From Casual Status to the Security Police Academy
In which Teófilo reminisces about the transition to his next USAF training iteration.
Casual Status
Having finished basic training, the USAF gave me sort of a week off. They called that "casual status." Since I didn't have to report to the Security Police (SP) Academy for a week, they put me up in another dorm. I used the time to update my uniforms, do administrative stuff, and some rest and relaxation.
My new dormmates were a motley crew. Some were people attending language school for remedial English training. I remember their books emphasized written communications. Most of them were native speakers. That came as a surprise to me, ignorant as I was at that time of the failures of the US educational system. I considered myself blessed for the education la Academia gave me.
Others were there because of medical reasons such as broken bones and pulled muscles. Some would return to training while others would go home. Then, there were some who didn't belong in the military. Such a one was the petite California blonde who loved cannabis and who would confess it to anyone who asked.
"How do you say "weed" in Spanish?" -- She asked.
"Hierba" -- I answered.
"Yeah, 'hierba,' sí" she repeated with a dreamy look in her eyes, as if she were smoking a smooth roach already.
I said "bye" and walked away.
This was the first time in my life I became aware of being “judgy,” as they call it today. It means I arrogated to myself to be a judge of her choices and character, both of which I found reprehensible at that time. I just didn’t understand how people could throw away great opportunities in favor of mere momentary pleasures. Silly me. The world teems with people like this, but I would’ve gone that way but for God’s grace. Now I know this, but back then I didn’t.
Decisions, Decisions
While waiting for my Security Police Academy to start I reached two important decisions that would come to shape the rest of my life. The first one was to move forward our wedding date from December to August. The fact is we couldn’t wait for each other any longer. Mercie threw herself into the preparations. Most of the money I’d made I sent her way to get everything for my late August temporary return to Puerto Rico.
The second decision I made was switching my first duty station from Incirlik Air Base in Turkey to Ellsworth Air Base, outside of Rapid City, South Dakota. I didn’t realize it at the time but doing so would place us on a trajectory of rich opportunities that would take root and blossom in our lives. But I would face challenges too, as we’ll see later.
Having finished my casual week, a base taxi took me to my new abode at the SP Academy, located up the road from Lackland's BMT areas.
A Bit of Security Police History
The Wikipedia paints the USAF “Security Forces” career choice in very bright colors:
The United States Air Force Security Forces (SF) are the ground combat force and military police service of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. The USAF Security Forces were formerly known as Military Police (MP), Air Police (AP), and Security Police (SP) at various points in their history. Due to its significant ground combat mission, Security Forces are often regarded as Air Force infantry within the Air Force and were formed on the premise of being the Air Force's "Marine Corps", in that they would provide security for the Air Force similar to how the Marines provide security for the Navy (Source).
All the attributes described above are a source of great esprit de corps for the Security Forces today. However, when I joined this career track, these attributes have not been threaded together into a single “pride narrative.” Back then the SP career tracks and training were divided, diffused, and disparate — the worst three “D’s” ever.
At that time the SP had two career tracks: law enforcement and physical security. The law enforcement track would have qualified me as a civilian police officer candidate upon leaving the Air Force. However, I was assigned to the physical security track. Law enforcement training for us was minimal. Our thing was to guard people and physical resources against adversarial actions. A consequence of this divided track was that SP who were law enforcers didn’t mingle with security SPs nor saw them as peers. The feeling was mutual.
As a consequence of my choices, my SP training was to focus on learning to protect airframes, buildings, peoples, and Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs). These latter ones are the rockets, kept underground, that at the time carried nuclear warheads aimed at the Soviet Union. My eventual assignment at Ellsworth would set me to work on these.
Airmen who underwent Air Base Ground Defense at Camp Bullis, near San Antonio, received infantry training. This training created an elite of sorts within the Security Police field: Combat Security Police. I didn’t undergo it, ever.
It would not be until 1997 before the Air Force would merge the law enforcement and security tracks into a single, unified career field which then became the service’s largest career track. Today, the Security Forces outnumber even pilots in the U.S. Air Force.
The short drive left me in front of our Orderly Room, the 3283rd School Squadron’s administrative center. I was about to become what I’d set to become in the “real” Air Force. Another goal line was set for me to reach and cross.
Tremendo entrenamiento el que recibiste👏🏻👏🏻♥️🙋🏻♀️