386th ESFS Airmen honor all who've served in law enforcement

Airman 1st Class James Fowler (left) and Senior Airman Mark King (right), both of the 386th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, fold the flag, while Lt. Col. David Marttala (background), 386th ESFS Commander, and the rest of the squadron look on, during a memorial retreat May 18, 2007. Security forces Airmen performed the ceremony in honor of National Police Week. The 386th ESFS also paid a special tribute to Staff Sgt. John Self, a security forces dog handler killed in action May 14. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Raymond Mills)

386th ESFS Airmen honor all who've served in law enforcement

Lt. Col. David Marttala, 386th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Commander, leads his squadron in a salute during a memorial retreat May 18, 2007. Security forces Airmen performed the ceremony in honor of National Police Week. The 386th ESFS also paid a special tribute to Staff Sgt. John Self, a security forces dog handler killed in action May 14. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Raymond Mills)

386th ESFS Airmen honor all who've served in law enforcement

Senior Airman Mark King, of the 386th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, holds the flag, while Airman 1st Class James Fowler, also of the 386th ESFS, renders a salute, during a memorial retreat May 18, 2007. Security forces Airmen performed the ceremony in honor of National Police Week. The 386th ESFS also paid a special tribute to Staff Sgt. John Self, a security forces dog handler killed in action May 14. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Raymond Mills)

386th ESFS Airmen honor all who've served in law enforcement

Published May 21, 2007
By Senior Airman Andrew Dumboski
386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- 386th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Airmen are participating in National Police Week this week to honor all who work in law enforcement.

"It's an opportunity for everyone to get together and honor those who have fallen in the line of duty as well as those who are still serving," said Tech. Sgt. Todd Rosenweig, 386th ESFS Viper day-flight chief.

Installations around the Air Force participate in National Police Week every year by hosting events that raise awareness of the dangers of the career field.

This week, the Airmen of the 386th ESFS are paying special tribute to an Airman who was killed in the line of duty earlier this week; Staff Sgt. John Self, a canine handler who died while on a convoy mission near Baghdad in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They performed a special ret retreat ceremony, May 18, to honor him, and a memorial 11-Kilometer run, May 19.

There are more than 870,000 sworn law enforcement officers now serving in the United States, and more than 30,000 security forces members serving in the Air Force, said Lt. Col. Dave Marttala, 386th ESFS commander, at the retreat ceremony.

"Currently, there are 17,912 names on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial," Colonel Marttala said. "One hundred sixty-six officers have fallen in the last 12 months, including four Air Force security forces troops."

All aspects of Friday's retreat ceremony were performed by security forces personnel.

"He wasn't in our unit, but he was security forces, and we wanted to do something special for him," said Staff Sgt. Joel Hunt, 386th ESFS Reconnaissance Patrol leader and organizer of the events.

A K-9 patrol vehicle and a HMMWV were positioned behind the flagpole in honor of Sergeant Self, and about 75 security forces Airmen attended the ceremony.

National Police Week is rooted in National Peace Officers Memorial Day, which was officially marked as May 15 by President John F. Kennedy in 1962. Since then, the week surrounding May 15 has been named National Police Week.

"Air Force security forces traditionally observe National Police Week as members of the thin blue line," said Colonel Marttala, "Our numbers may be small compared to those of our civilian counterparts, but we share the same commonality of hard duty and tragic loss."