AIR BASE GROUND DEFENSE
1953 - Trueman Hight: Teaches tactics at ABD School, Beale AFB.
The Barbed wire backstroke during ABGD training, FT. Dix, New Jersey.
Same challenge but low-crawling at Camp Bullis, Texas during ABGD.
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Air Base Defense (ABD)
As early as 1951 the Air Force recognized the need for Air Base Defense. It was the Air police were formed and by 1953 over 30,000 were in place on Installations across Korea, all trained in ABD but not many got to use their skills due to inactivity on the part of the enemy. It wasn't until March, 1968, the 821st Security Police Squadron was the first ABD combat trained unit to form, train, equip and travel to Vietnam. The Security Police (initially Safeside units) Were severely undermanned but effectively held off attacks using ABD. When the war was over and during the seventies ABD developed into ABGD. Strategic Air Command Security School 1952 Col James R. “Jim” Luper, Air Provost Marshal of SAC, a tall, handsome West Pointer, Luper was a highly decorated AAF bomber pilot and former POW recycled into a provost marshal, but unlike some of the post war retreads in the career field, he was a quick study and an innovative, inspiring leader, not afraid to stick his neck out. He was responsible for the security of America’s strategic bomber force and if he had anything to do with it, SAC at least would ensure that its AP’s were trained to fight off ground attacks. Luper shared Col H. G. Reynolds’s vision of the Air Police as the Air Force’s “Marine Corps.” He was also inspired by Britain’s Royal Air Force Regiment, an organization created in 1942 for the specific purpose of defending RAF facilities after the British Army proved unable or unwilling to do so. Luper established an air base ground defense training program for his APs with the full backing of SAC commander Gen Curtis LeMay, a staunch supporter of the Air Police who said he wanted his “Air Policemen to outfight the infantry and out propagandize the Marine Corps.”43 The mission of the old Air Base Security Battalions was somewhat revived when in March 1950, Luper began sending SAC air policemen to the Army Ranger School at Camp Carson, Colorado. Luper ultimately established the SAC Security School at Camp Carson under the 3924th Air Police Squadron (Special) with the 3924th eventually becoming a direct reporting unit to SAC with Luper in operational control.44 The school had a threefold mission: indoctrinate supervisory personnel within SAC’s security forces in the SAC concept of surface defense operations; train supervisory personnel within SAC’s security forces in all phases of defense operations; and perform such other special duties as the commander of Strategic Air Command may direct. The training at the school was designed to provide SAC security forces with the capability to detect and prevent subversive attacks, effectively resist organized subversive attacks, and conduct a limited defense of air bases until relieved by other forces. Luper’s training program sought to mold a ground combat force and was keyed to the potential challenges faced in Korea. Sergeant Renfroe, who graduated from the school and was later assigned as first sergeant of the 3924th APS (Special), recalled that “away from the center part of the post they built a simulated Korean village and essentially trained the people almost like infantry.” The school provided weapons training and for the first time actually worked out the details of air base ground defense organization, tactics, and doctrine. The SAC Concept of Surface Defense Operations or SAC Concept P-21 as taught at the school envisioned a defense in depth with Internal Defense Operations and Air Base Defense Operations an Air Force responsibility and External Defense Operations a joint service responsibility.48 In a departure from the Air Force’s previous position that air base defense ended at the fence, SAC Concept P-21 and SAC Regulation 55-2 contemplated operations outside of the base perimeter to prevent direct fire, to provide early warning, and to defend approaches to “keep the fight away from the base.”49 Luper saw a larger mission for the school than just training SAC Air Police; he sought to use it to convert the Air Force to his way of thinking on air base defense. “The SAC Security Program should not be regarded as just another program,” he wrote. “It is one which is having and must continue to have, far-reaching effects upon the development of the general character of the Air Force, its basic mission, organization, functions, and even its philosophy.” The graduates of Luper’s school, who bloused their trousers over their combat boots as a mark of distinction and proudly called themselves “Luper’s Troopers,” were sent to stateside SAC bases and to the Far East trained in ground combat and full of fight. Sergeant Renfroe saw this pride on display in a bar near Camp Carson when some Army troopers gave some of “Luper’s Troopers” grief about their bloused trousers, a trademark, so they thought, of Army paratroopers. One of the Air Force sergeants informed them that he would wear his trousers however he liked. “One of the army troops got up and went over to him and was going to hit him or something,” Renfroe observed from his chair. All told, four or five soldiers went after the sergeant, “And he sent two of them to the hospital that evening…The next day we got a call down at the squadron from the commanding general at Fort Carson wanting to know how it all happened. And who the guy was that beat up his troops. And so we told him and he went out and talked to the general [who] said, well, they deserved it.” Presaging the future, these “security forces” troops began to see themselves as separate from and a cut above mere air policemen and a rift began to open between the law enforcement and security branches of the Air Police. Until the Air Force decided to train Air Police in air base defense, “Luper’s Troopers” were the sole source of infantry trained air policemen capable of more than interior guard and law enforcement duties. Excerpt from "Defenders of the Force: The History of the United States Air Force Security Forces 1947-2006" by James Lee Conrad and Jerry M. Bullock The SAC Security School was a training school located at Camp Carson, CO. 3924th