who are 20-year veterans and some who are less than a year out of tech school," said Captain McGraw.

One of the new recruits is Airman 1st Class Hampshire Collins, who graduated from tech school at the Security Forces Academy, Lackland AFB, Texas, in June 2008. He arrived at the 403rd Wing in July to in-process to the wing, which is when he first found out he was scheduled to deploy.

"It was a bit of a surprise," Airman Collins said with a shrug and a smile, "but I'm here to do what I've trained for."

Despite his short time with the unit, Airman Collins said he feels comfortable with the training he's received and with the people in the security forces squadron.

"We're all pretty close here at the unit - we're all treated like family," he said. "They take good care of you here."