Local police help SFS Airmen detect, apprehend drunk drivers

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jason J. Brown
  • 633d Air Base Wing Public Affairs
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFNS) --  Master Officers from the James City County Police Department visited here to provide field sobriety test training to 633rd Security Forces Squadron Airmen Jan. 20.

The day-long training fulfills the Virginia state requirement for all law enforcement officers working in Virginia to be trained in administering the test properly and performing arrests based on the results.

JCCPD Officer Marc Marchand oversaw the training, which began with security forces Airmen performing "practicals," or thorough simulations of drunk-driver apprehensions. While the Airmen performed the field sobriety test on colleagues, Officers Marchand and Zachary Miller observed and provided feedback.

Afterward, the Airmen practiced writing narratives, the paperwork documenting the incident and providing justification for arrest or apprehension.

While the trainees practiced and penned narratives, two pre-selected security forces Airmen, Master Sgt. George Moore and Airman 1st Class John Rogers, imbibed alcoholic beverages under supervision to achieve "controlled levels" of intoxication. The Airmen served as real-life subjects for trainees to apply what they've learned throughout the day.

Sergeant Moore served as the "baseline" suspect, drinking only until reaching a blood alcohol content level of approximately .08 percent, which is the legal threshold of intoxication in many states. Conversely, Airman Rogers served as the "heavy" suspect, drinking significantly more to achieve a BAC level near .16 percent, twice the legal limit. The large difference in levels of intoxication produced stark contrasts in behavior, physical response time and, subsequently, performance during field sobriety tests.

Officer Marchand, who is also an Air Force Reserve technical sergeant serving as an individual mobilization augmentee with the 633rd SFS, explained the significance of implementing realistic scenarios into training to help Airmen effectively handle situations they may encounter in the field.

"It's one thing to teach the material and the procedures, but actual demonstration is the only way to achieve real proficiency," he said. "This training is truly invaluable for all law enforcement officers to have because it teaches them to better detect, evaluate and apprehend suspects."

Officer Marchand said Lt. Col. Scott Foley, the 633rd SFS commander, identified a wealth of expertise in the JCCPD, which could prove beneficial to his "defenders," and invited the department to provide the training.

"Colonel Foley is taking a measurement of abilities and closing gaps in training faults; something that is happening across the Air Force," Officer Marchand said. "He spun up experts to come in and improve the competencies of his security forces Airmen."

The field sobriety test program is part of a month-long battery of on-the-job and other training for security forces Airmen. Accomplishing the bulk of training requirements in succession eases the stress on day-to-day operations, allowing Airmen to devote their time to police work, said Master Sgt. Paul Allison, with the 633rd SFS training section.