ARLINGTON, Va. - Over 500 Air National Guard security forces personnel have deployed to Southwest Asia or will be in the coming weeks to support the Global War on Terrorism, according to an official at the National Guard Bureau.
Chief Master Sgt. David Obetz, the Air National Guard's security forces career field manager, said that members from units in over 20 states and territories are affected.
Obetz said that once this recent wave of deployments takes place, roughly 1,110 ANG security forces out of about 6,800 in the entire career field will be in Southwest Asia in fiscal year 2008.
The security forces will mainly protect personnel and equipment at Baghdad International Airport, Iraq; Eskan Village near Riyadh Air Base, Saudi Arabia; Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan; Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq; and Manas Air Base, Kyrzakstan.
Security forces are typically mobilized for nine months, which includes training and the 179-day deployment overseas. Other career fields in the Air Force generally deploy for 120 days, said Obetz.
"Packages" of security forces deploying overseas include:
- Members from squadrons in Utah, Georgia, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Iowa and Guam who mobilized April 20 are on their way at Eskan Village
- About 200 troops from Nevada, Virginia, Illinois, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New York and Alabama will head to Manas and most likely Bagram in July. They will train at Fort Bliss, Texas, prior to leaving.
- A group from Wisconsin and New Hampshire will deploy to Bagram in early July.
- Troops from Texas, West Virginia, California, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Illinois and Indiana will deploy to Baghdad in mid-July.
The first package included 25 troops from Utah's 151st Security Forces Squadron that left for Saudi Arabia May 16. They will provide convoy security, base defense and law enforcement. They recently completed predeployment training at Creech Air Force Base, Indian Springs, Nevada.
"These Airmen are sustaining a vital mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom," said their commander, 1st Lt. Kevin Larsen.
This rotation of troops will relieve ANG members already in-theater, including members of the 168th Security Forces Squadron from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, who were mobilized in mid-2007 and served at Manas.
Before deploying, security forces drawn from squadrons around the country gather and train stateside. This "teaming concept," according to Obetz, is a benefit for both the troops and their commander. "So the first time sees their troop isn't in Iraq or Saudi Arabia. They've had them in training for two weeks so they can identify strengths and weaknesses."
The troops appreciate it as well. Just ask Staff Sgt. Rick Lunsford, 37, from Arkansas' 188th Fighter Wing, who will be in the group of about 200 deploying in July.
"You take a different group of people and put them together, it's always good to see where you're at and where you could be," said Lunsford.
This full-time Guardsman has been to the front lines before. This will be his fourth tour to Southwest Asia. He has been in the Guard since in 1997 and spent eight years on active duty.
He says the two-week training will get the security forces on the same page.
"If I get teamed up with someone from Colorado, let's say, there might be some things that are different in our standard operating procedures from base to base," Lunsford said. "But as cops we are always going to be able to deploy the same way, whether we're securing a building or taking down a bad guy. Handcuffing and searching are always going to be the same wherever you go."
During this training, troops update perishable skills like land navigation, get acquainted with any high-tech gear they'll be fielding, incorporate lessons learned from returning troops, and receive training specific to their deployment location.
Obetz, who visits most of these predeployment training classes, finds that 75-80 percent of the Airmen volunteer for the mobilization. "Even the ones that are 'volun-told' have a great attitude. As long as we hold up our bargain, they'll be happy," he said.
That agreement, according to Obetz, is no more than one, nine-month mobilization about every five years, based on the current mobilization schedule.
At Manas, they'll be doing the same day-to-day security details they would perform at any U.S. base, which includes patrolling the perimeter and the flight line, said Obetz. Traditionally, they're not asked to do missions outside the base security zone because they're not trained for it.