Posted on Nov 27, 2018
Air Force base defenders upgrade weapons, training and fitness standards to meet near-peer...
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Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 9
I am totally in it for upgrading fitness, tactics, and standards. When I was in we had standards but not enough for the job at hand. Mobile Fire teams now have much better weapons and the Humvee with a turret is great (our armor was a pickup door). We developed tactics to overcome the lack of protection. But the physical aspect was never addressed, if you passed on your weight standards nothing more said. I once took a squad on a tactical maneuver on foot and it was all they could do to keep up. If the standards where higher everyone would have been capable to preform better. I believe it is paramount that security has high physical standards. That being said I feel all of the personnel in the USAF should be in prime physical condition and prepared to take up arms to protect their Base and the US.
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In the Army we made fun of the Air Force security forces but these people go through a lot!
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SMSgt Thor Merich
I went from being an Army MP to Air Force Security Forces. Pretty easy transition since everything SF does is based on Army equipment, tactics, FM’s, etc. I used to laugh at the Air Force too. Until I saw that it was the same job with better living conditions, better food, better equipment, etc... best thing I every did was switch to the AF.
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SMSgt Lawrence McCarter
I certainly know what the Air Force Security Police did in Vietnam, We were the base defense. Another service wasn't going to protect an Air Force Installation, We did that. The perimeter post bunkers, sweeps outside the perimeter, Claymore mines, 50 cals, M60s, 81 mm mortars, APC mounted with 50 cals. QRT, Quick reaction team, to plug holes on enemy intrusions until more help could arrive on scene. These were six man teams. Convoys also were escorted by Army MP and USAF APs in some areas in Vietnam.
In Vietnam the first appearance of " Operation Safeside " troops of the Combat Security Police Squadrons, who were jump qualified, trained n jungle warfare and many also attended Army Ranger School. These were special units beyond the regular Security Police Squadrons. During the Persian Gulf War that type of Operation was reactivated and these Air Force Security Police parachuted into Northern Iraq with the Army 173rd Airborne. All these USAF Security Police were jump qualified and graduates of the Army Ranger school. Once on the ground and having secured an airfield more AF Security Police were flown in on C130s to release the 173rd so they could move on to their prime mission.
In Vietnam the first appearance of " Operation Safeside " troops of the Combat Security Police Squadrons, who were jump qualified, trained n jungle warfare and many also attended Army Ranger School. These were special units beyond the regular Security Police Squadrons. During the Persian Gulf War that type of Operation was reactivated and these Air Force Security Police parachuted into Northern Iraq with the Army 173rd Airborne. All these USAF Security Police were jump qualified and graduates of the Army Ranger school. Once on the ground and having secured an airfield more AF Security Police were flown in on C130s to release the 173rd so they could move on to their prime mission.
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