MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Brig. Gen. Andrea Tullos, Air Force director of security forces, visited Moody for the first time to get a glimpse of the 820th Base Defense Group’s and 23d Security Forces Squadron’s missions, Feb. 1.
During her visit, she toured several security forces facilities to learn the different units’ processes and also hosted two all-calls to discuss important topics in the career field.
“It’s my responsibility to better understand [units’] mission assets from top to bottom and gauge how to make our defenders better,” said Tullos. “The recipe for successfully achieving this is relatively simple. It’s important that we have well-trained, well-led and well-equipped security forces members to get the job done, but none of this is possible without the foundation of discipline and leadership.
“Positive leadership is the difference between success and failure and this responsibility relies upon the non-commissioned officers,” Tullos added. “They determine how effective our units are going to be by setting the tone for our defenders to be ready at a moment’s notice to confidently shoot, maneuver and communicate, which is vital to the security forces mission.”
While emphasizing the importance of mission readiness, Tullos highlighted the future direction of the career field. She indicated developing current and future Airmen with leader-led training and mobilizing the career field to expose defenders to various missions.
“We have to take ownership and equip our Airmen the right way with necessary tools and training,” said Tullos. “Our new Airmen are like raw clay and we have to mold them to be our next line of leaders. A way to develop great leaders is by having mobility across our force. There’s strength in versatility. We need our Airmen to experience different missions, installations and Major Commands to bring innovative ideas and techniques to different units.”
Tullos says the process of providing Airmen these opportunities is one of the biggest challenges that must be analyzed. While touring the 820th BDG’s facilities, she also addressed the issues of manning, fiscal constraints, training and areas of improvement.
“We have to get more technologically advanced,” said Tullos. “We have Airmen who are extremely savvy with electronic devices and it’s a hindrance to the mission if we can’t accommodate their capabilities. It’s a lot that we can do more efficiently but we’re confident in finding the solutions.”
Getting answers to some of the most pressing concerns made Staff Sgt. Patrick Lemy’s, 820th Combat Operations Squadron NCO in charge of small unmanned aerial systems, “Top Cop” experience memorable.
“The “Top Cop” visit is huge because in my seven years here, I’ve never seen the highest Air Force security forces authority,” said Lemy. “The chance to get an in-depth view of where 820th COS and the security forces career field in general is headed is good. Knowing that her priorities are aligned with the leadership here lets me know we’re headed in the right direction.
“Her priorities will emphasize our unmanned aerial vehicle [drone] capabilities, which will help us perform trainings and certifications here as opposed to going to other bases when we already have the capabilities,” Lemy added. “Knowing that she’s seen our inventory, manpower and capabilities first-hand makes it easier to get approval on certain things because our needs are at the forefront.”
For Maj. Charles Tenney, 23d SFS commander, having aligned priorities with Tullos and the lessons learned from the visit was a vital measuring stick of how his Airmen will move forward in the near future.
“It was an honor to have had the new Top Cop visit the installation,” said Tenney. “This visit helps us to continue focusing on looking at ways to take care of our Airmen. With the technological changes and future concepts within the security forces community, it will be interesting to see how all of this comes to fruition.”
Tullos expressed her interest in seeing Moody continue to uphold high standards and she is confident in their ability to execute the mission.
“I enjoyed seeing the motivation in the Airmen and their positive attitudes, they love what they do,” said Tullos. “The morale here is high, and it’s a great partnership between Moody and the community. Having multiple wings [with separate security forces units] on a base can be challenging, but it’s clear that they are one big family. I attribute their success to good leadership and hope to continue seeing good things from Moody’s defenders.”