NCO keeps TRF Armory certified, ready to defend

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Katrina Heikkinen
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  To the eye of the public, security forces tactical response force members at Malmstrom Air Force Base may appear to have an enjoyable job: using saws to breach buildings, practicing close-quarter battle and riding in UH-1N Huey Helicopters to provide security within the missile complex.

Some people may not understand the mental and physical capacity required of 341st Security Forces Group Tactical Response Force members. From pro-efficiency training, and maintaining and upgrading weapon certifications, to learning how to work proficiently with little to no sleep; being a TRF member is a perpetual cycle of hard work.

For Staff Sgt. Daniel Fisher, 341st SFG TRF assistant NCO in charge and facility manager, he has a large responsibility - helping to ensure the most stringent security forces' support of the largest intercontinental ballistic missile complex in the world.

"As the assistant NCO in charge, I help supervise all certified [TRF] armory members," Fisher said. "I manage and provide training for all armory operations and ensure TRF members are qualified and trained on the weapons they use. I provide on-the-job training for the Airmen and will even go with them to Fort Harrison, [Helena, Mont.], or to the Combat Arms Training and Maintenance unit for pro-efficiency firing and will critique them. I help them get familiar with all the weapon systems, and how to clear, issue and maintain the weapons."

Although a normal day for Fisher can exceed 16 hours and may require additional overtime to help streamline procedure changes within the armory, he is also responsible for accounting for weapons, munitions and equipment valued at $2 million.

"I'm also the facility manager of Bldg. 250 for TRF, so depending on what needs to be fixed, I'm working on revamping this building - new paint and new flooring," Fisher said. "That's what's so great about my job; I like not having a set routine all the time and the frequency of differentness that doesn't make it boring, ever."

A native of Columbia, Mo., Fisher has been at Malmstrom for more than six years and says he always wanted to enter the U.S. Air Force as a security forces member. Although Fisher has only been the armory assistant NCO in charge for a few months, his experience, knowledge and attention to detail have paid off, despite a few setbacks.

"When Staff Sgt. Fisher was appointed as the assistant armory NCO in charge, he faced a severely undermanned section as well as a pending operation instruction change," said Master Sgt. Todd Vidic, 341st SFG TRF NCO in charge. "With steadfast determination, he helped to implement a complete armory makeover. He is highly driven and is always looking for ways to better both himself and his coworkers. Due to his dedication, programs that he directly oversees have recently been quoted as 'the benchmark for this Wing.'"

Fisher helped lead the way by becoming the first certified armorer following a revised OI and earned a 97 percent on his overall score evaluation.

"Fisher has been a key ingredient to TRFs' smooth-running armory," Vidic said. "After he became the first new certified armorer, he developed a complete training plan for future armorers and pushed the number of certified armorers from one to eight."

Airmen with a security forces Air Force Specialty Code may be eligible to apply to become a TRF member. Fisher says being a TRF member is as hard as an individual perceives it.

"We have to push members to do the out-of-the-norm training and physical labor to see if they are capable to pass the various certifications that are required to do the daily mission," Fisher said. "We strive to be the tip of the spear in all we do; in advanced training in close-quarter battle, Air-launched Decoy Missile and breacher courses, exclusive temporary duty's for security response teams and various other courses that pertain to the mission. We accept any male or female with a good history of conduct and physical training scores - no PT failures. If anyone has questions or is interested in joining, we hold tryouts a few times a year."

Although Fisher is scheduled to depart from the security forces career field in a few months to become a recruiter, his work ethic and job knowledge will never be forgotten amongst security forces members at Malmstrom.

"I know not everyone has the chance to get picked up as a recruiter," Fisher said. "To be able to take what I've learned here and pass it on to new Airmen of the Air Force is very exciting."

For more information on applying for Malmstrom's TRF, call Fisher at 731-3590.