The crew in blue/ABU

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Autumn Vogt
  • 49th Wing Public Affairs Office

The 49th Security Forces Squadron hosted Police Week, May 13-17, 2019, on Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.

Police Week is an annual event held to honor the fallen members of the police community. This year there was a 5K run, golf tournament, shooting competition, mud crawl, and ruck followed by the closing ceremony.

“It’s a very somber week for us, but it’s also one of camaraderie,” said Master Sgt. Douglas Coolidge, 49th SFS plans and programs superintendent. “It is hard to find a lot of things to be motivated for in the military but the people who participate in Police Week really get the (feeling they’re honoring) the 14 people who can’t be here and celebrate with us.”

Since its dedication in 1962 by President John F. Kennedy, May 15 has been observed as Peace Officers Memorial Day honoring federal, state and local peace officers who have been disabled or lost their life in the line of duty. The 49th SFS honored the 14 defenders lost since 2005, when the number of fallen defenders began being recorded.

“Police Week is a good chance to remember all the fallen defenders and police officers who have given the ultimate sacrifice,” said Airman 1st Class Daniel Smith, 49th SFS security clerk. “It brought the local police and border patrol together with our defenders to honor the fallen.”

The variety of events allowed options for how each individual would like to commemorate Police Week. Smith’s favorite activity was the ruck, because at each water station the participants would be given a photo of a fallen defender to carry to the next station. Coolidge enjoyed the pistol shoot off most.

“I did the 14-mile ruck march to honor the 14 fallen,” said Coolidge. “I was the announcer for the closing ceremony and I got beat by border patrol during the shooting competition. I loved all of it. As the chair person for the event, I attended everything going on and I’d be lying if I said the pistol shoot wasn’t the most fun, but I enjoyed being a part of and seeing all the events take place.”

The event raised money to donate to a local foundation for police officers and their families, helping those who have lost loved ones by providing some financial assistance.

“Anytime there was an event that someone had to pay for, significant portions of that went to the foundation,” said Coolidge. “We kept it local to Otero (county) because there are plenty of national-level foundations, and through our research (we found) a lot of people donate to the national foundations but the smaller ones get overlooked.”