Security officers act as guardians of gate

The sun breaks free of the horizon and illuminates the familiar serpentine barrier where the sentry waits through torrential rain, blistering cold and merciless heat to welcome commuters with a warm smile.

USAF: Tech. Sgt. Josef Cole

Karl Matthews, a civilian security officer, validates an airman's credentials at the main gate at Cannon Air Force Base. Cannon employs civilian security officers for installation entry control to facilitate deployments for active duty airmen.

However, with the threat of terrorism still weighing heavy on the shoulders of American citizens, Cannon AFB entry controllers are also prepared to meet threats of violence with the weapons holstered to their hips.

"Our job is to make sure no one who shouldn't be on the installation crosses these gates," said Francis Porter, civilian security officer. "People like to kid that we're rent-a-cops, but the fact of the matter is if you're not authorized access, you're not getting past us."

Base entry controllers, or gate guards, check identification cards and other necessary documents needed for base entry, making sure all vehicles have updated tags and vehicle passes. Checking everyone thoroughly is important to the base's security and also serves as a powerful deterrent to those seeking unlawful entry.

"I was a security forces airman for nearly 20 years," said Karl Matthews, civilian security officer. "In my lifetime, I have spent more time dedicated to safeguarding base assets and people than I have in my own hometown. This is a job I am well suited for."

Like Matthews, Porter feels ready, willing and able to successfully carry out the tasks assigned to him.

"We are required to qualify on all the weapons we carry," he said. "We don't just have them for show; being able to keep someone off base by force if need be is a very real part of the job."

With a demanding schedule and no room for error, spending a day posted at the gates is about much more than meets the eye.

As the base's first line of defense, even the smallest oversight can have far, overarching consequences for personnel, the installation and the Air Force as a whole. It is with this knowledge that Cannon's gate guards report to work each day; greeting, and weapon, at the ready.