CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- The 27th Special Operations Security Forces Squadron delivered a week of events to increase public awareness of the contributions of law enforcement on base and in the community.
“Peace officers are the thin blue line between order and chaos,” said Staff Sgt. Jonathan Johnson, 27th Special Operations Security Forces Squadron police services non-commissioned officer in charge. “This week is dedicated to the work that those officers do, and especially to those who have fallen in the line of duty.”
Police week was established in 1962, when President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation which designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week.
“In addition to memorializing fallen officers, the week is about bringing an understanding of what we do to the public,” Johnson said. “Often, people don’t get to see the good things we do until they are in a dire situation and they need our help.”
In an effort to share their services with the community, Cannon’s defenders set up a display outside of the Base Exchange, inviting Air Commandos and families to add their children’s fingerprints to a national registry.
“By bringing families out to the BX and getting kids’ fingerprints, we’re arming parents with information that could help them track down their children and ultimately save lives,” said Johnson.
The capstone of the week was the memorial ceremony and retreat led by the security forces squadron Thursday, when law enforcement from Cannon and many surrounding local, county and state agencies gathered to honor fallen officers.
“We read out 146 names as a part of our ceremony Thursday,” Johnson said. “Those names will be engraved on the Peace Officers memorial in Washington, D.C. It’s important for a family to see their loved one’s name on that wall—it reminds them that their country is grateful for their sacrifice.”
The event’s key note speaker, Clovis Police Department Chief of Police Steve Sanders, spoke of the pride and sacrifice that come with being a peacekeeper.
“His message was that our job isn’t all about regulating and enforcing standards—it’s also about saving lives,” Johnson said. “Every peace officer is part of a deep brother- and sisterhood.”
At Cannon, that brotherhood extends from the security forces squadron to every Air Commando that works and lives on the base.
“Our main mission is to make Air Commandos feel safe while they are at work accomplishing their mission, while they’re home with their families and while they’re asleep,” said Johnson. “They know we are out guarding the base, doing our due diligence, and on top of that there is a lot of work we do outside of the public eye. Keeping people protected and able to conduct their mission is our key mission.”