CEIBA, PUERTO RICO – Airpower starts on the ground, and it survives because of Security Forces Airmen, commonly called defenders, dedicated to protecting their operating location. While the roar of engines dominates the flight line, the silent vigilance of security forces secures the perimeter executing a 24/7 mission where complacency is the adversary and readiness is the only option.
Security Forces Airmen play an essential role in deployments, even beyond their well-known capacity as entry controllers. Byexecuting proper procedures and utilizing complex defense measures, security forces personnel ensure that the projection of combat power remains uninterrupted in harsh and unpredictable environments. These Airmen are responsible for safeguarding millions of dollars in strategic assets and hundreds of lives to ensure that joint forces can focus on taking the fight to the adversary.
“Being in a deployed environment pressures us to take our usual security measures to the next level: increasing patrols, ensuring we are staying vigilant [regarding] the procedures civilians and contractors go through to get on the operating location,” said a Senior Airman, 346th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron, security forces acting noncommissioned officer in charge of commercial vehicle inspections.
Security forces Airmen are tasked with maintaining operational readiness as well as protecting assets and personnel. While operating in a deployed environment may provide unusual challenges, Airmen continue to face adversity with innovative solutions.
“One of the challenges we have faced was building a system from the ground up that works for us [in this environment],” said the acting NCOIC.
Airmen tasked with completing CVIs transitioned from manual paper logbooks to a digital tracker, which streamlined the entry process for contractors who require frequent access to military operating locations. This enhancement eliminates redundant data entry and optimizes the screening process at the gate.
“Part of our job in the commercial vehicle inspection section of security forces in a deployed location is building a system up to standard[s] and continuing to improve that system,” said the acting NCOIC.
CVI Airmen ensure contractors go through the proper procedures to gain access to the operating location by validating credentials and inspecting vehicles to detect any prohibited items, ensuring only authorized personnel and supplies reach the flight line.
Ultimately, this modernized screening process does more than just speed up gate traffic; it forms the foundational layer of security for the 346th Air Expeditionary Wing. By adapting their procedures to the demands of a deployed environment, these defenders guarantee the installation remains secure and fully operational.
Without this unyielding first line of defense, the wing could not safely execute its mission across the Caribbean, proving that the projection of airpower truly begins with the Airmen on the ground.