Over the past 10 years, the Air Force has changed—dramatically—the mission of its Security Forces. Air Force journalist Maj. Ann Peru Knabe
talked with a few of the new breed of Security Forces, noting that the “expeditionary Security Forces airman of today deploys for six moths at a time, serving at air bases, Army camps, and detention facilities throughout the [area of operations].” Says, 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron superintendent SMSgt. Juan Thomas, prepping for a six-month rotation begins a month early, when the airmen master convoy security, base defense, and urban terrain tactics. His boss, Lt. Col. Richard Neal, “In the last 10 years, we’ve taken steps to increase the lethality of our airmen,” embracing “the principle of aggressive defense” and increasing “our offensive skill sets.” (Read more in our January article “The
Security Forces Rewrite.”)
A new report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies offers the views of senior US “decision-makers and policy-shapers” about the extent of the biological weapons threat—in general, it is increasing. Author Amy Smithson says this survey “constitutes the first systematic attempt to poll senior US decision-makers and policy-shapers about the nature of the biological weapons threat and the policy options to address it.” Among the results is the 
considered opinion that the bio threat is “grave” when compared to nuclear weapons and chemical weapons. They believe the bio threat is significantly greater than the chemical threat. Some reckon that bio threats equal nuclear threats in their “potential for catastrophic consequences.” When asked about the likelihood that bio weapons would be used within five years or 10 years, a majority of survey respondents indicated an attack was more likely within 10 years. Still, on the five-year scale, about a third think a bio attack is “somewhat likely” and a smaller number feel it’s “very likely.”
