SFS protect Air Force assets day and night

  • Published
  • By Lori Burling Alves
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  In a secured office, hunched over a computer, Staff Sgts. Erik Blanco and Timmy Gatherum begin each morning of their security shift checking the blotter from the
previous night. This isn't the blotter containing arrests or citations but rather information regarding weapons stored at Incirlik Air Base. 

"This isn't the glamorous blotter that everyone knows about," said Sergeant Gatherum, 39th Security Forces Squadron physical security noncommissioned officer. "This is an entirely different blotter; a lot less exciting, but probably the more critical of the two." 

Other than protecting the Incirlik community, one of the main missions of the 39 SFS is guarding and controlling access to the weapon storage areas on base. Although this responsibility falls under the entire security team, a unit known as "S5" regulates the day-to-day activities. This includes monitoring the storage areas and armory and providing security clearances to people who need access to secured areas. 

"We guard critical national resources, meaning that they are considered of utmost importance and are designated as the highest tier of protection," said Lt. Col. James Collins, 39 SFS commander. "We accept no compromises to our security program and will deter, detect and defeat any adversary who tries to gain access to our resources." 

This lesser known blotter aids in the squadron's mission of securing weapons and includes detailed information about significant security incidents that occurred
throughout a 12-hour shift. This could include anything from responding to a false alarm, providing clearance to a contractor who needs to work within a secured area to noting a broken gate lock. 

"We occasionally have alarms go off and so far, all have been false," said Staff Sgt. Erik Blanco, 39 SFS sensor NCO. "Keeping a log of the false alarms is a must for us ... the blotter allows us to see trends within the area or if a certain alarm is going off more than usual. It also allows us to see that security teams responded within a certain time period." 

According to Sergeant Blanco, there are numerous alarms within secured areas on
base. The alarms are tested routinely, but many outside sources can cause an alarm to falsely go off, "Obviously we're watching for intruders, but false alarms do occur," said Sergeant Blanco. "Whether it's false or not -- it still has to be checked by security forces. We don't know it's false until we respond to it."

The weapon storage areas are equipped with video cameras that allow personnel to observe from two monitoring facilities on base. These security forces members, known as monitoring facility operators, are in charge of reporting incidents for the blotter. Each MFO must go through an extensive three-week training session newly designed by the 39 SFS. Week one gives a detailed breakdown of the weapons area and its function, according to Sergeant Blanco. Week two concentrates on job performance; allowing the Airman to perform job duties such as shift changeover, alarm prioritization and working with dispatch. Week three includes simulator training, which allows the Airman to log 30 hours on the simulator reacting to different alarm scenarios. 

"The Airmen trained for the MFO position must undergo written and oral exams and a practical evaluation. This new program allowed previous training time to be cut by 70 percent, and elevated the average evaluation score to a 92 percent," said Sergeant Blanco. "This is a critical position within the squadron and it's important that they are fully trained." 

Master Sgt. Tom Daniels, 39 SFS Installation Security noncommissioned officer in-charge, agrees that training is critical for the MFOs, who sometimes are the youngest or newest members of the SF team. 

"Take the Surety Inspection coming up," said Sergeant Daniels. "In the past, nearly 80 percent of squadron write-ups resulted from MFO-related issues. Training is vital."
The S5 team also controls access to the weapon storage areas and the armory. A daily check is run to account for all ammunition and weapons and for tampering. Any non-security member who needs access to the armory or a storage area must work with the S5 team in advance. 

"It can take several weeks to get a security clearance for a military member who may need access to one of the secured facilities," said SSgt. Gatherum. "That's where I come in. I work with the Airmen, contractors, or whomever it might be to ensure that they have the security clearance, equipment and tools they need for a successful mission." 

Whether it's in a patrol car cruising the streets, on foot with the military dogs, standing
guard with a weapon, or monitoring from behind a desk, the 39 SFS team works hard to protect Incirlik Air Base and its community. 

"The biggest thing you have to know is that the visible force protection is only one piece of the big puzzle," said Capt. James Alves, 39 SFS operations officer. "It's as much about what goes on behind the scenes that sets the policy and develops the procedures that allows for the defenders to be the lethal fighting force the Air Force has come to expect."