HomeNewsFeatures

Features
Air Power

FEATURES

Security escorts accomplish vital mission

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kyle Knox
  • 376th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron
MANAS AB, Kyrgyzstan (AFPN) --  Security escort responsibilities are no small task, though a cursory glance may not reveal that. Security escorts are often seen as passive watchers; in reality, they have quite an active occupation--they provide a service vital to installation security and force protection.

Security escort Airmen are responsible for ensuring host nation workers are able to perform their vital base services without complication, while ensuring base personnel and resources are secure. They serve as the eyes and ears for security forces, force protection and contracting.

They also are constantly on the lookout for fraud, waste and abuse by host nation workers, preventing misuse of government dollars.

Another vital responsibility of security escorts is to remain on the lookout for any breach of sensitive materials. Maps, documents, uniforms and even address labels are items that should not leave base. Ensuring these materials stay out of the wrong hands is crucial to wing security.

At Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, this responsibility falls to the 376th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron's Security Escort Flight. Seven days a week, Airmen bring around 200 workers and dozens of vehicles onto the installation.

These Airmen come from all corners of the Air Force, maintenance, mission support, operations and medical groups, and from bases around the world, to support the escort mission.

Master Sgt. Scott Ely, program manager for the Security Escort Flight, compares the convergence of escort Airmen to that of basic training; many individuals put into a stressful situation who must act as a team to accomplish the mission.

"The escorts came together from numerous bases and AFSCs," Sergeant Ely said. "That means many different ways of doing business. However, these Airmen are on the job within 48 hours of arrival and are working as a team before they have even learned each others names."

It is a versatile force and, when the situation demands, escorts are called on for assistance in their primary AFSC. On more than one occasion, medical troops from the flight have been called on to perform emergency medical assistance. The flight also provides augmentee teams to security forces and the CE Emergency Management Flight in times of heightened alert.

Escorts also serve as a bridge for relations between Kyrgyz workers and base personnel. With their constant exposure to workers, escorts give the military members a more personal image, easing relations between the Kyrgyz people and the servicemembers.

"The Security Escort Flight is often our primary interface with the host nation, which means they are 'ambassadors' representing the base," said Lt. Col. Elizabeth Brown, the 376th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron commander.

Host nation workers perform dozens of vital base services, including construction of new facilities, road paving and running electrical and water lines. In today's threat environment, without security escorts, many base services would be brought to a standstill.

Host nation workers also perform countless cleaning and maintenance jobs around the installation, saving the Air Force money and ensuring facilities are clean and functional.

"Nothing gets built, repaired, cleaned or serviced on Manas Air Base without the security escorts. Their organization is absolutely essential to the successful accomplishment of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing mission; refueling aircraft, and getting people and resources downrange to support ongoing operations in Afghanistan."

Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link)

View the comments/letters page