After five months of negotiations between the 376th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron and Manas International Airport security leaders, two security forces Airmen took their place beside their Kyrgyz counterparts at the airport entrance gate March 1.
The gate, located just north of the flightline, is the first point of entry for vehicles driving onto Manas Airport.

The joint security effort will have many benefits for the base and the airport, said Lt. Col. David Abercrombie, squadron commander. It will increase force protection capabilities, giving security forces an added level of visibility on vehicles entering the immediate area around the base, while supplementing the airport’s security program.

It’s also an excellent opportunity for the host nation and Manas AB coalition forces to work together.

“This will allow us to work hand-in-hand with our host nation to protect resources we all value,” Colonel Abercrombie said.

In the next few weeks the 376th Civil Engineer Squadron will begin work on a new hydraulic-arm gate, said Senior Master Sgt. Daniel Arvin, security forces operations superintendent.