United States Air Force Security Forces in an Era of Terrorist Threats

Since the end of the Cold War, the U.S. Air Force has radically changed how it projects power to support National Security demands. Permanent overseas basing has decreased from fifty bases during the height of the Cold War to sixteen permanent bases in 1998. While the U.S. Air Force must still support national security objectives around the globe, it now must rely more upon temporary basing to augment the decreased permanent presence overseas. Temporary bases provide the commander with the ability to accomplish a given mission but can also increase vulnerability to terrorist attack. On June 25, 1996, one terrorist bomb, which killed 19 U.S. Air Force personnel in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, once again leveled the military playing field for our adversaries and the perception of U.S. power. The U.S. Air Force quickly realized that its Security Force was not adequately trained nor equipped to protect deployed assets from such attacks. This study examines the role of USAF Security in the present terrorist threat environment. An historical analysis of air base defense reveals that the Air Force has a short attention span for protection against ground threats. Following World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, the Air Force quickly reduced security capabilities when the immediate threat diminished. As new threats materialized, the Air Force had to "reinvent the wheel" to produce a capability to counter that threat. The results of these actions are a lack of continuity and doctrine for security operations.