Iron sharpens iron; LVMPD trains 99th SFS defenders

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Bailee A. Darbasie
  • 57th Wing Public Affairs

Two Airmen assigned to the 99th Security Forces Squadron graduated from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Academy Oct 6.
 
Master Sgt. Jorge Reyes, 99th SFS flight chief, and Tech. Sgt. Gerald Graffell, 99th SFS flight sergeant, took part in the 28-week long training to enhance their law enforcement skills and begin to transform the readiness training of the 99th SFS.

“The LVMPD Academy aligned us with the direction Security Forces Headquarters is moving toward as an enterprise,” said Reyes. “HAF wants to develop operationally focused and ready defenders that are a credentialed police force to meet DODI Police Standards and Training mandates.”

During the course, Reyes and Graffell were trained on advanced law enforcement techniques, such as domestic violence response, emergency vehicle driving, advanced firearms training and handling mentally impaired subjects. 

Domestic violence and intoxicated persons calls are the most dynamic and dangerous situations that the 99th SFS responds to regularly, according to Graffell. Due to its size and geographic location, Nellis receives a higher rate of these calls than other Air Force installations.

“After completing over 1,000 hours of training with the LVMPD, I’ll prepare our defenders on base to utilize the same tactics and techniques when responding to these situations,” said Graffell. 

Based on their supervisory experience and leadership in the Air Force, Reyes and Graffell were also given the unique opportunity of engaging in monthly meetings to provide feedback to the LVMPD Academy staff.

“The skills we learned through Airman Leadership School and Noncommissioned Officer Academy were some of the topics we discussed with the staff, and we were able to help them refine their curriculum in certain areas,” said Graffell. “It was a mutually beneficial experience.”

The enthusiasm to serve a cause greater than oneself is a ubiquitous theme in both the 99th SFS and LVMPD communities. Defenders within both agencies have the willingness and dedication to help and protect others; they train relentlessly to ensure their skillset is capable of handling the abundance of situations they encounter.

“Meeting seasoned officers who are in a position to advise me on future incidents and assist with training my Airmen, while strengthening the relationship between Nellis Security Forces and LVMPD, is priceless,” said Graffell. “I hope to be a bridge between LVMPD’s Organizational Development Bureau and the 99th SFS training, to help both organizations work better independently and with one another.”

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