Security Forces Training Reference Guide

Security Forces Training Reference Guide (SFTRG)

• The SFTRG is the main training source for all Security Forces (SF) training.
• It was current as of 1 April 2022.

Career Field History

• The history of Security Forces (SF) began in 1947, but its heritage goes back to 1943.
• The Office of the Air Provost Marshal (APM) was established in 1943 as a result of the reorganization of the War Department.
• The APM was responsible for providing interior police, law enforcement, and defense for the air bases of the growing Army Air Forces (AAF).
• The APM was divided into three organizations: Guard Companies (later Squadrons), MP Companies (Aviation), and Air Base Security Battalions.

Air Base Security Battalions

• Air Base Security Battalions were formed to protect air bases against riots, parachute attacks, and air raids.
• They were equipped with small arms, machine guns, mortars, grenade launchers, rocket launchers, half-tracks, self-propelled 75 mm guns, and even light tanks.
• The ABS units were unique to the AAF and focused on combat security missions.

Post-WWII and the Cold War

• The National Security Act of 1947 authorized the creation of the Air Force (AF), which took over the personnel, aircraft, and mission of the AAF.
• The AF established the APM on 2 January 1948, with Colonel Joseph V. Dillon as the first APM.
• The APM duties were established in separate military occupational specialties or career specialties assembled in a career field.
• The Strategic Air Command (SAC) was established in 1946 to maintain nuclear-armed planes on alert 24 hours a day, ready to strike.
• The Soviet Union successfully detonated their first nuclear bomb on August 29, 1949, creating a second nuclear power.
• The name "Cold War" was established due to the fact that American and Soviet forces never directly clashed, instead fighting through proxy forces in Korea and Vietnam.

Korean War and the Development of Air Base Defense

• In the initial stages of the Korean War, American and South Korean forces were ill-prepared and were forced to fall back hurriedly in the face of the communist onslaught.
• Air bases in forward areas found themselves suddenly overrun by the enemy.
• The experiences led to the decision that the AF needed to develop a more extensive base defense capability by concentrating on the training of Air Police.
• On 1 September 1950, the first Air Police school was established at Tyndall AFB, FL.
• In 1952, the Air Council approved the development of an air base defense capability to be placed under the direction of the APM.

Vietnam War and the Development of Security Police

• During the 1950s, the growing emphasis on massive nuclear retaliation gave rise to the present mission concept of providing security to our combat-ready weapons systems.
• The 1960s saw the formation of protective standards versus the previous practice of individual commanders solely determining the utilization of the base police.
• Staff Sergeant Terrance Jensen was the first Air Policeman killed in action during the Vietnam Conflict on July 1, 1965.
• The tragedy led to the deployment of canine teams to Vietnam as part of a test program called Top Dog.
• The name of the career field was changed from Air Police to Security Police in 1966, combining the two main mission elements: police and security functions.

Operation SAFESIDE and the Battle of Tan Son Nhut

• Operation SAFESIDE was an effort to bolster protection of air bases by training Security Police in light infantry tactics and special weapons.
• The 1041st Security Police Squadron (SPS) (Test) was formed to train for operational deployment to Southeast Asia and to acquire the experience necessary to develop AF doctrine on base defense.
• The 1041 SPS established observation and listening posts, conducted recon and ambush patrols, and provided mobile response forces.
• The biggest test of Security Police combat effectiveness came during the Vietnam Tet Offensive on January 31, 1968, at Tan Son Nhut Air Base.
• A force of over seven Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army Battalions, totaling more than 2,500 enemy troops, attacked the base.### The Attack on Tan Son Nhut Air Base
• The attack on Tan Son Nhut Air Base started around 0300 with small arms fire and heavy fighting ensued shortly after, with the enemy focusing on the west perimeter of the base.
• A five-man team in Bunker O51 held off the enemy assault, saving countless lives, but four of them lost their lives and were awarded the Silver Star.

The Vietnam Conflict and its Impact on Air Base Security

• The Vietnam Conflict highlighted the need for a revised doctrine for air base security, moving away from a sole focus on weapons systems and towards a whole base protective system.
• The conflict showed that there were no front lines, no clearly defined battle zones, and no safe rear areas, with the North Vietnamese regularly targeting air bases.

The Development of Security Police

• In 1971, the enlisted career field was divided into two separate specialties: Security and Law Enforcement.
• This change allowed for specialized training and the use of specific abilities, leading to the establishment of Security Police as a Category A career field.
• In 1976, the first female Security Police personnel were selected for training, marking a milestone in the integration of women into the career field.

Operations and Missions

• In 1975, Security Police were tasked with a high-priority rescue mission, Operation Mayaguez, to recapture a ship seized by the Khmer Rouge.
• In 1983, Security Police units were among the first to arrive in Grenada during Operation URGENT FURY, tasked with securing air landing strips and controlling enemy prisoners of war.
• In 1989, Security Police units were involved in Operation JUST CAUSE, the US invasion of Panama, securing landing strips and assisting in drug interdiction and humanitarian relief.

