Staff Sgt. Gary Riley watches a convoy of 'Jinga' trucks while on patrol at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, on Aug. 22. Sergeant Riley is deployed to the 755th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Law and Order Unit from Air Mobility Command's MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. Airmen assigned to the unit are charged with enforcing traffic laws on the NATO base, handling reports of theft and other disturbances. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Master Sgt. Keith Brown)

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Airmen deployed to the 755th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron listen to a briefing at guard mount before beginning their shift at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, on Aug. 22. The Airmen who serve on Kandahar's law and order unit are charged with providing law enforcement at the NATO base. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Master Sgt. Keith Brown)

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Staff Sgt. Gary Riley, 755th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Law and Order Unit, runs radar on a busy street at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, on Aug. 22. Airmen assigned to the law and order unit are charged with enforcing traffic laws on the NATO base, handling reports of theft and other disturbances. Sergeant Riley is deployed here from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Master Sgt. Keith Brown)

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Master Sgt. Samel Brown watches as one of his patrols departs the 755th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Law and Order station at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, on Aug. 22. Sergeant Brown is the noncommisioned officer in charge of the security forces Airmen in charge of keeping peace on the NATO base. Sergeant Brown is deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom from Robins Air Force Base, Ga. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Master Sgt. Keith Brown)

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Airman 1st Class Matt Newman enters information into the police blotter at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, on Aug. 22. Airman Newman is deployed to the 755th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Law and Order Unit from Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. Airmen assigned to the Law and Order unit are charged with enforcing traffic laws on the NATO base, handling reports of theft and other disturbances. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Master Sgt. Keith Brown)

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Mobility Warriors: Defenders - Long arm of law keeps Kandahar operations in check, Airmen safe

Published Sept. 9, 2009
By Staff Sgt. Tammie Moore
U.S. Air Forces Central News Team

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Security forces Airmen are the first line of defense for an Air Force base. They are charged with maintaining the rule of law; this is especially important in a war-torn region like Kandahar, Afghanistan.

The men and women from the 755th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron work tirelessly to ensure the service members remain safe.

"My biggest concern is the safety of the Airmen deployed here," said Tech. Sgt. James Layton, 755th ESFS Force Protection. "We were sent here to do a job ... if we did not have law and order on the base, things would get pretty crazy around here."

While many of the security force's duties are the same as at home station, such as patrolling the base's perimeter, there are also many additional challenges they face in securing a base in a war zone.

Perhaps the biggest difference is responding to rocket and mortar attacks.

After a rocket attack, the team works with International Military Police Forces to coordinate a response, said Sgt. Layton, deployed from Air Mobility Command's MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. The security forces team is responsible for conducting unexploded ordinances sweeps and establishing cordons.

When responding to an attack, the security forces members fall back on their training to keep the servicemembers safe, and they believe in the importance of their mission.

"The most rewarding part is of our job is keeping order on the base and helping those who need it most," said Airman 1st Class Matt Newman, the 755th ESFS desk sergeant who is deployed from Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.