COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Training and Readiness. These are the two biggest topics of discussion on many leaders minds these days as we contemplate the issue of dealing with our biggest pacing challenge of the 21st century…China. In February of this year, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall III put it this way, “We have the most pacing challenge we have ever faced – China, China, China. Ladies and gentlemen, we are out of time, we are out of time, we are out of time.” Additionally, the 2022 National Defense Strategy sets forth how the U.S. military will meet growing threats to vital U.S. national security interests and to a stable and open international system. It directs the department to “act urgently to sustain and strengthen U.S. deterrence, with the People’s Republic of China as the department’s pacing challenge.”
Having just gotten back from the Security Forces Worldwide Symposium for the year, our “Top Cop” had some similar thoughts with a focus on future Defenders to address this pacing challenge. A big focus of day one of the SFWW was on training and readiness of Air Force Security Forces Defenders to face the modern-day threat of conflict with a near-peer adversary. War with China would certainly be a major challenge, and we know we would face losses with the advent of modern warfare and the various weapons and tactics associated with it. As I listened, it validated some efforts we are pursuing here at the 14 SFS.
Here at the 14 SFS, we are a small unit with limited resources, so to keep pace with emerging threats, we must approach things a little more creatively than others. To enhance my Defenders’ training and readiness, we cultivate relationships with off-base agencies and create joint opportunities with them. We have some excellent relationships with different civilian agencies around the City of Columbus, such as Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the Starkville Police Department, and the Mississippi State University Police Department. We work together to train our respective Defenders and police officers alike, trading knowledge and experience on topics like K-9 handling skills, active shooter response procedures and self-defense tactics. This results in a mutually beneficial exchange of information and skills.
One of the most impressive relationships we have is with MCSO. A few times per year, we are given the chance to send some of our high-speed Defenders to joint training with MCSO’s SWAT team. It’s an incredible opportunity I have not seen elsewhere in my career, and they not only allow my Defenders to attend this training with them, but they also provide it to us free of charge, which is a huge deal for a small unit like ours. They train on various skills such as weapons handling, building entry, room clearing, how to deal with barricaded subjects, active shooters and other high-risk situations to help prepare the teams for anything that may come their way on duty. For us, this applies not just here at home, but also abroad.
This is how the 14 SFS tackles readiness and training, by taking it to the next level, utilizing any resources at our disposal and cultivating relationships with other agencies to expand our knowledge and learn from each other. Our Nation’s highest strategic objectives can be traced from top guidance such as the NDS, all the way down to our day-to-day operations via Department of Defense Instructions, Air Force Instructions, Air Force Manuals and Security Forces Tactics, Techniques and Procedures. We are very grateful for our partners in blue and we could not do what we do without them. I extend my deepest thanks to all of our fellow police officers and departments across the country who take the time to help our Defenders grow and prepare to defend our nation and our freedom. If the day should ever come, I am sure our Team 14 Defenders will be ready to answer our Nation’s call.