Above left, SES/Mr. Timothy Gerald HQ USAF Deputy Director of Security Forces headlines Police Week observances in Washington DC. Though he could not attend the Fallen Defender Families Reception Luncheon as originally planned at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Washington DC, he did lead federal agency names being read at the 36th Annual Candlelight Vigil at the US Capitol Washington DC. At right, some of the reception attendees pose with the families after the reception luncheon at the Tuskegee Airman Suite, the Bolling Club at Bolling.

Please click here to see the video of Mr. Gerald announcing the start of the Federal Agency names with the five Air Force Defenders who were added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington DC on May 13, 2024 at the US Capitol.

Please see below for more information on the Pentagon Tour and the Reception at Bolling. TREMENDOUS Thanks to Lt Col Nicholas Mercurio, Commander 11th Security Forces at Joint Base Anacostia Bolling for stepping in to be the keynote speaker at the reception when Mr. Gerald could not attend.

Our list of 11th SFS Defender helpers are still being completed. They stepped up HUGE. If they'll have us, we're back at Bolling next year. More to discuss in a future chapter newsletter.

Though the club moved us to a larger room the day of the event, the Tuskegee Airman Ballroom was still too small to comfortably accommodate all attendees. The club could not add another table. We'll work it harder next year. My thanks to Yolanda and Willie Squires for volunteering to host our reception reservation desk. Plus Eagle's Phil Ferris NLEOM Committee Member and Pentagon Tour host, Karl Blinkinsop Vice Chair AFDW Wing and Ian Caldwell Deputy Vice Chair AFDW Wing and Chair MD Wing our project committee members and Ian volunteered as our master of ceremonies. Finally, another thanks to Kevin "Flash" Garcia who supports our NLEOM Committee. We found family members through his expert assistance as volunteer genealogist research consultant. He also attended the reception/luncheon and we sat him next to RaeAnne (Airman Holmes daughter) then an infant when he died. She was one of the family members he found.

DONATIONS. Thanks to your donations, we provided free buffet luncheon for the families, Defenders, and all attendees to the Fallen Defender Families Reception Luncheon. Use the QR Code or click here.

Thank-you all for your generous support and I look forward to seeing you at a future Eagle Chapter event! We need more members on our NLEOM Committee. Please pass the word.

Very respectfully,

//Lee//

Elia C. (Lee) Chambers, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Eagle Chapter Air Force Security Forces Association

PLEASE NOTE THE NEW ADDRESS BELOW

P. O. Box 334

Gainesville, Virginia 20156-0334

Email: chairman@afspaeagle.com | C: 571-302-0992

We published our previous newsletter May 2024 click here or click here to go to our Resources page on our website to see our previous newsletters.

Eagle Chapter AF Security Forces Association membership is FREE to all AF Security Forces Association members who work or live in DC, DE, MD, VA, and WV. Email me for more information.

Some of the Attending Military Guests. Airman First Class John Mercier (90th Missile Security Forces Squadron), Chief Master Sergeant Anthony Chambers (11th SFS Senior Enlisted Leader), Colonel Justin Secrest (90th Security Forces Group Commander), Major Bryan Tuttle (90th Missile Security Forces Squadron Commander), Lt Col Phil Ferris (Eagle Chapter NLEOM Committee/Member of the Board), Lt Col Nicholas Mercurio (11th SFS Commander), and Airman First Class Marina Sonja Lucero, (90th MSFS).

Your donations helped us to provide free attendance for all guests! Aside from the wonderfully prepared luncheon buffet, Eagle Chapter provided yellow roses, Defensor Fortis Flags, program and of course our tri-fold handout to all attendees.

Download the Reception/Luncheon Program by clicking here - Prints best as a 11X17 trifold.

Families Special Donor Gifts. Your donations helped us to provide $800.00 to each family unit along with an Eagle Chapter Coin for every member of the family. Photos above showing the Heitkamp family and Airman Reinhart's mom. When a mom's eyes water as I'm giving her our gift - a hug seems like the correct response.

We're going to need more next year! One of our program managers is successfully engaging on families of six fallen Defenders. Next year, I'd like our donors to tell me how much we should give to each household vice each family. Today, one family household gets the same amount as another family with several households in attendance. Let me know.

