TOP STORY > >DAF Officers provide continuity at home

By Ashley Mangin
Special to the Combat Airlifter

Security Forces is one of the most frequently deployed squadrons in the Air Force. The mission benefits, but it leaves a hole in the law enforcement at the home station.

The Air Force is taking measures to provide more continuity at home with Department of the Air Force Police.

The DAF Police is a non-deployable group of highly trained civilian personnel. Little Rock Air Force Base currently has three DAF officers with hopes of having a force of 24 in the near future.

“This has been in the works for a while,” said Capt. Robert Shaw Jr., 19th Security Forces Squadron operations officer. “The DAF officers help out the active-duty officers and help with some of our manning issues.”

The 19th SFS has had DAF officers assigned for a year and it has been an extremely successful program, said Captain Shaw.

“It’s been very successful,” Captain Shaw said. “It gives us a lot of flexibility. They can work on the flightline, on patrol, at the gate or on a desk. Basically any job the active-duty guys do, they can do also.”

When choosing DAF officers, the Air Force looks at applicants with prior law enforcement or military experience. The officers are trained at the Department of Veterans Affairs Law Enforcement Training Center in Little Rock and at the security forces squadron.

Officer Willie Thomas has been a DAF officer at Little Rock AFB since October 2008. He served in the Army for 23 years and was an Arkansas police officer before becoming a DAF officer.

Officer Thomas has explored many aspects of the job but says patrolling is his favorite.

“I’ve been at the desk, on the flightline, on patrol, monitoring alarms, basically everything the active-duty guys do,” Officer Thomas said. “But my favorite is patrolling … not just writing tickets, but helping people, letting them know that we’re out there for them.”

The first thing people look for when Officer Thomas approaches them is his rank and he thinks the DAF officers’ lack of “rank” can help make people a little less uncomfortable.

“I think we get a little more respect than the active-duty officers because we don’t have rank (insignia),” said Officer Thomas.

“No one is worried about our rank or what theirs is. It simplifies things.”

Officer Thomas has seen the impact he and the other DAF officers have made and looks forward to a complete force of officers whose only objective is to keep LRAFB safe.

“I look forward to when there are more of us and we can make more of a difference,” Officer Thomas said.