OSI agents support 20th Air Force Nuclear Convoy Mission

  • Published
  • By Mr. James C. Dillard
  • AFOSI Public Affairs Office
MCB QUANTICO, Va. --  When the Air Force decided to augment the security of the Global Strike Command Nuclear Convoy Mission, they came directly to the people they knew they could trust with this vital mission: the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

AFOSI stepped up immediately and began developing a process to integrate OSI's unique mission capabilities with the already-established processes developed by Air Force Security Forces and local law enforcement.

According to Special Agent Allen Beall, an agent assigned to the convoy operations, they have experienced a level of integration and collaboration with SFS and other law enforcement agencies greater than he ever expected.

SA Beall has worked more than 30 convoy support missions and is based out of OSI Detachment 805, F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo.

"The program has been a huge success," SA Beall said. "The startup of the program has been very smooth, with all aspects from equipment procurement to policy development progressing rapidly, with inputs from all stakeholders."

OSI Detachment 806, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., and Detachment 228, Minot Air Force Base, N.D., also support the nuclear convoy mission. All three detachments work in concert to keep communications open between themselves and other agencies.

To more effectively execute their mission, OSI was outfitted with several 2011 Chevrolet 2500 HD diesel crew cab trucks. And, as a change of pace from the usual OSI vehicles, they are well-marked.

"The perception of OSI from the general public has changed dramatically from the introduction of the marked vehicles," SA Beall said. "We were constantly fighting tailgating, failure to yield, and a general lack of LE recognition from the public before we started using them. Since we started using the vehicles, our traffic and perception problems have disappeared."

However, there are more obstacles associated with this mission than simple traffic problems. Special Agent Brian Birdwell, Det. 806, has been working in the convoy mission since its inception last year, and has encountered many of these challenges.

"There have been many challenges, but nothing that could not be handled with persistence and the right amount of experience," SA Birdwell said. "Hiring agents with heavy intelligence experience really made the initial team click well and got the ball rolling in the right direction.
"Additionally, having guys like SA Peter Kwon, SA Steve Aguilar and SA Steve Collins supporting us from all levels really helped keep the goal in focus."

SA Birdwell also saw early on the need to have the right equipment and vehicles for this special mission. Proper communication was also a big hurdle they needed to overcome right away.

"Issues such as getting the correct radios for each base was not easy because they all had different capabilities and radio requirements," SA Birdwell said. "The same held true for obtaining communication with local LE.
"Each state seems to be a little different and therefore radio requirements had to be tweaked."

In the beginning, the OSI nuclear convoy support agents worked long hours to essentially begin a whole new mission from the bottom up.

"We had a lot of really long days, but we spent a lot of productive time discussing and researching the best ways to get it done," SA Birdwell said. "Getting out of the office and talking to folks was how we found most of the answers to the issues.
"We talked with the experts both on and off base including SFS, supply, local LE, and many others and used them as our main sources of information."

SA Beall saw two main challenges associated with the mission: The first was policy development for a new program that is different from what OSI is accustomed to. The other challenge was identifying and then procuring the right training for this unique mission.

"In this mission, we are very similar to a uniformed police force in marked cars and uniforms, dealing with a cross-section of society, including the uninformed, intoxicated and mentally ill," SA Beall said.

To work this issue, every convoy chief and detachment commander involved in the mission, as well as region representatives, including Col. Eddie Howard, Region 8 commander, came together to collaboratively develop new policy.

"There has been a learning curve, as with any new mission, but moving forward with inputs from the people in the field, actually doing the job, was the right approach," SA Beall said.

Training agents for this mission is an ongoing program, which is being developed and perfected as the OSI agents become more immersed in the convoy support mission. Working side-by-side with SFS Convoy Response Forces, OSI agents quickly saw the need to meld their mission with Security Force's. Things seem to be working very well between the two agencies.

"In my opinion, the relationship could not be better," SA Birdwell said. "Some of these guys are real friends of mine."

SFS has been conducting this mission for a long time, and OSI stood to learn a thing or two about how to get the job done.

"We went in and humbly asked them to teach us how we can best support their mission," SA Birdwell said. "Things have gone well ever since; over time, we have been able to provide positive input that has resulted in changes in how they do their business."

Maj. Gen. C. Donald Alston, 20th Air Force, Air Force Global Strike Command and Task Force 214, U.S. Strategic Command commander, is responsible for the United States' intercontinental ballistic force. Everything OSI does in support of the Global Strike mission impacts the way General Alston's nuclear convoy mission runs. General Alston has already seen a difference in the efficiency of the mission.

"OSI integration in nuclear weapons convoys is a game-changer for the 20th Air Force," General Alston said. "These well-trained agents bring great tactical experience as well as provide superb liaison and continuity with local law enforcement officials.
"Local coordination is more important than ever so this concept, with the daily safe, secure result, is more effective than when we partnered with federal marshals years ago. We're having great success at every wing."

Despite being a relatively new mission for the OSI nuclear convoy support team, they have already impressed The International Association of Chiefs of Police, as they were recognized at the 2011 IACP conference as, according to the award, "An outstanding example of military and civilian law enforcement public safety collaboration and service to the community."

SA Jason Cooper, Det. 805, has been involved with the mission since the very beginning.

"It has been an amazing experience," SA Cooper said. "There were growing pains, as there are with any new program, but overall I believe we have built one of the best programs OSI has and will have in the future.
"There is no better person for this mission than an OSI agent. OSI agents have the ability to connect and interact with both our Air Force and law enforcement partners equally."

The program has steadily evolved over the past year, and everyone involved in the mission is seeing and feeling the result.

"I've noticed we're beginning to hit a stride," SA Beall said. "For instance, we've gone from designing our LE vehicles, to owning perhaps the best, most functional vehicles on the road in any LE capacity."

SA Beall cited one example where OSI's involvement in the mission had a great impact. In this instance, everyone benefited from the improved communications OSI agents helped establish.

He spoke with a deputy on the phone who, as it turned out, was on call at his house to help with a suspicious person along the convoy's route. The advance SFS units communicated that this person was running across the interstate and when contacted stated he was on medication and to leave him alone.

"Just from a safety standpoint, this is not something we want the convoy to approach," SA Beall said. "Within minutes, I was on the deputy's radio frequency and learned he was about the same distance away as I was.
"We pulled up to the individual literally within seconds of one another. Through joint questioning, we determined he was not a threat to the convoy. The convoy passed safely, and this person was aided along his way."

Every mission OSI is engaged in has its own unique set of challenges, and the Global Strike support mission is no different. And as with all other missions, success is defined by the people executing the operation. SA Beall and the other agents involved in this program have developed a sense of pride and ownership in this new venture.

"There are still growing pains to overcome, and more work to be done, but we're off to a great start," SA Beall said. "I think it's a wonderful opportunity for OSI to make a big difference in the Air Force."