Are you considering your career in Security Forces? If so, this video is made just for
you! If you are interested in joining the military, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube
channel and click the notification bell on the bottom so that you too can be successful
before, during, and after your military career. If you are new to my channel, I’m Jon Cruz,
I’m 27 years old I’ve been serving in the United States Air Force for 8.5 years
and will be applying to commission into the Air Force Reserve when I finish my enlistment
at my 10-year mark. The goal of my channel is to help you be successful before, during,
and after your military career. On my channel, I share my tips, tricks, and life experiences
in the Air Force and will also teach you how to start a business while in the military,
how to get out of debt and improve your finances while in the military, and how to prepare
for your transition out of the military and into the business world. Now that you know
what my channel is about, let’s get started!
So why did I choose Security Forces as a career? What do I love and dislike about this career
field? And how has this career field blessed me as a person? These are the three main topics
I am going to cover in this video. I spent countless weeks researching what career fields
I wanted to be a part of in the Air Force. What I knew, is that I wanted a job that had
action, comradery and the opportunity to do all of the badass tactical stuff that I saw
in the movies. With these aspirations in my mind, I narrowed it down to Battlefield Airmen
careers and the alternative, Security Forces. Battlefield Airmen careers, now known as Special
Warfare careers, are the elite special operators of the Air Force. These career fields consist
of Combat Controllers, Pararescue, Special Reconnaissance, and Tactical Air Control Party.
All of these careers looked so exciting and challenging but very hard to get into and
took years of training just to enter the career field. Looking back, I didn’t have the mental
strength, confidence, or think that I could make it into those career fields because one,
I fucking hate running, two, I can’t swim for shit and three, I just believed that I
didn’t have what it took to make it through those pipelines. I had already sold myself
short and lost the battle before I had even tried. Do I regret not trying? Of course.
Looking back, I wish I had tried and failed instead of not even trying and felt this regret
that I have now. But why am I sharing this with you and what does this have to do with
Security Forces? It’s not for a pity party or for you to feel bad for me but instead
so that you know you need to come into the military with a strong mindset and the determination
to never quit or to sell yourself short.
You need to be 150% sure you know what you are getting yourself into and that you are
ready for the challenges each career field will throw at you. Looking back at myself
as a young kid at 18, I wanted to do what was easy and that didn’t require a lot of
work or preparation. I was lazy, I had no goals and I always shot for the minimum standard.
To my surprise, the military was about to flip my world upside down and turn me into
a whole new person.
My recruiter then showed me what Security Forces had to offer and got me hooked when
I was shown the badass recruiting video of Security Forces members kicking down doors
and doing SWAT-like training. I was told that Security Forces technical training was only
13 weeks and consisted of Law Enforcement, Force Protection, and pre-deployment training.
The physical standards did not look too tough and there were no crazy requirements like
drowning in water or jumping out of planes. That’s when I decided I wanted to join Security Forces.
When I got to Security Forces technical training after completing Basic Military Training,
I honestly thought it was going to be a walk in the park because it did not look as rigorous
as the Special Warfare training but I soon found out that this was not going to be easy.
By no way am I saying that Security Forces technical training is super difficult or on
par with Special Warfare training but just know you better be prepared to carry your
heavy gear everywhere, be able to run long distances and be able to carry your own weight.
Throughout Security Forces tech school, we were challenged mentally and physically. From
Monday to Friday we had PT every morning around 0500-0600 then started our training for the
day. From what I remember, training days typically ended around 1700 until you got to Camp Bullis
training where you were training much longer and it felt a lot more exhausting. Some of
the core training that were taught during Security Forces tech school were Law Enforcement
operations which covered everything from Use of Force, weapons handling, combatives, arrests
and apprehensions, the shoot or don’t shoot simulator and much more. We also learned the
Force Protection side of our career field which covered Air Base Defense, Close Quarters
Combat, Tactics Techniques and Procedures and much more. The last part of the course
consisted of pre-deployment training in which you received more extensive training on weapons,
ground combat skills, survival tactics, land navigation and experienced life deployed in
a mock up environment.
On the completion of Security Forces tech school, you earn your badge, beret and the
title of Defender. Security Forces technical training teaches you the bare basics of what
this career field has to offer. So that when you get to your first duty station you go
through even more extensive training on what your duties will consist of at the unit you
are assigned to. A lot of the training we go through in Security Forces can also transfer
over to the civilian world in law enforcement depending on your state and the organizations
training requirements for new officers. So keep that in mind if you do end up returning
to the civilian world after and want to continue a career in law enforcement be sure to see
if your training you already received can supplement some of the training that you might
have to complete as a new officer.
Our career field has so much to offer and there are so many specialties within Security
Forces that you can train into like K9, Combat Arms, Raven’s, DAGRE, CPEC, TRF and much
more. So be sure to do your research on what job specialties are available to you at your
unit because these specialties are not available at every base or unit. If any of those job
specialties interests you, comment below which one you are interested in. What do I love
about the Security Forces career field? I love the comradery, the brotherhood, and the
mindset Security Forces instills in you to be able to run towards any threat and face
any challenge thrown at you in life. I also love how this career field develops your confidence,
leadership skills, management skills and the ability to think quickly in stressful situations.
So now that you know what I love about Security Forces you might be wondering what are the
bad things about this career field.
What I don’t like about our career field (and I’m going to tread lightly here) are
the long shifts that we work compared to other career fields, compared to finance for example
we work about a 12-hour shift which actually turns into a 14-hour shift when you account
for arming, guard mount, de-arming or re-mounts, if your flight gets in trouble. Where as finance
they work a Monday to Friday job from 0800 to 1630 typically. I also don’t like that
your time off is not really protected and that you are constantly at work on your days
off for training days, recalls, or other mandatory events. Lastly, I don’t like how the mistake
of one Defender usually ends up becoming the mistake of the entire flight or unit. These
are just a few things you should expect if you want to be a Defender, just understand
that with every job there are going to be negative aspects that come with it. Of course,
these problems are not universal and you might not even experience these issues when you
are in but these are just a few negative aspects I experienced during my time in this career field.
What has my overall 8.5 years been like in Security Forces and how has it changed me?
This career field has made me much more confident, improved my mental strength, my resiliency
and my determination to excel in everything I do. I think we are one of the few career
fields in the Air Force that truly stick out when it comes to customs and courtesies, discipline
and holding a higher standard. Now I can’t speak for every Defender in the Air Force
but I do think that our career field holds a much higher standard compared to your average
joe that works at the finance office. And I’m not hating on finance, I love you all,
thank you for making sure I get paid on the first and fifteenth. This is because we are
the first Airmen you see when you are greeted at the gates. We are the first ones who come
running in times of chaos and we are the ones who keep the base safe and sound 24/7. This
job might be boring at times when nothing happens but those are the best days because
you know you did your job well.
So now that you know why I chose Security Forces, what I love and dislike about our
career field and how it has changed me as a person, do you think that you have what
it takes to enter our career field? I hope that this video has helped shed some light
on Security Forces and that you are now much more informed on our career field.
If you want to learn more from my tips, tricks and life experiences be sure to subscribe
to my YouTube channel and click the notification bell on the bottom so that you too can be
successful before, during, and after the military! Thank you for watching and if you have any
questions, please let me know!