Joint law enforcement training bolsters teamwork, deterrence

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Benjamin Gonsier
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  Law enforcement professionals from the 2nd Security Forces Squadron and the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office received standardized field sobriety training from the Louisiana State Police here from July 22 to 25.

The training bolstered teamwork with local law enforcement agencies and gave 2nd SFS Airmen the skills necessary to identify impaired drivers and protect base personnel.

"This training was for Airmen who want to expand their knowledge," said Senior Airman Timothy Liberty, 2nd SFS training instructor.

The training session taught law enforcement professionals about the effects alcohol and drugs have on the human body and signs to watch out for. Some of the techniques taught in this session were the horizontal line test, walk and turn and the one-legged stand test.

"To be certified in conducting standardized field sobriety training, law enforcement professionals attend a four day, 40-hour class which consists of lectures and two, live-drinking sessions," said Barry Spinney, Louisiana State Police patrol sergeant. "Airmen volunteer to drink in a controlled environment until their blood alcohol content reaches legal limits. The students performed the training techniques they learned on the volunteers to see how it looks to test an individual who is impaired."

After the live drinking sessions, the law enforcement professionals logged how impaired they thought a volunteer was and whether they would arrest them or not. Afterward, they received an out-brief and compared their results.

Both on- and off-base law enforcement professionals experience similar situations on the road, which is why Spinney believes it is essential to have this joint training as often as possible.

"Security forces Airmen will see the same thing we do, like wrecks and individuals under the influence of a substance," said Spinney. "By bringing our expertise and training to Barksdale, we can help the base law enforcement combat some of the problems they face on base."

These skill sets give law enforcement officials the confidence to testify against an impaired driver in court and get them off the road.

"Everyone in the Air Force has either been affected by someone or knows someone who was involved in an alcohol related incident," Liberty said. "We are not doing this because we want to arrest anyone; we do this to save innocent lives."

The training, conducted a few times a year, is used to stop potential ARIs at the gates.

"Some individuals don't even know how impaired they are when they get behind the wheel," Liberty said. "If you have been drinking, don't even risk it."