The Gulf War Era

• During Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM, Security Police personnel were tasked with securing air bases, providing dignitary support, and securing classified information and resources.
• In 1995, Air Base Defense Training moved back to Camp Bullis, Texas, and was again controlled by the Air Force.

The 1990s and Beyond

• In 1997, the Security Specialist, Law Enforcement, and Combat Arms Training and Maintenance career fields merged into one career field called Security Forces.
• The same year, the 820th Security Forces Group was activated at Lackland AFB, TX, designed to deploy to locations with the initial deployment of forces, set up defenses, and then redeploy to home base.
• The Force Protection Battlelab was also established in 1997, focused on exploring and integrating technology, tactics, and training to increase Force Protection readiness.

The Global War on Terror

• The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and the ensuing Global War on Terror brought about broad changes in how Security Forces conducted their mission.
• The Air Force logged 23,733 total sorties in defense of the US airspace, and enhanced security of military facilities was a key part of Operation NOBLE EAGLE.
• In 2001, the Air Force began Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, with Security Forces members supporting the effort by securing airfields around the world.
• In 2003, the Air Force began Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, with Security Forces members securing airfields and supporting the effort.### Security Forces in Iraq
• As the 86 CRG prepared the 7,000-foot runway to receive the first transport aircraft, the group's SF controlled the runway and ramp, while 173rd Airborne soldiers and Iraqi Kurd Peshmerga fighters protected the airfield's perimeter.
• By April 9th, approximately 200 Airmen stationed at Bashur were handling around 1 million pounds of cargo a day.

Changes in the Air Force

• Assisting its sister services required fundamental changes in the AF since its creation in 1947.
• New, non-traditional missions were taken on by the AF to assist the Army and Marines.
• One of these new tasks was convoy escort duty.

Fly Away Security (FAS) Teams

• FAS teams were formed by expeditionary SF squadrons throughout the theater of operations to provide protection for aircraft and crew.
• Between May and June 2004, the 386 ESFS FAS section flew on 115 combat missions to 12 different countries, escorting more than 5,000 passengers.

Aerospace Expeditionary Force Transportation Company (AEFTC)

• The AEFTC was a new type of organization formed to conduct ground convoy security.
• The unit was modeled after the Army, with subunits designated as platoons rather than flights, and commanded by senior non-commissioned officers.
• The 2632 AEFTC arrived at Balad AB, Iraq in April 2004.

SF Training and Duties

• SF Airmen developed curriculum and trained Airmen at the AF's Basic Combat Convoy Course at Camp Bullis, TX.
• The training included weapons use, tactics, maneuvers, and small unit and leadership skills to prepare them for convoy escort duties.
• SF served as escorts themselves, and the duty was dangerous, with convoys being ripe targets for terrorist attacks and IEDs.

Operation DESERT SAFESIDE

• On January 1, 2005, Task Force (TF) 1041, built around a squadron of the 820 SFG, launched Operation DESERT SAFESIDE, a 60-day operation to kill or capture insurgents.
• TF 1041 implemented the aggressive base defense doctrine, capturing 17 high-value targets, eight major weapons caches, and 98 other insurgents and terrorists, and reducing enemy attacks to near zero.

SF in Iraq

• SF were part of the joint effort to staff United States Central Command's (US CENTCOM) largest internment facility at Camp Bucca from January 2005 to December 2009.
• SF provided security for the compound, including manning towers, conducting perimeter patrols, and providing entry control.
• SF also helped establish a training course for the Iraqi Correctional Officers who worked at their sides.

Reorganization of the Air Staff

• On February 1, 2006, the Air Staff abandoned its traditional two-letter system of designating offices in favor of the joint services A-staff organization.
• As part of this reorganization, the director of SF and FP moved from the operational side of the house to the mission support side.

SF Deployment

• In August 2006, during the height of sectarian violence in Iraq, SF was tasked to train and deploy a Police Transition Team to Baghdad.
• The mission of the unit was to train Iraqi police forces and help the people of Iraq take back some of the city's most dangerous neighborhoods from insurgents.

Air Force Cross Recipients

• There have been only two SF members awarded the Air Force Cross, the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the AF.
• Capt Reginald Maisey and Capt Garth Wright were both awarded the Air Force Cross for their extraordinary heroism in combat.

SF History

• MSgt Matthew J. Treadwell's account of the events of July 17, 2014, during an operation that impacted SF history.

Security Forces Career Path and Force Development

• The Continuum of Learning initiative aims to create a culture of lifelong learning, developing Airmen who can quickly adjust to warfighting in a multi-domain battlefield.

Security Forces Ethics and Mindset

• Ethics are defined as rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad.