Photo By Nathan Rivard | Staff Sgt. Keith Crouthamel, 512th Airlift Wing response force leader, waits for cars...... read more read more
Dover Air Force Base’s north-south runway 01-19 has been closed to undergo complete renovation since February 2015. The project is scheduled to be completed by August 2016 and has brought additional equipment and personnel requiring access to the base. Additional work requires additional security. This is when the 512th Security Forces Squadron stepped up.
“The runway construction has placed a big hit on our manning based on the requirements to secure Dover Air Force Base,” said Tech. Sgt. Michael Lawrence, 436th SFS flight chief. “However, with the assistance of our sister squadron, the 512th SFS has ensured we have been able to maintain the security.”
The reservists know their role while on orders, but expand into other roles as well.
“We’re here in support for the runway mission, but [flight chiefs] alternate us, so we aren’t stuck on runway posts,” said Staff Sgt. Christopher Steeves, security forces response force leader. He and fellow 512th SFS Reservists rotate between different job duties and are able to expand their experience throughout the security forces spectrum.
“You actually get a chance to experience what your job is,” said Senior Airman Janelle Grant, response force leader, 512th SFS. “Sitting and doing a [computer-based training] or hearing about it and reading about it is completely different than living it and doing it. You have no stress and no levels of anxiety boiling inside you, but if you’re here and you’re working every day, it’s real. You might have to arrest somebody; you might have to kill somebody; you might get killed, and you just don’t know what will happen.”
While the runway renovations increase the area to provide security for, it mirrors normal duties.
“We monitor the construction workers, make sure there’s nobody coming back there that doesn’t belong there,” said Grant. “If they need anything from us or if they have issues we help the same thing way we would anywhere else.”
The active-duty and reserve security forces at Dover also have a unique relationship because of their constant interaction and partnership.
“I have served in this unit for some time and it has always felt as if the reservists have been a part of our mission,” said Lawrence, who has been at Dover for more than 12 years. “This time is no different, as they always seem to be activated with us at some point or another. For this project, they have been activated for the past year; and, we tend to forget who is active duty and who are reservists.”
Lawrence isn’t the only Airman that blends the lines between the two components. This is response force leader Staff Sgt. Keith Crouthamel’s first time on an extended set of orders and he feels right at home with the unit.
“We’re a family,” he said. “The whole security forces and active duty is like a family, but each flight gets really tight because we work with each other, especially on [12 hour shifts]. There are situations where it’s difficult, but we all band together and embrace it and get through it. That’s one of the most unique things that I like. I love this job. I’ve never had a job that I actually loved - this is the first one.”
Crouthamel takes great pride in his position as well. Even though they are helping support the runway project, they support manning throughout the base. He said he enjoys some duties more than others.
“I like the interactions,” smiled Crouthamel. “I love working the gates. As a senior airman I got enough of it; but, as a staff sgt., I don’t see as much of it, but when I do I love it. I’m the one that’s always smiling and having a tiny conversation because I like leaving an impression. Whoever is working the gate is the face of Dover, so I take that and if I can leave someone with a smile or laugh, their day is going to be better. That is one of my favorite things about the job.”
While security forces are the first people someone sees when approaching Dover, but that is only a small sliver of their duties.
“Most people think we just scan IDs, but that’s not the only thing we do,” said Grant. “That’s the only thing you see us do. Unless you’ve worked that job or you know people that shared their experiences of that job, it’s impossible to know what it’s like.”
Grant enjoys her role in the unit and tries to absorb every interaction possible.
“The most interesting thing I’ve got to see was fingerprinting,” said Grant. “There was a possible break in and entry in one of the homes. I got to talk to the people that lived there and Dover Police Department came in and did fingerprinting, which was pretty cool.”
Steeves, who before coming on this set of orders, returned from a deployment in Southwest Asia, enjoys adding stateside training to his skillset.
“Previously, it was a lot more expeditionary,” said Steeves. “Here it’s a lot more law enforcement, so it’s way different from going on a deployment and tons of experience that I never got overseas. This way, we get more job experience. I’ve never written a ticket before I came here other than a few training ones.”
This deployment is local and assists the base during runway renovations, but will also assist the reservist for their careers.
“It’s keeping their [reservists’] skills and traits sharpened on a daily basis, plus the experience you earn with doing our mission is increasing,” said Lawrence. “It’s easy to train daily, but unless you put what you learn into action you’ll never know if it works.”
| Date Taken: | 05.26.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 05.27.2016 12:26 |
| Story ID: | 199305 |
| Location: | DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, DE, US |
| Web Views: | 85 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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