377th SFG Unveils Renovated Heritage Room -- Showcases History of Defenders
By A1C Ireland Summers, 377th ABW Public Affairs, 9 March 2021
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ashley A. Kurtz, 377th Security Forces Group flight chief, presents new artifacts added to the 377th Security Forces Group Heritage Room on Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, March 5, 2021. The new updates include display cases with historical items such as uniforms worn during the Vietnam War, newspaper articles, vinyl photographs and a photographic timeline of the unit's history. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ireland Summers)
The 377th Security Forces Group unveiled renovations to their Heritage Room on Kirtland Air Force Base, March 5, 2021.
The Heritage Room, which has been used since 1966 by defenders for guard mount, was updated with historical pieces and pictures to tell their story.
“When Airmen arrive in a new unit, they usually arrive with the mentality of learning to complete the mission and rarely get the opportunity to learn about, much less see, the history of the unit they are assigned,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ashley A. Kurtz, 377th SFG flight chief. “Airmen assigned to the 377th SFG are given a rare opportunity to view items on display [that were] worn and utilized by defenders once assigned to Kirtland Air Force Base.”
Kurtz, who was part of the team responsible for the idea and completion of the renovations, said that it was inspiring to see, read and understand the accomplishments of the defenders that came before her.
The updates to the heritage room include newly painted walls, display cases showcasing an MRE accessory packet and uniform items worn by a defender during the Vietnam War, newspaper articles, vinyl photographs and a photographic timeline of the unit's history.
U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Brady L. McCoy, 377th SFG chief enlisted manager, spoke about what the Heritage Room means to him.
“To me, this room is a place where I can see where I came from,” said McCoy. “It is a place where heroes are represented. It gives me a chance to reflect on past missions as air police, security police and security forces. The room is a place to tell stories, share experiences across all ranks, active and retired, and see my roots in the Air Force.”
McCoy said that the Heritage Room allows future defenders to see where their legacy comes from and to see why they do what they do.
“Our story in the 377th SFG will now endure for many, many years to come,” said McCoy.
With the Heritage Room finished, the bunker will now undergo renovations that will be revealed at a later date.
Your 2021 AFSFA National Meeting in Nashville!
If you have never attended an AFSFA National Meeting this year’s in Nashville would be a great place to start! The Old Hickory Tennessee Chapter is our host and the 35th annual AFSFA National Meeting is shaping up to be one to remember. So let me see if I can entice you to join us this August with a general outline.
We will be based at The Inn at Opryland, 2401 Music Valley Drive, Nashville, TN 37214 from 18-22 August 2021. You may now call the Reservations Center at 1-800-901-4211 and mention Air Force Security Forces Association 35th National Reunion Meeting Room Block to reserve a room at our group rate. You can also go online at: https://tinyurl.com/8y88k98n Members are allowed to book an additional 2 days before and after the meeting at the same rate.
If you click on the link above it will take you to our special group rate on the Inn at Opryland webpage. The reservation link allows them to book rooms over the dates of Sunday, 15 August 2021 thru Tuesday, 24 August 2021 (check-out on Wednesday, 25 August 2021). The room rates are guaranteed up to 16 July 2021, after that they may not be available.
The room rates are: $150.00 plus tax, for exterior rooms and $160.00 for interior rooms, single/ double occupancy in each room and includes a complimentary continental breakfast, free parking, free Wifi and complimentary shuttle service to Gaylord Opryland Resort, Grand Old Opry, Opry Mills Shopping & Dining Center and the General Jackson Showboat. Gaylord Airport Shuttle Service is $19.00 one-way or $35.00 round trip. Taxi is $25.00 one way.
One Man's Passion Leads to Successful Police Hiring Rate
24 February 2021, By Terri Moon Cronk, DoD News
It might take a village to raise a child, as the saying goes, but sometimes a single person can make a difference in something as large as the Defense Department's law-enforcement field.
The colleagues of Air Force Lt. Col. Brian Copper Jr. say he did just that when a need arose for a direct-hire authority to get civilian DOD peace officers around the world hired in a timely manner, and to make sure the law-enforcement mission continued without staff shortages. There are about 9,200 people in DOD law enforcement, excluding military police.
The lieutenant colonel was one of many Pentagon peace officers. He made sure the Air Force got the direct-hire authority when the issue first arose in 2018, and that authority has progressed DOD-wide because of his efforts, his colleagues said.
Copper passed away in August 2020. In December, he was posthumously awarded the first Law Enforcement Officer Certification because of his commitment to the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, in addition to his work on the direct-hire authority. He was the Air Force commissioner of POST.
"Brian was a wonderful person and a great patriot; his enthusiasm was contagious. He is greatly missed." Shelley A. Verdejo, Director, Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission
Receiving his officer's commission in 2001 after military enlistment in 1989, Copper commanded squadrons within security forces at multiple locations throughout his career.
"He knew firsthand as a young airman and [non-commissioned officer] what it meant to be a law enforcement professional, and how important training was to those guys who are out there on the front lines. He had a unique perspective, having done it as an airman and then as a commander in a unit," Vince Heitmaan, senior law enforcement advisor to the office of the undersecretary of intelligence and security, said.
