HAMPTON — During my visit with the men and women of the 633d Security Forces Squadron at Langley AFB, I learned a simple truth members live by — you have to be prepared for anything. That's true no matter which job these airmen have.
"We are the defense for the base and everyone on it," explained Alex Thierwechter, a Senior Airman in the squadron. "We have to do a lot of training, make sure that we're proficient," he added.
I watched as Thierwechter and his teammates trained to secure an active threat inside a building on base. While much of the training was off-limits to our cameras, what I saw was fascinating. Each member of the team had a specific role to carry out, with leaders making sure there were no missteps.
I also spent time with airmen learning about military firepower. Inside a classroom, we saw squadron members learning the safety basics of weapons.
"We're getting into the nitty gritty (...) of how the weapon system works, how to take it apart, the fundamentals that it takes in order to actually fire the weapon," said Staff Sergeant Rachel Valdez.
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Not every member of the 633d Security Forces Squadron walks on two feet. I got the chance to meet Kitty, an incredible military working dog who is part of the team. Kitty and her partner, Staff Sergeant Veronica Baham spent time showing off their skills.
"We provide a psychological and a physical deterrence to protect the base from people, explosives, and drugs," Sgt Baham explained. "We also get to travel everywhere to protect the President and Vice President and the First Lady," she added.
Click the videos in the player above to watch more interviews with squadron members and a video of Kitty in action.
According to the Air Force, The 633d SFS was first constituted on May 17, 1966, as the 633d Air Police Squadron in South Vietnam. In 1967, their name was changed to the 633d Security Police Squadron. The squadron was deactivated on March 15, 1970, but later reactivated in Guam on October 1, 1989, and remained there until its deactivation once again on Oct. 1st, 1994. Finally, on December 18, 2009, the squadron was re-designated as the 633d Security Forces Squadron and was activated on January 7, 2010, at Langley AFB where they reside today.
