JBER SFS approving office personnel to carry weapons, enhancing security base-wide

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kyle Johnson
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  As part of the upcoming security forces staff arming program, security forces and military police personnel on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson could be armed with concealed or open-carry government-issued weapons throughout the duty day - and not just when they're on patrol.

"We will have extra people out there who are armed, certified and trained," said Army Capt. Joshua Astrella, operations officer for the 673d SFS. "[They will be] ready to respond immediately to counter any potential threats."

Up to this point, the only security forces personnel who were armed were those out on patrol; now, there could be an armed service member nearby at any given location, ready to intervene in the event of a crisis.

"We already have one of the best response times in the business," Astrella said. "We are well under our five-minute window - usually around two to four minutes anywhere on the installation - but somebody in the room, already armed is a zero-minute response time, ready to go."

It's in that two-to-four minute time frame, people may be affected by an active-shooter scenario. Any way JBER can reduce that time frame is progress, and that's what this program does, said Air Force Master Sgt. John Szewczyk, a 673d SFS operations noncommissioned officer.

The program essentially is arming some security forces Airmen, civilian and military police Soldiers whose jobs no longer require them to carry, Astrella said.

"Security forces are simply going to adopt what civilian departments consider to be an operational norm," Astrella said. "The day-to-day arming of all qualified law enforcement staff."

The individuals authorized to carry must at least be an E-5 in pay grade and have express permission from JBER Defense Forces Commander, Air Force Lt. Col. John Newton.

The SFS arming program will not only provide a greater level of safety for everyone on JBER, but also provide an extra layer of deterrence to potential active shooters as they do not have to fear just the M4-carrying, body-armor-clad defense forces, but everyone around them.

"This is taking our experienced leaders and providing them with the capability to not only defend themselves," Astrella said, "but the people they work with every day."