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Scott's Security Forces Airmen help protect Balad, Iraq

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. David R. Wolfe
  • 532nd Security Forces Squadron
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq --  In the Iraq summer, temperatures of 125 degrees can have an adverse impact on morale. Imagine 10 hair dryers, turned on high, blowing in your face. Dressed in full body armor, this is what a team of 39 security forces warriors from Scott AFB have been facing since arriving in mid-June at the 532nd Security Forces Squadron, Joint Base Balad, Iraq. 

These defenders are serving a six-month tour as part of the largest group of security forces tasked with an airbase defense mission since the Vietnam War. 

The majority of the team is working to control all of the pedestrian traffic entering and exiting the joint-base on a daily basis. Upwards of 1,000 Iraqis and third-country nationals are put through an extensive screening process to ensure the safety of Joint Base Balad, whose population reaches near 28,000. 

Part of the supervision team at the entry control point is Staff Sgt. Christy Nelson. Sergeant Nelson is on her fourth deployment, and second in Iraq. She clearly understands the mission and is comfortable with her role. 

"People (here) understand that we are enforcers of the law. Our duties here are more security oriented and people understand--we are here to restore order, not inconvenience them." 

One of the team leaders, Tech. Sgt. Daryl Lyles, said, "The mission here keeps us very busy, and we have some great leadership who watch out for us on a daily basis. Everyone seems well adjusted to the climate, even though some days the heat can be brutal." 

The Airmen typically spend 12-14 hours on shift and receive one day a week off.
Deployments often bring new and exciting challenges, as many of the Airmen have discovered. 

Performing supply and logistical support is a crucial piece of daily activity for Senior Airman Michael Horney, who is on his second deployment to Iraq. 

"I have more freedom to make decisions on my own, and see the end result of something I started and finished." Airman Horney, like many of his teamates, said there are drawbacks to being deployed as well. "I miss my wife and two daughters," he said.
Another member of the team has the responsibility of working in the Joint Defense Operations Center. 

Staff Sgt. James Sturgill, who is deployed for the second time in just 18 months, is the NCO in charge of a classified messaging system that is used for incident coordination. Sergeant Sturgill says, "We channel any information out to numerous base agencies, reacting to threats and up-channeling those reports to our commanders who then make decisions using real-time information." 

Deployments have become a way of life for most career fields in the Air Force, and security forces surely carries their share of taskings. The work can be difficult, but the rewards can also be plentiful. These 39 Airmen will surely be ready to return home when the time comes. For now, they can only wait for the heat to let up as they inch closer to fall.