Air Force 'Top Cop' visits Tinker, talks future of Security Forces Published Sept. 25, 2008 By Brandice Armstrong 72nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla., -- Brig. Gen. Mary Kay Hertog visited Tinker recently. The director of Security Forces at the U.S. Air Forces Headquarters in Washington, D.C., said she came to Tinker to thank the 72nd Security Forces Squadron for its ongoing efforts and to give them insight about the career field. "The highlight of my position is being able to go in and say 'thank you' to the Airmen for what they're doing," she said. "Also, to tell them what's going on in security forces, because I think they should hear it from me. If it's good news or bad news, they ought to hear it from the 'top cop.'" General Hertog said day-after-day while the security forces' units are keeping the Air Force expeditionary, its members are facing difficult challenges. "For the last 12 years, most security forces squadrons have been in and out of 12-hour shifts," the general said. "In fact, 76 percent of all of our cops' squadrons are at 12-hour shifts right now." The reason, while security forces' is a popular career field, members deploy often. Required to perform duties throughout the world, their home-station suffers, as its workload does not decrease. Once Airmen return from deployment, they will likely have to start 12-hour shifts at his home-station, with little recuperation time. "We've got about 4,000 Airmen deployed and I don't see us coming down in those numbers anytime soon," the general said. "I keep reminding folks that this is a marathon, not a sprint. We're in this for the long haul." To help alleviate stresses, General Hertog said modifications have been made to aide home-stations that have deployed Airmen, and incentives to help weary Airmen, particularly those who may not want to re-enlist. Modifications include introducing a small civilian security force to many stateside home-stations. The general said the civilian cadre will be trained at a law-enforcement training center, will be uniformed and will meet physical-fitness standards. "We need to have them in order to remain expeditionary and provide continuity to home-stations' security," General Hertog said. The general said, while implementing a civilian security forces' cadre will help, the current re-enlistment rate, which is about 35 percent for first-term Airmen, really concerns her. "I've got a pretty low re-enlistment rate, which really concerns me because I have to grow the career field," the general said. "I have to build leaders - future chiefs, future colonels and future general officers. Because we've been at this so long our folks are getting tired, but they are doing an awesome job." Incentives include offering bonuses to re-enlisting first-term Airmen, and reducing wait times for Airmen wanting to train in a specific security forces' shreds, such as combat arms or canine handlers.