509th SFS: Creating warriors, servants, leaders

  • Published
  • By Amn Michaela R. Slanchik
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
This past summer, Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) Security Forces Squadron (SFS) commanders, superintendents and representatives from each rank tier attended a conference at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, in response to Gen. Robin Rand, the AFGSC commander investment in the SFS middle-tier and to address issues within the SFS units.

During the conference it was observed that 75 percent of the career field was occupied by junior Airmen, which is considered the largest at-risk tier, along with the least amount of supervision. The units were sitting at a supervisor to troop ratio of 1-to-8, when the ideal ratio would be 1-to-4.

AFGSC leadership then developed two methods to help reverse these trends and build NCO core tools to pass along to those they will supervise. The first plan of action included transferring 200 staff and technical sergeants from the security forces career field across the Air Force into security forces units within AFGSC. Second, senior airmen and young staff sergeants who are currently in the AFGSC SFS units would attend leadership training to help them grow as effective current and future front-line supervisors during the transition.

Pat Welsh, the founder and president of PJ Welsh and Associates, LLC., a retired major after 26 years of police department service, will facilitate the leadership training for 150 Airmen assigned to the 509th SFS.

Welsh’s training is tailored to Air Force security forces personnel and gives Airmen the tools to develop and become warriors, servants and leaders in the community, at home and in the squadron.

Brig. Gen. Christopher Skomars, the AFGSC Director of Innovation, Analyses and Leadership Development, audited the first class at Whiteman as other bases in AFGSC will be following Whiteman’s lead and will use Welsh’s course to better their Airmen.

“The training is designed to make defenders think deeply about how they conduct themselves and how they can improve,” said Lt. Col. Justin Secrest, the 509th SFS commander. “By improving these areas, we believe we will reduce some of the incidents we have on-duty and off-duty with our defenders. This in-turn will improve the security forces organization culture overall.”

Welsh’s training provides tips on accountability, challenging yourself, the difference between leading and managing and different leadership styles.

“This isn’t a quick, ‘Hey there’s an issue and we’re going to fix it,’” said Capt. Daniel Merkh, the 509th SFS operations officer. “This is grooming new and future NCOs to be better people holistically and they’re going to carry that in their role with the Air Force.”

Attendees of the 14-hour course will write a letter with their short-term goals and give it to Welsh. In six months, Welsh will send each individual their letter back and challenge them to see if they have accomplished these goals. This helps the Airmen become accountable and better people in all categories of their lives.

“It forces them to think about their lives and how their interactions impact those around them,” said Secrest. “Doing the right thing, at the right time, for the right reasons and in the right way becomes their guide. This will enable better leadership at all levels that will last. The message is full of our core values.”

This class is the first of many actions to help alleviate issues within the AFGSC SFS units. By the summer of 2017, AFGSC security forces units can expect to see an increase in NCO and senior NCO presence within their squadrons.