The 2nd Security Forces Squadron at Barksdale AFB, La., recently hand-picked an elite group of its airmen to form a guard section to man the base gates. The unit selected these 40 airmen because they exemplified professionalism and adherence to the service’s core values, according to a base release. “Making a first impression is one of the most important things,” said TSgt. Nicholous Banks, the squadron’s elite gate guard noncommissioned officer in charge. “As elite gate guards, we are the faces of Barksdale,” he said. Barksdale is one of just a few installations across the Air Force that has elite gate guards, states the Oct. 17 release. “Everything we do is crisp and done with excellence every time . . . from the salute to our appearance to our posture at the gate,” said SrA. Deon Abdullah, an elite gate guard. (Barksdale report by SrA. Sean Martin)
Promotions to the Space Force’s second highest enlisted grade, senior master sergeant, have surged to the highest level in the young service’s history, bolstering the senior NCO corps as officials plan to aggressively expand the force and especially the enlisted corps.