Reservists provide behind-the-scenes security for Florida's largest Air Show

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Paul Dean
  • 482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. --  In the days before Hurricane Andrew the Air Force hosted the premiere airshow in south Florida at what's now Homestead Air Reserve Base. 

Master Sgt. Fred Dawson, a reservist with the 482nd Fighter Wing Security Forces Squadron, was a young Airman back then. If he had scheduled time off during airshow time it was cancelled and he ended up spending time directing cars to parking areas or manning a gate.

Not much has changed during the two decades since then. This year the reservist supervised Air Force Reserve Command's 482nd Fighter Wing Security Forces team working at Opa Locka Airport. The team of reservists provided security for the military hardware staged there for the 2007 McDonalds Air & Sea Show.

"I've been to every [South Florida] airshow for the past 18 years, but I've never actually seen the show," he said.

Sergeant Dawson and other members of the 482nd FW Security Forces Squadron assigned to security details at Opa Locka seem to share the same sentiment about their part in the show. Each of them volunteered for the temporary assignment, each was evaluated on their potential to excel, and volunteers who'd worked the show in the past had their prior performance evaluated as part of the selection process.

Being miles away from show center might lead some to question why Airmen would volunteer for the duty. The reason is simple according to those performing the mission; it's the best place to be.

"This is the show; it's right here," said Tech. Sgt. Eugene Smith, 482nd FW SFS. Sergeant Smith believes the chance he gets to watch the aircraft take off and land is only part of the action. "Sure, I get a chance to see all of this, but I also get to talk to the pilots," he added. It's impossible to do that at show center.

This year included a rare opportunity to see the Air Force Thunderbird demonstration team and a pair of F-22 Raptor's at the same time. The Raptor is still so new and technologically advanced that the public is held at a distance and images of certain parts of the airframe are still prohibited.

This opportunity quickly became a challenge during media day events at Opa Locka. There seemed to be a sense of frenzy as the Raptor taxied to the ramp where the media was waiting and the Thunderbirds were already parked. The 482nd FW SFS team reacted immediately as instructions from the Raptor and Thunderbird ground teams had to be meshed. The "Red Line" shifted several times as the dynamic situation unfolded, but the 482nd FW SFS team controlled the environment seamlessly, as if it were just another day at the office.

The transparency of their professionalism is one of the things Master Sgt. John Frank looks for when he and other 482nd FW SFS leaders are putting the airshow team together each year. In addition to performing the security mission the sergeant views the exposure to so many airport visitors as a recruiting opportunity.

"This is a great public relations opportunity," said Sergeant Frank. "People get to see us and what we do in the security forces career field."

An airshow is about showing the public how their tax dollars are being spent and it's important for that message to get out said Sergeant Dawson. "This is all about teamwork," he said. "People should have a chance to see the military up close and [the 482FW SFS] we see this as our way of giving a little back to them," he added.

Staff Sgts. Moises Ostolaza and Hector Santana enjoy the chance to interact with the public more than they do on base. "This is a really cool assignment," said Sergeant Santana. "All of these planes and the chance to work with a lot of people," he added.

So miles away from the crowds on the beach, from the vendors selling lemonade and tasty treats, from the grandstand announcing the names of the planes and their capabilities, there's a security forces team loving what they do for a living. The creature comforts are a little less, the atmosphere is less relaxed, but they volunteer for the assignment year after year.