KADENA AIR BASE, Japan – U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 18th Security Forces Squadron conduct a gate runner exercise in support of a base wide routine readiness exercise, Jan. 15, 2025.

One of the 18th SFS responsibilities is safeguarding the base and maintaining its security. They manage entry control points, ensuring that all individuals have the proper clearance and are accounted for. In the event of a threat or an attempted breach, they are trained to apply their knowledge and experience to effectively protect the base.

During the exercise the unit simulated a ‘gate runner’, a person or a vehicle who had breached base parameters without the proper clearance or authorization.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Alexander Hernandez, 18th SFS law enforcement patroller, explained that a person driving through the gate without utilizing credentials initiates a chase. Then, that alarms the team to conduct a high-risk traffic stop, which involves pulling him out of the vehicle and apprehending him.

“The more we practice the better we are when we face a real-world scenario,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Keyanna Rogers, 18th SFS base defense operation controller.

Maintaining readiness is essential to generating credible deterrence in an increasingly complex and highly demanding environment.

Exercises are a vital component to ensure mission readiness, it opens the ability for leadership to identify any limiting factors and make necessary changes.