Air Police Squadron (Special). It was established at the request of Gen Curtis E. LeMay, CINCSAC when he determined that the training the Air Police were receiving at Camp Gordon, GA and Tyndall AFB, FL were inadequate for air base defense. He detailed Col Jim Luper to establish a school to train APs for ground defense. He did this at Camp Carson. We were the only group of non-SAC troops to attend and this caused quite a conflict between us and the SAC troops. The movie “One Minute to Zero” was just made there and they had built a Korean village on the back of the camp. The cadre had build a mock airstrip adjacent to the village where we had to practice defending it against an aggressor force. At the time the SAC Security School was the sole source of trained Air Police capable of conducting ABD operations. Each Friday Gen LeMay would bring a group of VIPs to observe us assaulting the aggressors across the flight line and up the steep hillside. It was quite a task in the high altitude of Colorado Springs, but we managed to give them a good show. Capt. Joseph Seale was the Squadron Commander and MSGT John Renfroe was our First Sgt. When we graduated they told us we were now Luper’s Troopers, however, there was nothing said about a blue beret. Courtesy of Trueman Hight Air Base Ground Defense (ABGD) Air Base Ground Defense is the operational term used by the U.S. Air Force to assign ground combat operations in defense of U.S. Air Force bases and resources. This specialty is filled by Currently by members of the USAF Security Forces and previously the USAF Security Police, who serve not only as Security or law enforcement officers, but as ground combat troops in defense of U.S. air bases around the world. In this capacity, their duties are to conduct ground combat operations as highly trained infantry troops, in defense of U.S. air bases. Historically Camp Bullis in Texas is where all levels of Air Base Ground Defense (ABGD) are instructed, the course ranges in length from 4–6 weeks. In these weeks of training Air Force Security Forces are taught However during the 1980's to early 90's Ft. Dix, New Jersey was the training ground. All are taught to operate the following weapons: M-4 Carbine, M-9, M-203, M-240B, M-249 (SAW), MK-19, M67 (hand grenade), M18A1 (Claymore mine), and the M-72 (LAW rocket) as well as other base defense weapons and tools. Under the Inter Service Agreement between the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force is responsible for ground combat operations to defend U.S. air bases. Air Force Security Forces fulfill this mission, and, as such, are trained in the whole range of infantry tactics, to include patrolling, close quarter engagement, defense in depth, weaponry, and other ground combat tactics.. |
Volant Scorpion
In the mid 1980's Military Airlift Command developed a Air Base Ground Defense training and exersise program known as Volant Scorpion. Click here to visit the Volant Scorpion Section.
Personal Memories
This logo was on the side of our black helmets.
Photo donated by Truman Hight
From Trueman Hight
A Little Personal History Concerning the Air Police School/Academy
I entered the Air Police Career field, after basic, at Ft Gordon, GA (Camp Gordon at that time) in October 1951. We had our own training cadre although we were under the auspices of the Military Police Training Center. We were told that we were receiving this combat training because of the slaughter of Air Police in Korea when the Army removed their airbase support and it fell on the Air Police who had no training for this type of duty.
When I graduated, I became Cadre and stayed with the school until 1957. We moved to Parks AFB, CA in 1952. En route several of us attended the SAC Security School in Ft Carson, CO (Camp Carson at that time). This is where we received training as Lupers Troopers. We received this training so we could assimilate it into the Air Police training in California.
The school in California consisted LE training at Parks AFB and Weapons/Tactics training at Beale AFB. It was then designated as Air Base Defense School (ABD).
I was assigned as a Tactics Instructor at Beale until 1954 when someone decided it was not cost effective to bus the students to Beale for training and moved the entire school to Parks.
In 1956 it was decided to move the school to Lackland. I again moved with the school. This was when Camp Bullis was opened for training. I remained there one more year and in the summer of 1957 I received orders for Ankara, Turkey, thus ending my career with the Air Police/ABD School.
A Little Personal History Concerning the Air Police School/Academy
I entered the Air Police Career field, after basic, at Ft Gordon, GA (Camp Gordon at that time) in October 1951. We had our own training cadre although we were under the auspices of the Military Police Training Center. We were told that we were receiving this combat training because of the slaughter of Air Police in Korea when the Army removed their airbase support and it fell on the Air Police who had no training for this type of duty.
When I graduated, I became Cadre and stayed with the school until 1957. We moved to Parks AFB, CA in 1952. En route several of us attended the SAC Security School in Ft Carson, CO (Camp Carson at that time). This is where we received training as Lupers Troopers. We received this training so we could assimilate it into the Air Police training in California.
The school in California consisted LE training at Parks AFB and Weapons/Tactics training at Beale AFB. It was then designated as Air Base Defense School (ABD).
I was assigned as a Tactics Instructor at Beale until 1954 when someone decided it was not cost effective to bus the students to Beale for training and moved the entire school to Parks.
In 1956 it was decided to move the school to Lackland. I again moved with the school. This was when Camp Bullis was opened for training. I remained there one more year and in the summer of 1957 I received orders for Ankara, Turkey, thus ending my career with the Air Police/ABD School.
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Security forces officers course Camp Bullis Texas (08/08/28).
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USAF ABD
USAF ABGD - Camp Bullis, Texas
USAF ABGD Fort Dix, New Jersey
USAF ABGD at the base level
