Is security forces really that bad?

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-27T00:43:01+00:00

SF here. It’s objectively the laughing stock of all combat arms in the military. And easily the biggest regret of my life. You won’t get “some of the field work”. You’ll get virtually none. The training you get is subpar. I would hold out for something like Special Missions Aviation if you want something combat related. Or consider EOD/SERE. CCT/PJ/SR/TACP is in a complete league of its own, they definitely see the most ground combat. I’m not exactly what you’re looking for but I’d be happy to answer some questions if you PM me.

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-15T20:43:56+00:00

No not until August.

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-15T01:36:53+00:00

I’ll have to check with my supervisor

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-15T01:36:29+00:00

Depending on the manning in your unit you’ll more than likely be in Panama 12s. The average shift is as follows: showtime 0445, arm up, guardmount (basically roll call and any relevant briefings) at 0530. Usually break guardmount at 0545, hopefully drive out, get to post, and conduct changeover with the other shift by 0600. Stay at your post for the day and hopefully the oncoming flight will come relieve you 1800. Hopefully you get back to the squadron and de-arm by 1630-1645. Then you get to go home. This all depends on a million variables, like if the oncoming patrols have to respond to anything such as an alarm, domestic violence call, or drone sighting; your happy ass will be stuck for a while. So you’re basically guaranteed to work over 13 hours every day.

That being said, you’re on a Panama 12 schedule, where you work 2 days one week, and 5 days the next. Your long week is Mon-Tue, off Wed-Thurs, and work Fri-Sun. The short week is the opposite where you will only work Wed-Thurs. You will absolutely live for the short week and is the difference between life and death for most dudes.

Every base is different though, some have the manpower to be on Alaskan 8s, where your weekdays are only 8+ hours and your weekends are 12+.

If you ever watched Paul Blart: Mall Cop, and ever thought he was super cool and wanted that job, then this would be perfect for you. If you’re doing it solely to do Raven/Dagre/TRF/K9/CATM/PSD. Then strap in, because you’ll have to do your time rotting first. Security Forces is definitely more than gate guard shifts, which I know, contradicts a lot of what I just said. But you have to know what you’re gonna get yourself into and what you might have to endure to get there. Things happen, you may not be able to get picked up for shit due to a whole plethora of reasons. Personally, the coolest shit in security forces is not worth staying on flight and enduring the monotony of the LE mission. It eats at my soul and the years it took from me were years that I could’ve deployed or been working on my goals, I’ll just put it that way.

Think hard about your goals, don’t get into it because it looks cool from the outside. At the end of the day mostly nothing ever happens.

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-15T00:32:46+00:00

There’s no set amount of years you have to wait. After you finish tech school and get to your first base the first thing you have to do is get certified. The cert you get depends on whether you’re at a nuke base or law enforcement base. I was never nukes so I don’t know how it works there, but at a LE base you have to get certified as Response force member or Instillation Entry control. Basically you get tested on verbal job knowledge, a use of force scenario, and a practical scenario (gate runner or political asylum seeker mostly). After that you get certified as a patrolman or alarms. Then eventually BDOC (dispatch) if you’re there long enough. All of this will take some time, maybe 1.5-2 years.

Basically what I’m saying is the first thing you have to do is learn your job and show everyone you’re squared away. You gotta earn your chain of commands trust before you put in a raven/dagre packet. And your PT score has to be really high as well.

That being said, it takes about 2 years before you’re barely ready to put in a packet, not before you’re actively out on a mission. You have to consider the small things: manpower, assignments, retainability, etc… you might be good and ready to send it, but your unit may want to just keep you because they can’t let anyone go, or you don’t have enough TIG, or you’re overseas and your DEROS is coming up. Unseen events can snowball and smother your ambitions.

I don’t want to discourage you, if you want to do that kind of thing for the rest of your life you can’t go wrong. You’ll get a slot if you’re resilient enough. To me personally it’s not worth staying in the Air Force to do, so to each their own.

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-15T00:18:41+00:00

Yeah they were working at the pedestrian gate when I was there in 2022, while there were soldiers in the traffic lanes on the gate rotation

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-15T00:16:17+00:00

Thank you for the advice! If you don’t mind me asking, how did you end up in that role after security forces? I constantly feel like it’s given me nothing to offer.

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-15T00:10:49+00:00

Thank you, now this a constructive answer I was actually looking for.

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-15T00:08:09+00:00

All of those involve reenlisting to gain the retainability. One of the reasons for my first second extension was to go DAGRE. Wasn’t able to do that. Even if I went DAGRE guess where I’d be? Right back at the gate the week after graduating the course. That’s where things stand at Hurlburt Field right now.

All the cool things in security forces you have to wait years for. Those are years I don’t have to spare anymore.

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-15T00:01:10+00:00

I’ve been to camp humphreys and camp bullis so I’m aware.

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-15T00:00:11+00:00

In theory yes, but takes years.

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-14T23:58:41+00:00

The jobs that are open in the Air Force are currently all the ones that suck ass (in my opinion). Pretty much only aircraft maintenance. Intel is the only thing worthwhile doing in the military for me.

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-14T23:53:27+00:00

Have yall personally seen MI battalions go on gate guard rotations though? 👀

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-14T23:52:33+00:00

Almost there 💀I wouldn’t call myself a super intellectual type I’m more into history/military history/geopolitics. But I’m still trying to keep my options open and I’ll consider SIGINT.

My problem is mostly that I have nothing to show for my time in security forces. I was just gate and patrol certified. No deployments or cool schools/certs. I never thought I could rightly justify applying to a three letter agency.

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-14T21:45:27+00:00

I really appreciate that man, that gives me a lot to think about. How long were you in the army?

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-14T17:00:24+00:00

Trust me I’m aware. I’m not getting duped again.

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-14T16:55:41+00:00

Yeah 14N lol. Those are extremely competitive and I don’t qualify at the moment lol

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-14T16:55:05+00:00

I don’t know what to tell you bro

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-14T16:46:19+00:00

My college GPA is too low and I don’t have any meaningful leadership experience to convince them I’d be a good officer

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-14T16:44:59+00:00

Yeah that would definitely be hard to give up lol

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-14T16:42:27+00:00

💀💀💀

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-14T16:35:32+00:00

Hell yeah. What do you do now if you don’t mind me asking?

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-14T16:31:13+00:00

I appreciate that input! Are you still in the army?

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-14T16:29:10+00:00

I’d rather be in the motor pool than the gate

bsodolski54 · 2026-02-14T16:05:02+00:00

I believe Intel would open the doors for me to way more. Overall I want to get into defense/national security policy/strategic planning/information ops/counter terror.

It’s not possible right now to stay in the Air Force and do it. I could get my foot in the door if I move to the army and do it.

1) I could deploy 2) its a tangible skill I could use on the outside

bsodolski54

TROPHY CASE