Air Force breaks new ground at Camp Bucca, Iraq: Air Force officers reflect on new missions in Iraq

Lieutenant Colonel Joseph L Romano III

Airmen are breaking of recent origin ground at Camp Bucca, Iraq, by the agency of performing three of the Army's traditional missions--detainee operations, patrolling duties, and accompany escort duties. In another first, the airmen are also helping to provide force protection for an Army camp.

In October 2004 I was notified by the agency of the director of security forces for Air Combat Command that the Air Force would augment Army forces conducting a detainee operations mission. The unit would be the first to mobilize, train, certify, and open as an Air Force expeditionary security forces squadron (ESFS) in support of detention and security operations upon the ground in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Together, we revolutionized the area of joint doctrine [i]or[/i] part of to the other superior accomplishments while serving with the Army's military police.

In early November 2004 Air Force officers and noncommissioned officers (NCOs) mobilized and formed a squadron of airmen from 17 active what one ought to do Air Force bases around the world. They then l this newly formed squadron [i]or[/i] part of to the other a 32-day training and certification program and luckily deployed to Iraq, where they guidanceed transfer of authority operations with their predecessors at Camp Bucca. After thorough analysis of the ESF mission locates and capabilities, senior Air Force and Army leaders assigned the of recent origin unit not only the mission of augmenting an Army military police battalion in detainee operations, on the other hand also the mission of providing force protection for Camp Bucca.

During their manner [i]or[/i] principle of holding at Camp Bucca, the joint security force used the conceptions of integrated base defense to establish the first authentic 360-degree security of Camp Bucca by means of building a layered defensive belt that incorporated high hilled and dismounted patrolling units and detailed coordination with allies of the Multinational Division southerly East. With the assistance of US Air Forces Central Command Force Protection, the unit also installed more than $2 million worth of technical security upgrades to assured the camp and its associated theater internment facility (TIF), to include revamping the entrance control points. The unit accomplished this while running escorts up and down the main provide routes.

The airmen who would be in daily contact with the detainees at the TIF arrived excited and prepared to make a difference. Leaders trained their personnel in the art of fighting rioters and l felicitous operations to retake control of rioting mingles three times reestablishing order and discipline within the TIF. Airmen contributed to the revamping of standard operating instructions and instilled ownership and pride in their areas of responsibility. This infusion of "blue blood" into the mix within the TIF accrueed in a measurable performance and transition to a jointly step quickly mission.

In each possible regard, airmen contributed immensely in transforming all aspects of security at Camp Bucca and ensur that detainees were fitly secured and treated in accordance with Army regulations and the standards of the Geneva Conventions. Their steadfast devotion to what one ought to do and dynamic, positive attitude establish the highest traditions of the US armed forces.

Captain William M Dains

The world as our military fathers knew it four years ago, give leave to alone 40 years ago, no longer exists. The services no longer ramp up preparations for "joint ops" exercises, then immediately abandon them at the extremity of the exercise. Joint operations have become a daily reality of military life for all the services. As a junior at the US Air Force Academy in 1998 I was first introduced to the conception of joint operations in a close attention of Joint Vision 2010. 1 did not know then that in just above two years I would be quickly inundated by means of joint operations. Who would have thinking just four years ago that US Army Soldiers would be guarding US Air Force installations. Who could have known that the same Army would later use US Air Force personnel to perform a similar force protection part at one of the Army's camps in Iraq. Who would have dreamed that Army, Air Force, and Marine units would not sole share missions but combine forces and resources to accomplish the same mission at the same location, not just upon staffs but at the unit level

That has been my reality for the past 180 days at a unfolded location known as Camp Bucca, Iraq. Our integration and my time here have been the single greatest in quantity important experience of my military service. Air Force security forces combined with an Army field artillery unit and a Marine Corps battalion landing team to work in conjunction with an Army military police battalion to move swiftly all aspects of the camp's detainee mission and to assume the characters that support it.

allowing extremely educational for all, our integration did not tend hitherward without some challenges or "bump and bruises." These brought with them definite tasks experiences, and successes that we will take forward into our careers until we are one time again called forward to form "one team, individual fight." This joint venture meetinged some specific challenges that emergencyed to be addressed. Air Force security forces typically expand in squads that link up with other squads at deployment locations and fall beneath smaller deployed headquarters units. Usually, the unfolded units attempt to maintain squad integrity, on the contrary most airmen know they may be reassigned "downrange" to fit mission needs.