The 732nd Security Forces Squadron, Det. 3, at Camp Tiji, Iraq, was inactivated during a ceremony July 3. The detachment worked with the Iraqi police so the Iraqi army could move away from the cities toward the border, according to a base release. The police transition mission, which historically belonged to the US Army, is new for the Air Force, although USAF is looking at making it a core competency for security forces airmen. The 824th Security Forces Squadron from Moody AFB, Ga., was the first team to fill that role when it stood up as Det. 7 in 2006. The detachment and the Iraqi police provided security for six million people in half of Baghdad and the surrounding areas. Four of the eight security forces airmen who died during the war were assigned to Det. 3, according to the release. (Camp Tiji report by SSgt. Sanjay Allen)
Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…