Our military performed outstandingly! We could not provide the caliber of this event without the superior support of the HQ USAF Band (playing Taps), HQ USAF Singing Sergeants (singing the National Anthem), HQ USAF Color Guard (posting of the colors), 11th Wing Chaplain's office (invocation), 11th Wing Public Affairs (providing many of the photos shown here) and our superb base Defender hosts - 11th Security Forces Squadron Commander and his team at Joint Base Anacostia Bolling Washington DC. When Mr. Gerald HQ USAF Deputy Director of Security Forces had been called away, Lt Col Nicholas Mercurio, Commander of the 11th SFS (above 3d from left) at JBAB stepped in superbly delivered a great keynote speech. Moreover, his team of volunteers provided transportation from the Washington Hilton Hotel and or the Pentagon out to the Bolling Club, as needed. When the Self family cancelled, Chief Master Sergeant James Thompson, Senior Enlisted Leader for the 436th SFS Dover AFB DE (above 4th from left) volunteered to provide remarks of his time serving with SSgt Self when they were both deployed to Iraq. image at far right above, Technical Sergeant Justin Stamps (HQ USAF Band) plays Taps, Brig General (Select) Craig M. Hunter MD Army National Guard leads the audience by standing at attention. More about him later. 

Major General Janeen L Birckhead, Adjutant General for the State of MD - (photo at left) who I met last month at Eagle Member's Bill Sarge Garlitz's funeral - could not attend our reception luncheon, however she was well represented with two very distinguished members of her staff.

Above in the Taps photo and again at the posting of the colors - the first military member shown was then Colonel, now Brigadier General Craig M. Hunter- Special Assistant for Strategic Initiatives to the Adjutant General. In another photo further above, Command Sergeant Major Patrick M. Metzger State Command Sergeant Major, who has been a Military Police Officer for just under 26 years and he's also a Maryland State Trooper with 26 ½ years of service. Thank-you ma'am. They are interested in our process for recognizing our Defenders who are killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan. We are eager to help.

In his death, Sarge is continuing to provide service to his military that he loved. See our May Newsletter about our announcement of Bill "Sarge" Garlitz's death.

Above located at the Northwest Entrance to the National LE Officers Memorial, in Washington DC, each year we place a wreath showing that we will never forget these Defenders who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. This year, the wreath recognizes the 35 Defender names that have been added to the memorial through 2024.

Since 2012, eighteen (51%) of the Defenders on the memorial have been added with help by Eagle Chapter. Since 2018, all Defenders added to the memorial have been added via Eagle Chapter.

Click here to see a video that shows our wreath at the memorial during Police Week.

This year, we added these five signs (above) for the five Defenders added by NLEOM for 2024. Click here to go to our website to see the signs and other images for National Police Week 2024. In many cases, by seeing the signs at the memorial people learn that the Air Force has police professionals in it's ranks who make similar sacrifices that our civilian police officers make to keep our communities and the nations safe.

To the families of the fallen Defenders - NLEOM hired a new contractor to engrave your loved one's names on the memorial. I have critiqued them at the working level. My critiques would have more weight if the families observe the discrepancy where the engraving is so shallow that I could not use the engraved name in the production of your signs. See last year signs for TSgt Norton, SSgt McElroy, and SRA Nathan to compare earlier signs. Contact me for more information. I'm eager to bear this cross for you if you agree.

Below, one of my obligations is to attend the annual Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS) Gala. At the event, I sat at a table with (1st photo) Yolanda Cline, Past National President of COPS. A Ft Sumner New Mexico resident, Yolanda's claim to fame is she performed the research that got the sheriff deputies that were killed by Billy The Kid to be added to the Memorial. 2d photo, he is the son of an NYPD police officer who died from sickness from the attack on 9-11. 3d photo - if you're a Blue Bloods fan, you should recognize Greg Ybarra who plays the role of Garret Moore as the DCPI. 3d photo Todd Piro, Co-host Fox and Friends First Weekend. 4th photo. I also attended COPS conferences in DC where I met Sergeant Eric Zachareas, District 2 Troop A - Florence Colorado State Motor Patrol. Eric also of COCOPS supported Airman Reinhart's mom. He showed me the badge he proudly displays with her image on it for his backpack. Major Tuttle, 90th MSFS Commander spoke very highly of their support. 5th photo, it was my honor to dine the final day with Julie Stecco (Surviving Spouse and Vice President) of VA COPS and Betty Walker (Surviving Spouse and President VA COPS). They greatly appreciate the sponsorship assistance we provided them for Trauma of Law Enforcement Training last year. Our donors contribute in so many different ways.

With your donations, in addition to the $800.00 we gave this year to each family unit, we also provide $500.00 to each of the units who are successful in having a Defender added to the National LE Officers Memorial. We also provide a plaque to each project manager and a heritage plaque for each Defender that NLEOM recognizes at that unit. It's a huge accomplishment to get this done and our gifts provide a small continuing acknowledgement and a token of our appreciation of their efforts. The individual PM plaques are for them. Our hope is the larger heritage plaque would be used by the unit as a continuing reminder of the sacrifice of our Defender and his/her family.



By the time we publish this newsletter all units will be in the process of receiving their gifts from us except one - the 19th Security Forces Squadron at Little Rock. Rather than shipping these out to the unit, if you can personally deliver these (our $500.00 check and the plaques) to the unit, let me know and I'll provide further details.

