Escorts keep watch over foreign workers

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Ryan Hansen
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  Help wanted: Critical job working outside in sandy, arid 110-degree heat. Must leave comforts of home, family and friends for four months. Will provide perimeter security during increased threat levels and escort third-country and local nationals to job sites. Free travel!

If someone read that ad in the newspaper, he or she probably would not be sending in a resumé anytime soon. However, most of the security escorts assigned to the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron here not only volunteered for the job, they said they enjoy it.

About 60 Airmen perform the crucial job of escorting anywhere from 80 to 140 of the workers to different work sites throughout the base daily.

“We’re the primary barrier between base personnel and the on-base (workers),” said Chief Master Sgt. Erik Price, security escort program manager who deployed from the Wisconsin Air National Guard. “(The escorts) came over here with a very good attitude, and they take their job very seriously.”

Security escorts are broken into about nine different groups with various responsibilities around the base. One group will inprocess the workers from the gates, deliver them to their job sites and return them for outprocessing at the end of their day, while others provide escort duties for construction sites, 24-hour work details and gate duty, among other things.

“Basically, no work on base gets done without us,” said Staff Sgt. Guenther Bogensperger, who supervises the processing at the gate. He is deployed from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. “Most of them are just trying to make money and help their families, but of course there (may be some) out there trying to gather information, so we always have to be on our toes.”

The security escorts get an information and intelligence briefing from the chief at 7 a.m. From there, they move onto the armory to get their weapons and head out to their job sites.

“I was a little nervous at first, but after getting here and getting started, I actually enjoy it,” said Senior Airman Jessica Hernandez, who is deployed from Eglin AFB, Fla. “Most of the (local nationals) are really nice. They’ll say to me, ‘You are my friend,’ and smile and joke around, but we still have to keep our guard up. We are constantly watching their movements [and] their reactions to certain things."

“I wanted to be part of the fight,” said Senior Airman Paul DuCharme, who is deployed from Luke AFB, Ariz. “My folks are proud that I’m here doing this, and I’m proud of the job we’re doing.”

Upon arrival here, the escorts barely got their feet on the ground before they were out performing their service. They attended a security escort training program where part of their training included a use of deadly force class from 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Airmen and a local intelligence briefing from Office of Special Investigations agents.

“Within 48 hours of being here, hopefully they’ve had all of their training classes [and] are ready to go to the job site,” Chief Price said. “We try to get it down to a couple days, because we need them right away. They’re thrown right into the fire when they get here.”

And when the threat level does goes up and workers cannot come onto base, the escort’s job is not done; they are then in charge of manning towers around the perimeter 24 hours a day.

“It is a good program, and these kids come over here and bust their (tails) for four months,” Chief Price said. “They’re all over here trying to make a positive impact on the operation.”

So even though their job is stressful and the hours are long, the escorts said they revel in the fact that they play an important role in Operation Iraqi Freedom. They are also some of the only Airmen who actually have a daily rapport with the local Iraqis.

“I volunteered to come over here to be part of something firsthand,” said Senior Airman Alfonso Santos, who is also deployed from Luke AFB. “I’m proud to be doing this, and it’s an important mission. Our group has a lot of fun, but we know when it’s time to get down to business, and we do a good job.”