Security forces guard gates, protect Air Force resources

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Shaun Emery
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  They stand beneath the blistering sun, ever-vigilant against the threat of someone trying to break through their barriers.

They are Airmen deployed with the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, and they are the gatekeepers protecting Air Force assets here. Their task of securing entry control points means they face the challenges of their deployed location head-on. In Iraq, that includes scorching summer temperatures.

“When I get to my post, it’s between 110 and 120 degrees,” said Senior Airman Pamela Bolton of the 332nd ESFS. “Many times you’re at an ECP by yourself, so you can’t take long breaks.” Instead, she contends with a steady flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

Airman Bolton said the job can be tough, but she and fellow security forces Airmen know how important their job is.

“We are security for the flightline here as well as the Air Force housing area,” she said. “Without our security procedures, there could be a threat to Air Force resources.”

As vehicles pass through entry control points, security forces Airmen check people’s badges to ensure they have proper access identification and have required escorts, if needed.

“With a number of local nationals and third-country nationals doing work around base, security forces (Airmen) working ECPs need to check and double-check everyone trying to gain access,” said Tech. Sgt. Brian LaMasney, 332nd ESFS flight chief.

Aside from environmental factors, Airman Bolton said security forces Airmen also must deal with the occasional person who is in a hurry or does not feel he or she has the time to stop and get checked.

“This is a busy place, and people are rushing around doing very important missions,” Airman Bolton said. “Sometimes it’s hard to do our job when we face people who think we’re holding them up.”

But by doing their job, they are keeping those same people safe.

“What they’re doing is so important,” Sergeant LaMasney said. “Without their vigilance, Air Force resources could be compromised.”