Always on guard

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. David Tart
  • 47th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Two airmen stand watch through the Texas evening as the temperature hovers just above 40. As the night further cools and talk of rain reaches their ears they do not seem concerned. For the gate guards who stand ready 24/7 with little in the way of protection from the elements, it is just another night.

Between ID card checks, Senior Airmen Alexander Hedgecock and Airmen First Class James Little, 47th Security Forces Squadron patrolman, describe the duties and responsibilities of being a gate guard.

Snapping to attention, Hedgecock begins by giving a post brief demonstrating the attention to detail required to be a gate guard. A post brief lists a variety of information covering base conditions, his weapon and other key information he may be asked.

Being a gate guard is not for everyone, and Little, a Washington D.C. native, summed this sentiment up perfectly. "Not everyone can be a gate guard, there is a lot of preparation that goes into being able to come out here, and with that I take a lot of pride in what I do."

There are a lot of requirements that must be fulfilled before one can guard the gate, explained Hedgecock, from Waco, Texas. First, you have to be accepted into security forces and accomplish all primary training required for the career field. Once you arrive at your base you have to be qualified on all the different procedures of a law enforcement agent. You have to know how to handle a range of procedures from recognizing when someone may be driving under the influence to confronting armed gunmen. You have to be qualified on all the weapon systems you are using, and most important of all, you have to be fit for duty.

Being a gate guard is demanding work, shifts are 12 hours long in addition to the pre-briefs, getting equipment, formation, an hour of physical training and post briefs, Hedgecock explained. In the end, a gate guard could average14 to 15 hours before they are done with the day's work.

With the long shifts comes another set of challenges for gate guards, Hedgecock said. If you work the mid shift you are working from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., and coffee becomes the elixir of life. Fall asleep on the job, and you could receive an Article 15, but it goes beyond that.

"We cannot fall asleep on the job, not only are we putting our jobs and life at risk, but the entire base," said Hedgecock. "We are entrusted with the security of millions of dollars worth of equipment and thousands of lives."

Little echoed the sentiment and responsibility that gate guards have, especially here at Laughlin. "I have a large sense of pride and responsibility because of what we defend. We are defending the future pilots of the Air Force, and with that, the future leaders of the Air Force."

"Like with any job though, we have are good and bad days, and it is important not to lose sight of what we are doing," said Hedgecock. "It is a difficult job to measure. It is not like other career fields where you have a stack of papers to measure your progress or impact. If you are out here and it is a boring day, then it was a good day."

Even a boring day still includes a lot of activities for a gate guard. With a constant flow of traffic, there is never a shortage of different experiences, good and bad.

"Being stationed at Laughlin has been great. Since it is a smaller community, it feels a lot closer knit," said Little. "I am very fortunate not too have seen to many bad things here. On the contrary, I have seen some incredibly good things. During the holidays people will bring us homemade food and things like that."

Hedgecock agreed that the positive experiences of being a gate guard also come with a few negative ones. The largest of which being when people feel victimized due to random car inspections, being turned away for expired licenses and expired car registrations or not having proper identification. It is not aimed to inconvenience or victimize people, but to keep the base safe.

"It is not our intention to frustrate people or make them feel victimized. We try to do things as fast and smoothly as possible," said Hedgecock.

"We are all people here, and we really do try to be friendly," said Little. "We don't like to be judged just because we wear a beret. If you give us a positive attitude we will be positive back. If you give us a negative attitude, we are still going to be positive to you."

Despite all the stresses and long duty days that gate guards deal with, Hedgecock still feels very proud of what he does every day.

"In my mind, I'm like a miniature hero for the base," said Hedgecock. "I always have a sense of pride and happiness in what I do."