Police Week Honors Defenders, Agents Published April 22, 2013 By Master Sgt. Kevin Wallace 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- Tight fists slam toward thighs as the swooshing of bloused uniform pants resonates across the room, culminating in the echoing thud of combat boots smashing together. The flight is at attention and utter silence falls over the formation. Maj. Ryan Bodge, 366th Security Forces Squadron commander, approaches 'guard mount,' and orders his Defenders to stand at ease. This is a daily occurrence for 366th SFS Defenders, and Bodge, a prior enlisted Officer Training School distinguished graduate from Cold Springs, N.Y., trusts implicitly that his senior NCOs sustain good order and discipline among the ranks - lives could depend on it. Being a defender is serious business and some of Bodge's Airmen have performed both traditional and non-traditional jobs in hostile environments. Bodge himself has earned three Meritorious Service Medals, seven Air Force and three Army Commendation Medals, two Air Force Achievement Medals and an Army Combat Action Badge, which is awarded to Soldiers who personally engage, or are engaged by, an enemy in a hostile fire situation. In rare situations, the badge is awarded to members of other DoD components. Bodge earned his CAB while assigned to a brigade combat team and on patrol. His team was attacked and Bodge was within 15 feet of the blast. Recalling that day, Bodge said, "Thanks to a concrete wall, I'm still alive. I was dazed, pissed and had blood in both eardrums, but I was alive. We took injuries, but everyone lived and that's what's important." Like any successful organization, remarkable traits that define the leader are often seen in the men and women who serve under him. The 366th SFS is no exception, and dozens of assigned Airmen have put their lives on the line in servitude to their nation. (story continues below photo slideshow ...) (... continued from above) Some have served as military working dog handlers attached to the Army; fought alongside Iraqi police as part of the police transformation teams; worked in detainee operations at Camp Bucca's Theater Internment Facility in Iraq and elsewhere; performed sniper, designated marksmen, airborne, and Army Ranger missions outside the wire in Iraq and Afghanistan. Meanwhile back at Mountain Home Air Force Base, the Defenders constantly protect the base population from potential outside threats and ensure order and enforce the law daily. Defenders don't do this alone. Air Force Office of Special Investigation agents also carry much of this burden. For their dedication and gallantry, and to also recognize civilian law enforcers, the second week of every May is coined 'Police Week.' While cognitive of their sacrifices and remembering those fallen Defenders and OSI agents who've perished while fighting at home and abroad, read the following eight sagas of 366th SFS Defenders' gallantry, and honor all police during this special week. (Editor's note: This story and all linked products are dedicated to the men and women of the 366th Security Forces Squadron.) Read individual stories of heroism by clicking on the photos or links below: Read Staff Sgt. Daniel Ball's story HERE With rockets exploding around him and the entry control point in complete chaos, a security forces Airman took decisive action to help quell the enemy threat and treat wounded comrades. Some were wounded, a few dead, others assisting and many heading for cover. As for Staff Sgt. Daniel Ball, 366th Security Forces Squadron controller, running to a bunker wasn't an option ... Read Tech. Sgt. James Zientek's story HERE He fought among unfamiliar brothers and then returned to heal alone. He was misunderstood, he said, feeling "leadership had no idea." Combat wasn't easy for Tech. Sgt. James Zientek, yet the Air Force learned from the lessons security forces Airmen taught ... Read Staff Sgt. Matthew Smith's story HERE In war, things can change in a heartbeat. A major challenge in ensuring Airmen are technically, mentally, physically and spiritually prepared to honorably endure battle, even if all hell breaks loose, and resilient enough to return to a state of normalcy afterward. Staff Sgt. Matthew Smith, 366th Security Forces Squadron operations staff noncommissioned officer-in-charge, has learned some lessons the hard way ... Read Master Sgt. Ryan Glosson's story HERE Imagine flying aboard a UH-60 Blackhawk snaking its way through the high Afghan mountains toward a forward operating base, when all of a sudden the pilot banks to the left. In awe, imagine gasping and seeing explosions while, back-to-back, five rocket-propelled grenades streak toward the helicopter. Seeing it on a movie and living it first-hand is vastly different, and Master Sgt. Ryan Glosson, the 366th Security Forces Squadron first sergeant, can attest to that fact ... Read Tech. Sgt. Francis Woznick's story HERE It was hot, really freaking hot and, as usual, the smell of death lingered in the desert air. In the distance, an unassuming old car, typical in Iraq, sped toward the intersection where Tech. Sgt. Francis Woznick and his interpreter were conducting vehicle check-point inspections. The dust rose as the car sped toward him ... Read Joshua Williams' story HERE When the skies darkened and war was waged in the Middle East, he raised his hand to take the fight away from American soil. When Hurricane Katrina's brutal winds pounded down on the Gulf Coast leaving cities and towns ravaged, and people homeless and starving, he sprinted at the opportunity to board an Air Mobility Command aircraft and zoom down to help. Some may call him a hero, but the humble former Phoenix Raven Joshua Williams will have none of that ... Read Master Sgt. Robert Simpson's story HERE If war were a symphony, then many would routinely be serenaded to sleep by the gentle sounds of mortar fire and explosions. But war's not a symphony and service members place their lives into the hands of their teams each time they step foot outside their COP or forward operating base. Master Sgt. Robert Simpson, 366th Security Forces Squadron logistics superintendent, knows this fact well ... Read Senior Master Sgt. David Williams' story HERE Twenty-three years of dedicated service summarizes this warrior. Afghanistan, Iraq, Columbia, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Peru, Panama, Turkmenistan, Hungary, Mozambique and Southwest Asia - all places he has served. In fact, if Air Force security forces have performed an operation anywhere on the green earth, there's a good chance Senior Master Sgt. David Williams, 366th Security Forces Squadron operations superintendent, was in the mix ... Read Staff Sgt. Robert Wilson's story HERE The helicopter lands in a small poppy field under the cover of darkness and a figure emerges from it with his four-legged companion by his side. Even though it's the middle of the night, Staff Sgt. Robert Wilson and his military working dog Troll, quickly begin to sweep the area for threats while the other members of the task force file out ... Watch video of Staff Sgt. Michael Foster performing counter-insurgency operations at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, April 16, 2013. (video by : Staff Sgt. Christopher Willis) Download high-res book HERE Download low-res book HERE