Offutt community to observe National Police Week

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. James M. Hodgman
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs Office
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. (AFNS) --  The community of Offutt Air Force Base will observe National Police Week May 9 through 15, culminating in a retreat ceremony.

Offutt AFB Airmen will host numerous functions throughout Police Week to honor security forces Airmen, here and around the globe, as well as civilian law enforcement officers across the Nation.

National Police Week was established in 1962 by President John F. Kennedy to pay tribute to law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others, according to the National Peace Officer's Memorial Fund website.

Ceremonies are held annually in Washington, D.C., as well as in communities across the nation. At the 2010 national ceremony set for May 15, more than 120 law enforcement officers will be honored.

Master Sgt. Edward Oslica, a flight chief with the 55th Security Forces Squadron, shared Offutt's primary police week goal.

"Police Week provides us an opportunity to show our war-fighter capabilities and community policing," he said. "Our goal is to provide a professional police force with a today-not-tomorrow attitude in protecting the Offutt community."

During the week-long observance, a static weapons display featuring M-4 rifles, an M-203 grenade launcher and an M-240 machine gun will be set up at the base exchange. The display will also feature deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA kits and fingerprinting.

The week will also include a 5K run and a military working dog demonstration, as well as softball and bowling tournaments.

Tech. Sgt. Nicholas R. Melenka, the NCO in charge of the 55th SFS standardizations and evaluations office, said that during the retreat ceremony, eight security forces Airmen who died in Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom will be honored, as well as Zoro, a military working dog here that recently passed away.

The ceremony will also feature a firing party, a final guard-mount for the eight fallen warriors and the security forces prayer.

Police Week is all about paying respect and thanking all police officers who serve and protect their community, Sergeant Melenka said.

Sergeant Melenka also said that he has a special appreciation for the lives of police officers, as his father was a detective for the Irvington Police Department in New Jersey for 25 years. Four months before he was set to retire, Sergeant Melenka's father was shot. That incident is one reason why Police Week means so much to him, Sergeant Melenka said.

"I've grown up in the (law enforcement) lifestyle and I've seen the hate (people have toward) police officers because of what they do. But what (many) people fail to realize is that (police officers) are out there protecting people; we face the chance of getting shot every night," Sergeant Melenka said.

Beyond gun violence, security forces Airmen face potentially hazardous situations every day, whether it be in response to a domestic dispute, a traffic stop or on a mission in support of contingency operations around the globe, Sergeant Melenka said.

Danger is a reality when it comes to law enforcement, said Tech. Sgt. Kyle P. Wade, a flight chief with the 55th SFS, and a veteran of 17 years. But, Sergeant Wade stressed, security forces members face that danger in order to protect the public.

"While everyone is sleeping, they put their trust in us to protect them and make sure no threats get on the base," Sergeant Wade said.

"Whether our Airmen are conducting walking patrols in base housing, responding to domestic disputes or securing protection-level resources, they're protecting the public and working to build trust within the community," he said.