Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam hosts National Police Week 2024
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR HICKAM, Hawaii -- JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii — Members of the 647th Security Forces Squadron recently hosted National Police Week with a full itinerary of events open to law enforcement from all military services on Oahu.
This annual observance began in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation designating May 15th as Peace Officer Memorial Day, calling the week in which it falls, ‘Police Week’.
“Police week is a time to honor our fallen defenders, get out of our comfort zone and show the rest of the military what being a defender is all about,” said Senior Airman Emily Brossa, 647th Security Forces Squadron Joint Defense Operation Center controller.
The week kicked off with a 5k run and continued with several sport events and a Fire Team challenge, where Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam law enforcement personnel competed head-to-head, performing skills that tested their mental, physical and technical capabilities.
“We love watching our Airmen, Sailors, and civilians volunteer their off-duty time to showcase the broad range of mission sets we have,” said Lt. Col. Marc Stanco, 647th SFS commander. “Often, the personnel we protect only associate our team with an [identification] check at the morning gate, but that is only a small piece of what we are asked to do for the larger Air Force and Navy missions, both in-garrison and deployed.”
The events throughout the week were not only held to honor and remember fellow peers, but they were also all curated in an effort to boost camaraderie.
“My favorite part of the week cannot be narrowed down to one event, but rather it's an opportunity to educate our young defenders on the family they are now a part of,” said Stanco. “We show them that our law enforcement and combat history is a proud one.”
The week’s events wrapped up with the Final Guardmount ceremony where active security forces members read the names of fallen security forces, master-at-arms and special agents who lost their lives in the line of duty.
“We are able to dedicate a week of our time to reflect on what it’s all about and remind ourselves we are blessed because not everyone gets to come home,” said Stanco.