"Lt. Col Copper was very involved with making sure that all the partners within the department including [the military services] were all aware that we were pursuing this initiative, and that if we did it as a collective group, we'd have much more success," Jorge Vargasmorales, an action officer with the POST training and force development division, explained.
Copper, he noted, was quite instrumental in providing the points-of-contact that others collaborated with and they were able to obtain the DOD-wide hiring authority. The department-wide authority was issued in September 2020.
"Our goal is to make this a permanent direct-hire authority that will be included in the national defense," Vargasmorales explained, adding there are also 26 members of the law enforcement caucus in Congress. "When they were made aware [of the direct-hire authority], they were excited and had significant interest to make sure that these types of efforts become [reality]," he said of the caucus.
Among the military services, hiring and retention issues fell to the wayside, Vargasmorales added. It now takes about 86 days to hire a peace officer, and the fastest hire took only 50 days.
Dedicated to the direct-hire authority for use throughout the DOD, Copper was intimately involved in the effort and attended meeting after meeting to make sure the authority came to fruition, his colleagues said.
"He was a unique individual," Vargasmorales said. "He was passionate about everything. Whenever he put his effort behind something, it was always all or nothing with him. On the [direct-hire authority], he was instrumental in educating senior leaders, too."
Copper, he noted, could translate what is traditionally a very complex process in simple, understandable, bite sizes for leaders, he said.
"He was always the person who was an inclusion guy," Vargasmorales said. "He was really big on making sure that we all knew what each other was doing. He was always very open to expanding the conversation."
Cooper could light up a room when he entered. "We felt Brian exuded all of the things we would want law enforcement officers in the Department of Defense to be," Shelley A. Verdejo, POST director and chief of the law enforcement division in USD (I&S), said. "Brian was a wonderful person and a great patriot; his enthusiasm was contagious. He is greatly missed."
NEWEST
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Brig Gen Collins and CMSgt Lewis would like to congratulate and wish their best to the colonel selects:
23d SFS Receives AF’s First Female Body Armor
By A1C Jasmine M. Barnes, 23d Wing Public Affairs, Published December 02, 2020
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Emily Souza, right, 23d Security Forces Squadron NCO in charge of combat arms, helps U.S. Air Force Investigator Kaitlin Curtis, 23d SFS, adjust a shoulder strap Nov. 20, 2020, at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. The 23d SFS is one of the first squadrons to field test female body armor as part of the Air Force Security Forces Center’s initiative to modernize individual protective equipment. The adjustable vest is cut shorter and contains a corset to fit different female forms and provide more comfort to female Airmen as they accomplish the mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jasmine M. Barnes)
The 23d Security Forces Squadron received the first female body armor from the Air Force Nov. 3, here.
The 23d SFS, along with Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, received the new armor to provide more form-fitting and comfortable armor to female Airmen.
“Having the peace of mind of knowing that the equipment you’re issued is going to fit you accurately and protect you the way it should because it is made to fit your body makes women feel more mission-essential,” said Investigator Kaitlin Curtis, 23d SFS. “We’re a part of the team and we’re all here to do the same job.”
The armor has features to fit different female body shapes including a vest with an adjustable corset in the back, a shorter cut to fit females’ torsos and a shoulder cut to make it easier for women to accurately position their weapons in the shoulder pocket.
“It was nice to know that higher leadership in the Air Force listened to [our] complaints and … cared enough to want us to have [armor] that specifically fits us better,” said Curtis.
As more female Airmen became part of male-dominated career fields and deployed, leadership realized women were having more daily comfort issues than their male counterparts due to the standard vests not fitting properly. The process of creating the armor started when female Airmen voiced their concerns to flight and squadron leadership.
”[Female] Airmen brought up comfort and health issues, and we started taking a look at what we can do to fix it,” said Staff Sgt. Sean Lugar, 23d SFS NCO in charge of supply. We spoke with the Air Force Security Forces Center [Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas], and they pushed [the issues] up the chain. These particular issues got all the way up to the [Air Force chief of staff], and he decided it was important and put in the work to figure out what would be best for female Airmen.”
As an Air Combat Command base, Moody has a high deployment tempo, so the new armor was given as a solution to the problems women were facing while accomplishing the mission.
“Moody received female body armor first because they were one of three installations that were involved with the field evaluation that allowed us to get to the current solution,” said Master Sgt. Markus Nelson, Air Force Security Forces Center SF individual equipment manager. “[To show] appreciation for their assistance, we wanted to ensure Moody was one of the first units to receive female body armor.”
With the new armor, female Airmen will be able to accurately fire a rifle due to the better fit of the vest as well as run and lift their legs without the vest causing discomfort.
“The male vests hung so low on my waist that I had to take off the vest to use the restroom, leaving me more exposed,” said Curtis. “When we would go to fire our weapons, the vest was so wide on my chest that I couldn’t get the buttstock into my shoulder pocket.”
“Since the new armor was designed for a female body, [the vest] cut in more on my chest,” said Curtis. “I immediately noticed that I would be able to put the buttstock [of a rifle] into my shoulder without having any issues. Also, it didn’t bounce up and down when I ran or jumped because I was able to pull the corset in the back to make it tighter.”
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