Photo By Maj. Matthew Lucht | U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Dale Brooks, 184th Security Forces Squadron, listens to...... read more read more
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. - “In all actuality, some of the guardsmen have more experience than the active duty when it comes to law enforcement and patrols,” said Master Sgt. Hadi Shaaban, 184th Intelligence Wing, Security Forces Squadron.
National Guard members are citizen-soldiers who might have a civilian skill set that is completely different or the same as their military jobs. This makes the National Guard very different from its active-duty counterparts.
Two airmen from the 184th Intelligence Wing’s Security Forces Squadron have aligned their civilian and military jobs, gaining experience and training for both.
While attending three weeks of premobilization training classes at Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, Staff Sgt. Kevin Berry, 184th SFS, noticed that his civilian training gave him an advantage.
“When we get into the room clearing, it is all the same. We had the class yesterday, taking notes and thinking, ‘This is all the same things that we are doing on the civilian side,’” said Berry.
Berry works for the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, but his experience and training goes even deeper.
“My experience goes back to 1996 when I started in the jail in Saline County and then went over to Sedgwick County,” said Berry. “So I have 15 years of experience in law enforcement that I bring.”
Even though Berry is relatively new to the Guard, 15 years of civilian law enforcement experience makes him an asset to the 184th SFS and his military experience is an asset to the sheriff’s office.
“The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office has several veterans and active-duty servicemen within our agency,” said Lt. David Mattingly, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office. “Having deputies who have served and are currently serving in the military has several benefits. They are able to bring knowledge back to our agency and share it with the rest of our deputies. Sgt. Berry is a SWAT team member and he is able to share tactics between SWAT and the Security Forces.”
Master Sgt. Dale Brooks, 184th SFS, enjoys sharing tactics, training and experiences with his fellow airmen and troopers. He said that having National Guard experience has definitely helped with his civilian career.
“I have been a state trooper with the Kansas Highway Patrol since 1999 and I think that the experiences and training that I have received there helps me in the Guard and vice versa,” said Brooks. “Some of the training that I have received on the military side I have often used on my civilian job.”
Like the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas Highway Patrol sees the advantages of having Guard members working among their ranks.
“The training and experience that current and former members of the military bring to the Kansas Highway Patrol is invaluable,” said Lt. Josh Kellerman, Kansas Highway Patrol. “They bring an additional sense of structure and discipline to all aspects of the agency.”
But regardless if a Guardsman is a plumber, computer technician, lawyer, student or landscaper, those experiences and skills enhance the National Guard.
“I think that all experiences combined make a unit more diverse,” said Brooks. “If we all had civilian law enforcement training or experiences, we wouldn’t be as diverse as having those people that have electrical or plumbing backgrounds. So when we do deploy, we can rely on all those technical backgrounds to be more well-rounded and perform a broader function than just being law enforcement minded.”
| Date Taken: | 01.03.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 03.02.2014 14:43 |
| Story ID: | 121385 |
| Location: | MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, KS, US |
| Web Views: | 191 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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