During Police Week 2014, Eagle Chapter placed the nine yellow roses, shown above, at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington DC in recognition of the nine Air Force Security Force Members who have died while on active duty and policing communities in Iraq or Afghanistan but have not been recognized by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF). The NLEOMF manages the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial where our nation's police officers that die while serving are inscribed on the memorial.
Eagle Chapter Recognizes All Air Force Security Force members who have died while serving as police officers
Each year, during Police Week, Eagle Chapter recognizes the 15 Air Force Security Forces Airmen who have died while in uniform and are inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington DC. We recognize these Airmen who have made the ultimate sacrifice by placing a wreath at the memorial with an image of all 15 Airmen shown in the center of the display. Click here to see our tribute to these Airmen.
In addition to the wreath that we provide that honors these Airmen who are inscribed on the memorial, in 2008, the chapter began placing yellow roses at the memorial to honor the nine Air Force Security Forces Airmen who died while policing in Iraq that the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial has disapproved for inclusion.
Ten Security Forces Airman have been recognized by the Department of Defense to have died while associated with hostilities connected to Iraq or Afghanistan. All were performing police duties at the time of their death. Only one of these, Airman Nicholas Alden, has been recognized by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund by inscribing his name on the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington DC. Airman Alden died when he was attacked and killed by a terrorist while he was at Frankfurt International Airport in Germany enroute to serve in Afghanistan. Had the terrorist waited until he arrived in Afghanistan to kill him, he would not have qualified for placement on the memorial. Under the latter circumstance, by being killed in a combat zone, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund's policy would deny his placement on our nation's police memorial just like they currently do for his fellow Airmen who have died while policing in Iraq.
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund does recognize other categories of police officers who die while serving in combat. It recognizes special agents. See the timeline below. These special agents (shown in red below) were serving under the same conditions as our Security Forces Airmen who have been denied. Is it fair for the NLEOMF to separate these police professionals at their death while they work together in safeguarding our communities both here and abroad?
For information about these 10 Security Forces Airman, please see our SF KIA page by clicking here.
In addition to the wreath that we provide that honors these Airmen who are inscribed on the memorial, in 2008, the chapter began placing yellow roses at the memorial to honor the nine Air Force Security Forces Airmen who died while policing in Iraq that the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial has disapproved for inclusion.
Ten Security Forces Airman have been recognized by the Department of Defense to have died while associated with hostilities connected to Iraq or Afghanistan. All were performing police duties at the time of their death. Only one of these, Airman Nicholas Alden, has been recognized by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund by inscribing his name on the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington DC. Airman Alden died when he was attacked and killed by a terrorist while he was at Frankfurt International Airport in Germany enroute to serve in Afghanistan. Had the terrorist waited until he arrived in Afghanistan to kill him, he would not have qualified for placement on the memorial. Under the latter circumstance, by being killed in a combat zone, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund's policy would deny his placement on our nation's police memorial just like they currently do for his fellow Airmen who have died while policing in Iraq.
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund does recognize other categories of police officers who die while serving in combat. It recognizes special agents. See the timeline below. These special agents (shown in red below) were serving under the same conditions as our Security Forces Airmen who have been denied. Is it fair for the NLEOMF to separate these police professionals at their death while they work together in safeguarding our communities both here and abroad?
For information about these 10 Security Forces Airman, please see our SF KIA page by clicking here.
The issue - according to National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund policy, "Military police officers serving in a combat situation
will not be included" on our nation's memorial to it's police officers. But the organization recognizes other law enforcement professionals as long as they are not functioning as military police.
We believe that the policy is an outdated guide that does not recognize the contribution of today's military police officers who are helping developing nations create their civilian and military police forces. It is ironic that our police officers work to help develop police forces yet if they die or are killed while doing so, they do not qualify for being memorialized at our nation's memorial for police officers that die while serving.
In 2007, Eagle Chapter Chairman, Lee Chambers, requested that the Headquarters U. S. Air Force Director of Security Forces to petition the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund to recognize the Air Force Security Force members who have died while performing police duties in Iraq. The following year, the Director (then Brigadier General Mary Kay Hertog) petitioned the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial to recognize our Air Force Security Forces Airmen. See her request in the section below.
