Top Cop motivates Security Forces

  • Published
  • By Heide Couch
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

Brig. Gen. Roy Collins, director of Security Forces and deputy chief of staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, and Chief Master Sgt. Brian Lewis, Security Forces career field manager, visited Travis Air Force Base, California, June 23-26, to observe firsthand how the members of the base’s Security Forces perform their mission.

Collins provides policy and oversight for protecting Air Force resources from terrorism, criminal acts, sabotage and acts of war and ensures Security Forces are trained, equipped and ready to support contingency and exercise plans.

The tour highlighted demonstrations from the Phoenix Raven crucible training program, combat arms and maintenance training, Emergency Responder Urban Training Site exercises and a display of the first automated drone-based monitoring and perimeter security system on a U.S. Air Force installation.

“Every time we go to one of our bases and get to talk to our Defenders and see your mission, we always find something each of those units is doing differently to get our defenders ready for the fight they may one day end up in,” Collins said after a demonstration by the base’s Phoenix Ravens. “This is one of the better events being achieved that I’ve seen. When you start talking about hard and realistic training, this nails all of that.”

Collins also used the tour to field questions and listen to the personal experiences and concerns of several Airmen.

“The benefits of these visits are that we get to see you doing your job every single day,” Collins said to a group of Defenders during the visit. “Every mission is truly different — every face is unique and you all have your own story.”

Collins engaged with Defenders from the 60th Security Forces Squadron, 821st Contingency Response Squadron, 921st Contingency Response Squadron and the 571st Mobility Support Advisory Squadron via a Security Forces all-call, looking at upgrades to Travis AFB Defenders’ ballistic protection armor and recognizing several individual Airmen for outstanding performance.

“Never forget one of your biggest responsibilities: you have an obligation to defend the installation — that’s why you’re here,” Lewis said, speaking at a pre-shift official formation guard mount. “There’s no other set of Airmen that do exactly what you do on a daily basis.

For Collins and Lewis, the mission exceeds or fails on how their Defenders choose to respond to any given situation. At the end of the tour that one thing was made abundantly evident to Collins.

“I can you look at your team and ask: are you ready? Clearly, you are ready for this.”