Security forces provide fly-away protection

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
  • 416th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
KARSHI-KHANABAD AIR BASE, Uzbekistan (AFPN) --  In many forward-operating locations for Operation Enduring Freedom, C-130 Hercules planes from here make landings on dirt airstrips.

Many times, riding along with the C-130 aircrews are highly trained and skilled Air Force security forces Airmen from the 416th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron's security forces flight. They are there to provide protection for the crew and the cargo they are carrying.

On any one of their missions, a security forces troop is outfitted with equipment. They carry their “shift equipment,” which includes a helmet, ballistic flak vest, gas-mask, night-vision goggles, infrared hand-held imager, flexi-cuffs, a spotlight and a weapon or weapons, said Senior Airman Kena Bostick, security forces armorer with the flight deployed from Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Weapons range from the M-4, M-16 A2 and M-249 machine guns, M-9 pistol and the M-203 grenade launcher.

Generally though, Airman Bostick said, on fly-away missions, security forces will not carry the heavy weapons such as the M-203 or M-249.

“I have completed 19 fly-away security missions, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything,” said Capt. Sarah Babbitt, 416th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron's security forces flight commander. She is deployed from Hill. “I’ve been able to protect a president, numerous embassy personnel, many general officers and thousands of ballots from Afghanistan's historical first elections last October.”

While the experience has been “eye opening,” Captain Babbitt said it is what security forces troops are trained to do.

“When we perform our fly-away security duties, we protect aircraft while on the ground and ensure that crews and cargo can continue the mission knowing that we stand ready to assist them should they be engaged by enemy forces,” she said.

Tech. Sgt. Brian Vanderbunt, noncommissioned officer in charge of fly-away security for the flight, said the missions provide security for Air Force assets and people at locations with either no security or inadequate security.

“Without this additional security, our assets might be viewed as 'soft' targets and be more susceptible to attack,” Sergeant Vanderbunt said.

Airman 1st Class Dana Jennings, a security forces journeyman deployed from Eglin AFB, Fla., is a veteran of 14 combat missions into Afghanistan. She said on any particular mission, as soon as a plane lands and comes to a stop, security forces on board get out from the rear of the plane and position one person on each wing tip as the loadmasters work to get cargo and passengers on and off the plane.

Training for these kinds of missions is most important, said Master Sgt. Mark Hanrion, security forces operations superintendent deployed here from Hill.

“Security forces members complete annual training, from law enforcement to air base ground defense or ground combat skills,” Sergeant Hanrion said. “Add to that weapons training for many types of weapons, as well as training in self defense and survive-evade-resist-escape (through certified instructors and) it’s a lot of important training our Airmen learn early on in their careers and carry it through to the deployed environment like we do here.”

Senior Airman Desery Jenkins, a security forces journeyman also deployed from Hill, said that to describe the training they receive in technical school all the way up until they deploy to a place like Uzbekistan, would take a “novel's worth” of explanation. However, the importance of the fly-away missions, and the danger related with them, is all interrelated to their career field, she said.

“We are responsible to protect many Air Force assets while deployed; it’s just part of the job,” Airman Jenkins said. “When we became security forces members, we took an oath to do our duty to the best of our ability, and the fly-away missions demonstrate all that we are about -- service before self, integrity and excellence.”

“The fly-away missions are the biggest role we play here for our C-130s in hostile locations,” said Senior Airman Nicole Pitman, a security forces journeyman deployed from Charleston AFB, S.C.

“It's our way of helping get ‘boots on the ground’ and the supplies where they need to go. We may not fly the planes, but we help make sure they get there safely. That is what is important to remember, and we are doing it every day at any location we need to go -- on dirt airstrips and dusty runways. We are there.”