Air civilians replace guard-duty contractors

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http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/10/airforce_civilian_guards_102808w/
news/2008/10/airforce_civilian_guards_102808w

By Bruce Rolfsen - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Oct 31, 2008 7:52:45 EDT

Get ready to see new faces and uniforms at base gates.

The Air Force is replacing contractor security guards with Air Force civilians. Among the bases already making the change are Dover Air Force Base, Del., and Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., according to Air Force news releases.

The new guards wear distinctive badges and large shoulder patches with the Air Force emblem and “GUARD” stitched above.

The civilian guards at Dover wear BDU-like uniforms and ball caps, while the guards at Edwards put on dark blue uniforms and ball caps. None of the civilian guards wear the berets of security forces airmen.

The Air Force hired contractors to fill positions such as gate guards in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001, due to the high deployment demand for military security forces. The transition from contactors to Air Force civilian guards should be complete by 2013.

Jason Minto / Air Force Richard Copeland, 436th Security Forces Squadron civilian police officer, checks IDs at the Dover AFB gate. Dover civilian officers were hired as part of an Air Force-wide effort to stabilize security forces career field manning.

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