Timeline - September 28, 2005 - March 2, 2011
The personnel shown below all died while performing police duties while assigned or associated with duties in Iraq or Afghanistan. Where noted in red, below, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial honored the deaths of special agents by inscribing their names on the national memorial; but, denied the official Headquarters US Air Force request to recognize the seven security force professionals similarly. Please note the following:
1. September 28, 2005, US Air Force Security Forces Airman First Class Elizabeth Jacobson died when an improvised explosive device exploded by the vehicle that she was riding on patrol in Iraq.
2. January 22, 2006, US Air Force Security Forces Technical Sergeant Jason L. Norton and US Air Force Security Forces Staff Sergeant Brian McElroy died when an improvised explosive device exploded near their vehicle while on patrol in Iraq.
3. February 20, 2006, US Air Force Office of Special Investigation Special Agent Daniel Joseph Kuhlmeier (NLEOM Panel: 62-East: Line 25) died while riding with three other US military personnel when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device.
4. October 14, 2006, US Air Force Security Forces Airman First Class Leebernard E. Chavis was training police in Iraq when he was shot responding to a crime.
5. May 14, 2007, US Air Force Security Forces Staff Sergeant John T. Self died while on a law enforcement training patrol with the Iraqi police when their vehicle caught fire after being hit by an improvised explosive device.
6. June 5, 2007, US Air Force Office of Special Investigation Special Agents Matthew J. Kuglics (NLEOM Panel: 62-West: Line 26) and Ryan Balmer (NLEOM Panel: 62-West: Line 26) were killed when their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device in Iraq.
7. June 23, 2007, US Air Force Security Forces Airman First Class Jason D. Nathan died while training Iraqi police when their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device.
8. April 3, 2008, US Air Force Security Forces Staff Sergeant Travis L. Griffin was training Iraqi police when they were patrolling a housing area and was killed by an improvised explosive device.
9. September 8, 2009, US Air Force Security Forces Airman First Lieutenant Joseph D. Helton died while on patrol in Iraq when his vehicle was attacked by an improvised explosive device.
10. October 26, 2009, Drug Enforcement Agency Special Agents Forest Nelson Leamon (NLEOM Panel: 20-West: Line 27), Chad L. Michael (NLEOM Panel: 11-West: Line 27) and Michael E. Weston (NLEOM Panel: 11-West: Line 27) died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan.
11. March 2, 2011, US Air Force Security Forces Airman Nicholas J. Alden died when he was shot and killed while at Frankfurt International Air Port Germany while enroute to serve in Afghanistan. The National LE Officers Memorial recognized him by inscribing his name on the Memorial. See above. Had he been killed in Afghanistan, he would not qualify according to the policy.
We believe that the policy is an outdated guide that does not recognize the contribution of today's military police officers who are helping developing nations create their civilian and military police forces. It is ironic that our police officers work to help develop police forces yet if they die or are killed while doing so, they do not qualify for being memorialized at our nation's memorial for police officers that die while serving.
In 2007, Eagle Chapter Chairman, Lee Chambers, requested that the Headquarters U. S. Air Force Director of Security Forces to petition the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund to recognize the Air Force Security Force members who have died while performing police duties in Iraq. The following year, the Director (then Brigadier General Mary Kay Hertog) petitioned the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial to recognize our Air Force Security Forces Airmen. See her request in the section below.
Timeline - September 28, 2005 - March 2, 2011
The personnel shown below all died while performing police duties while assigned or associated with duties in Iraq or Afghanistan. Where noted in red, below, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial honored the deaths of special agents by inscribing their names on the national memorial; but, denied the official Headquarters US Air Force request to recognize the seven security force professionals similarly. Please note the following:
1. September 28, 2005, US Air Force Security Forces Airman First Class Elizabeth Jacobson died when an improvised explosive device exploded by the vehicle that she was riding on patrol in Iraq.
2. January 22, 2006, US Air Force Security Forces Technical Sergeant Jason L. Norton and US Air Force Security Forces Staff Sergeant Brian McElroy died when an improvised explosive device exploded near their vehicle while on patrol in Iraq.