With your help, we can provide a warm hand-off the unit plaque to the 19th SFS Commander for the heritage room and personal plaques for their Project Managers, Tech Sgt Jeremy Allen and TSgt Shane Miller, plus the $500.00 to the SFS booster club when their club has met AF JAG requirements. Contact me if you can volunteer to start this in motion.

Above (top) CMSgt (Retired) Gary Jones Charleston SC starts our wash with historical facts, but before he begins, MSgt (Retired) Willie Squires leads Boy Scout Troop 1778, family and Eagle Friends in the Pledge of Allegiance facing the flag, before washing the wall in Washington DC.

You can join Chief Jones, a Vietnam War Safe Side Veteran, who travels up from Charleston SC to join us with our awesome Boy Scout Troop 1778 Waldorf MD in our annual Vietnam War Veterans Memorial Wall Wash the last Saturday in June and August.

We start at 0630 on June 29 with a Memorial Service to recognize the 111 Security Police/Defenders who are among the 58,000 fallen heroes whose names are inscribed on the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial in Washington DC.

Attendees: Be sure to wear closed toed shoes and appropriate clothing. Eagle Chapter will provide bottled water and snacks. We only cancel in the event of severe weather, electrical storm, etc. Otherwise - We'll see you then.

Not later than 30 days before my Memorial Day visit, I must apply for drive on privileges to Arlington National Cemetery. We have 25 gravesites that I visit to place a Defensor Fortis Flag at 25 gravesites alongside Old Glory that the Old Guard places at the 300,000 graves. Where we have a group burial (1st image above at left), I place two flags - one For TSgt Jason Norton and the other for SSgt Bryan McElroy. The other Defender that was killed in action, Airman Leebernard Chavis is located on the same row (2d image above.

The 3d image Hutch's grave. Col (Ret) Stephen Hutchens was the top cop at Andrews when he retired. He later was a member of our board. It's always nice when a family member surprises me with an email stating that they visited their loved one's grave and saw that I had been there. See the note below from Hutch's surviving spouse Amy:

Lee, Spencer [Hutch and Amy's son] visited Steve's grave at Arlington yesterday. He said he saw a Defensor Fortis flag-

Thank you to AFSFA for doing that for all of our Defenders! With a heavy but grateful heart.

Thank you so much. I have shared this [image] with Steve's kids and family.

Amy 

The image at far right is me at my Zulu launch from CINCHouse.

One of the trickiest internments to visit is that of Linda Wallace wife of Captain Curtis Wallace who asked me to visit his wife's grave at Arlington for him. Curtis made this request at an AFSFA Annual Meeting. The video shows how to find it.

To see our complete list of gravesites click here. Also, if you'd like a photo of your loved one's grave at my Memorial Day visit just let me know.

Above at left Eagle Chapter's Kathy Wojciechowski, Vice Chair Tidewater Wing lays the wreath as CW5 Phyllis J. Wilson, US Army Retired the President Military Women's Memorial introduces her to the crowd. In photo at right, Kathy pauses long enough for her paparazzi (me) to take a photo of her with the Honorable Christine E. Wormuth, Secretary of the Army. Secretary Wormuth was the event's keynote speaker.

A final solemn task that she performs at the Women's Memorial on Memorial Day is the recognition of female Defenders who die while serving. This year we updated our list to add Airman Trinity L. Reinhart. Kathy places rose petals in the memorial fountain in observance of their sacrifice while serving our nation. Thank-you Kathy for your 3-hour one-way drive to make this event even more special with your participation. 

Click here to see our list of the fallen Defender women for 2024.

And You're Invited!

Our chapter board meetings are open to all members. Contact Lt Col Wruck, our Chapter Secretary, and she'll send you the call-in information and documents related to the July board meeting.

It's a Zoom-like conference call. Join us or contact her for more information.

Ladies and Gentlemen - please join me in congratulating the 2024 New Officers of the Bolling 11 SFS Thunder Cats Association. In the photo above, we donated the balance of the $500.00 pledge we made back on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day by giving them $250.00 then. At the request of the commander, we waited until the new officers were installed to engage. It was my pleasure to be invited recently to meet them and give them the $250.00 check as a small token of our appreciation of tour Security Forces.

• SSgt Bermudez DeJesus, President

• SSgt Manuel A. Nuñez, Vice President

• TSgt Nathan B. Harwood, Treasurer

• SRA Dalton L. Webb, Secretary

Their duty functions include NCOIC of Supply, Base Defense Operational Controller (BDOC), Flight Sgt and Armorer/Fight patrol.

They were kind enough to sit through my passionate Eagle Chapter Orientation 45-minute presentation.

Donors can click the image above or click here. If you are sending a check, please note our new address.

Eagle Chapter, Air Force Security Forces Association

P.O. Box 334

Gainesville, VA 20156-0334

(571) 302-0992

Click the Donate button on any page of our website to give.