When I first arrived at Westover AFB the Officer in Charge (OIC) of Security Police was younger and seemed to always have a smile. I wish I could remember his name, but I do not. I do remember he drove a Mercedes Benz coupe, which was one sweet little car. He must have been single, or so it was rumored. He was different than most officers, as he treated even a lowly one striper with respect.

     One night while I was on my post guarding a B52, I noticed something I thought to be strange. A red pickup from the base fire department was stopping at each post. After he would stop, he talked to the guard, got out of his pickup and then checked the fire extinguishers on each side of the wing tips of the B52. I watched as he moved from plane to plane repeating this same sequence. As I observed this unusual event, I thought to myself: "This is odd as I have never seen the firemen check those extinguishers during the day, let alone at night."

     Finally, he arrived at my post and per my post orders I checked his security badge. Sure enough he was not wearing his security badge but that of our OIC of Security Police. Immediately, I performed the proper security breach process by drawing my pistol, required him to get out of the pickup, called, "Helping Hand, Helping Hand, Helping Hand" and then radioed in for the Security Alert Team to respond.

     Within a few minutes the S.A.T. Team arrived, went through their procedure and then the test was over. Soon, a second pickup arrived at my post. In it was our beloved Officer in Charge who complimented me on a job well done. I thanked him and then asked him to remove himself from the pickup, drew my pistol and reported a Helping Hand situation as I just done a few minutes before. You see, he had no security badge as the fireman still had it and according to regulations he had to have a security badge in his possession, which allowed him to be within the limits of my post. Again, the Security Alert Team was called and at that point the security test ended.

     I’ll never know if the OIC, I so respected, purposely tested me a second time or not; but I do know I received a letter of commendation from him a few weeks later. In fact, it was that situation which helped me to gain an early promotion to Airman Second Class and helped me to obtain a security position at the Notch a few months later.