3. February 20, 2006, US Air Force Office of Special Investigation Special Agent Daniel Joseph Kuhlmeier (NLEOM Panel: 62-East: Line 25) died while riding with three other US military personnel when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device.
4. October 14, 2006, US Air Force Security Forces Airman First Class Leebernard E. Chavis was training police in Iraq when he was shot responding to a crime.
5. May 14, 2007, US Air Force Security Forces Staff Sergeant John T. Self died while on a law enforcement training patrol with the Iraqi police when their vehicle caught fire after being hit by an improvised explosive device.
6. June 5, 2007, US Air Force Office of Special Investigation Special Agents Matthew J. Kuglics (NLEOM Panel: 62-West: Line 26) and Ryan Balmer (NLEOM Panel: 62-West: Line 26) were killed when their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device in Iraq.
7. June 23, 2007, US Air Force Security Forces Airman First Class Jason D. Nathan died while training Iraqi police when their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device.
8. April 3, 2008, US Air Force Security Forces Staff Sergeant Travis L. Griffin was training Iraqi police when they were patrolling a housing area and was killed by an improvised explosive device.
9. September 8, 2009, US Air Force Security Forces Airman First Lieutenant Joseph D. Helton died while on patrol in Iraq when his vehicle was attacked by an improvised explosive device.
10. October 26, 2009, Drug Enforcement Agency Special Agents Forest Nelson Leamon (NLEOM Panel: 20-West: Line 27), Chad L. Michael (NLEOM Panel: 11-West: Line 27) and Michael E. Weston (NLEOM Panel: 11-West: Line 27) died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan.
11. March 2, 2011, US Air Force Security Forces Airman Nicholas J. Alden died when he was shot and killed while at Frankfurt International Air Port Germany while enroute to serve in Afghanistan. The National LE Officers Memorial recognized him by inscribing his name on the Memorial. See above. Had he been killed in Afghanistan, he would not qualify according to the policy.
On November 1, 2008, Brigadier General Mary K. Hertog, the Headquarters US Air Force Director of Security Forces, requested the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (the organization that manages the memorial) to recognize these seven Air Force Security Force members who had died at that time while performing police duties.
On February 23, 2009, Craig Floyd, Chairman of the NLEOMF, informed General Hertog that the NLEOMF will not modify it’s policy. While it is correct for the NLEOMF to recognize our special agents and police officers who die on our streets, it is unfair to exclude our police officers from their fellow special agent professionals who die under the same circumstances in combat areas. We urge the NLEOMF to simply be fair.
See General Hertog's request and Mr Floyd's response by scrolling on the document below.
On February 23, 2009, Craig Floyd, Chairman of the NLEOMF, informed General Hertog that the NLEOMF will not modify it’s policy. While it is correct for the NLEOMF to recognize our special agents and police officers who die on our streets, it is unfair to exclude our police officers from their fellow special agent professionals who die under the same circumstances in combat areas. We urge the NLEOMF to simply be fair.
See General Hertog's request and Mr Floyd's response by scrolling on the document below.
In 2007, we first learned about the practice of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial to exclude our Air Force Security Forces Airman. Seven years later during Police Week 2014, we are making this information available for others to be aware of the policy and to hopefully launch a renewed effort to recognize these long overdue Airmen who have made the ultimate measure of devotion to our country while helped fledgling democracies establish a credible and fair police organization to serve their own citizens. Don't we owe it to these Airmen and their families?
We support the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial! We simply have this area of disagreement with this one policy.
To see a history of our support efforts, please click here to see our Police Memorial support page or see our Police Memorial Support Page under the About Us tab.
Contact our Chairman by clicking here for more information.
We support the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial! We simply have this area of disagreement with this one policy.
To see a history of our support efforts, please click here to see our Police Memorial support page or see our Police Memorial Support Page under the About Us tab.
Contact our Chairman by clicking here for more information.
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Our Goals
Honor and serve Air Force Security Forces Airmen, families, and our military heritage. Recognize the Air Force military service tradition. |
Contact Us
Eagle Chapter Air Force Security Forces Association P. O. Box 334 Gainesville, VA 20156-0334 chairman@afspaeagle.com |
Eagle Chapter is a tax-free, 501(C)(19) Veterans Services Organization.
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