An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

McChord Airmen earn third straight AMC award

  • Published
  • By Dean Siemon
  • Northwest Guardian
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. --  Before 2013, it had been nearly a decade since the 627th Security Forces Squadron had won a command-level award.

But the squadron stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord was told Feb. 12 it has won the Air Mobility Command's Best Small Security Forces Unit for the third consecutive year.

The award goes to the best unit with less than 150 active-duty service members that provides protection of Air Force assets and also acts as law enforcement support. On McChord Field, the group had accomplished a number of goals that led to earning the three awards.

The first achievement was how the squadron was able to regain a limited law enforcement mission by augmenting the Department of Army Civilian Police with law enforcement operations on McChord Field. It was a mission that the squadron had lost due to the lack of manpower in previous years.

"Not only are we able to support safety and security on McChord Field, but we're also able to maintain proficiency in this critical skill set," said Lt. Col. Bernard Sprute, 627th SFS commander.

The second accomplishment for 2015 was the 627th SFS developing the first and possibly only combined joint-drug and joint-sexual assault investigative team within the Air Mobility Command. Sprute said this was done through a combined partnership between the local Air Force Office of Special Investigation and the unit.

This group has performed several missions since then, including uncovering the Air Force's largest international drug bust in 2015, according to Sprute.

The third accomplishment is the continued work of the Phoenix Raven team -- a specialized section under the 627th SFS. With a team of about 15 service members, the group has performed Departmen of Defense operations across the globe, ranging from humanitarian aid in Haiti to providing support for Air Force Special Operations where combat is taking place.

The squadron's Phoenix Raven team was also named the 2015 Best Group Team of the Year by the 627th Air Base Group.

Overall, the 627th SFS has performed exceedingly well for a unit that has only 92 active-duty members.

"The guys have done an amazing job in the last year; there's so much more that we've done," Sprute said. "We protect the Department of Defense's only nuclear fleet.

"We're probably doing the work of a squadron twice our size."

Sprute said the consecutive awards have created a sense of pride and professionalism within the squadron. Still, the group is aiming for a higher achievement as it strives to earn the title of Best Small Security Forces Squadron at the Air Force level next month.

"(The AMC award) is pretty darn cool," Sprute said. "But we don't want to stop at AMC."