DAF law enforcers police the base with SFS

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Veronica Stamps
  • 49th Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Department of the Air Force civilian police officers are teaming up with Holloman defenders to help patrol the base and guard the front gates.

"We work side by side, same shifts and same time periods," said Noel Gonzalez, Department of the Air Force lead police supervisor. "We're trying to create a joint unified police force squadron."

Even though they wear a different uniform, they follow the same mission and are able to man law enforcement units at the 49th Security Forces Squadron, the flightline, the Base Defense Operations Center and all entry control points.

"We try to maintain the standards that every other Air Force member is trying to maintain," said Gonzalez.

When the base has an exercise, they respond to each call and follow the same procedures as their enlisted partners. When the Airmen are down range, the civilian police officers stay behind to continue the mission.

"We supplement the active duty forces during their time of deployment," said Gonzalez. "By having us work to backfill for those guys that are deploying, we help keep a steady level of manpower performing a security job on base."

Even though they are not required to make a four- or six-year commitment, they are able to work under two- to four-year term positions with available funding.

"You bring whatever you've learned from your previous military or law enforcement career and try to share it with everyone that you're working with," said Robert Vargas, Department of the Air Force security guard.

Some of the DAF police officers are retired military, while others are graduates from the Veteran Affairs Law Enforcement Training Center in Little Rock, Ark.

"You can use some of your training and hands on experience that may have been on the civilian side and bring it to the Airmen and talk about it," said Bruce Roberts, Department of the Air Force police officer. "The Airmen feel confident because it's coming from someone that's actually done it for a long period of time."

DAF police officers are also required to have firearm qualifications, medical clearance and physical fitness requirements. Even though they may not run in formation or have squadron physical training three times a week, they still test on sit-ups, push-ups, a 300-meter sprint and a mile and a half run.

"It takes a special type of person to be a police officer because of the things we see and deal with on a daily basis," said Roberts. "We see the bad or the worst in people regularly so you have to be able to deal with that and process it, and still be able to move on and do your job."