LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
This was his first day checking identification cards at the gate. As the first vehicle arrived, his palms were sweaty, and he thought his heart would pound out of his chest. He stopped the vehicle, greeted the driver with a "Good morning," examined the driver's identification card, the registration of the vehicle and the inspection tags. His nerves calmed and confidence increased as the driver passed through the gate.
Under his watch, the right people get on base, and the wrong people do not.
The 633rd Security Forces Squadron trains these augmentee gatekeepers to protect the base from unauthorized personnel using proper entry control procedures and correcting driver violations.
Before manning the gates, trainers ensure augmentees can recognize various types of identification cards, enforce base entry requirements, direct traffic flow, and prevent security breaches.
While SFS trains augmentees to protect the base, it does not take a trained eye to notice something out of place; everyone is a sensor.
"If you see something that looks out of the ordinary, bring it to the attention of the gate guards as you're passing through," urges William Smith, 633 SFS augmentee trainer. "Just don't assume somebody has already reported it and leave it at that."
Even first-time augmentees experience apprehension when confronting suspicious individuals at the gate; however, the importance of securing the base supersedes any doubt.
"At first, we are kind of hesitant. We don't want to be rude and ruin someone's day - we don't know these people or what they're bringing on base," said Senior Airman Chris Kernan, 633 SFS augmentee from the 440th Supply Chain Operations Squadron. "We're just doing our job."
Augmentees carry this same mentality far beyond the end of their month-long gatekeeper duty. Armed with knowledge of Integrated Base Defense, or total force base security, they become first-line defenders in their workplaces. The program is a force multiplier, as these Airmen disperse their knowledge to peers, supervisors, and leadership to strengthen the inner security of the base.
Before the daybreak, these unsung heroes line the gates ready to protect more than 10,000 base personnel from unauthorized trespassers. Though usually greeting drivers with friendly reflective vests and smiles, they are more than just ID checkers - they are first-line defenders.