New program provides an extra ring of security for airmen and their families.

Beginning Monday, visitors to Dover Air Force Base have been seeing a new level of security: airmen going about everyday jobs carrying sidearms.

The policy itself isn’t new, but its implementation is a direct result of attacks on military personnel by terrorist sympathizers or individuals with mental health issues, said Lt. Col. Dana G. Metzger, commander of the 436th Security Forces Squadron.

“We had plans to respond to situations for barricaded shooters, but not for someone just walking in and killing people,” Metzger said. Since 1995, 43 people have been killed and 99 injured in military base shootings.

In August 2006 an Islamic extremist group targeted Dover AFB for an attack that was never carried out. In May 2014, the base was put on lockdown following reports, later shown to be unfounded, that a suspicious person with a gun had been seen near an airplane hangar.

The most recent assault on military personnel was a July 16, 2015 attack in Chattanooga, Tenn. At an off-base recruiting center, four Marines and a sailor were killed and two others wounded.

Two weeks later, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter ordered the military to find ways of augmenting their security, to include arming personnel who did not normally carry weapons.

Labelled Eagle Shield at Dover, the program is divided into two parts. The first, the Security Forces Staff Arming Program, authorizes security personnel who do not normally carry weapons – such as Metzger and his staff – to be armed on duty. 436th Airlift Wing commander Col. Michael W. Grismer Jr. backed up the program by allowing government weapons, including the M14 selective fire automatic rifle and M9 semiautomatic pistol, to be carried in personal vehicles while responding to an emergency.

The change, also implemented at other bases, allows Metzger to deploy more security personnel and cut the amount of time it takes to get to the scene of an emergency, he said.

“This is a culture change in the military,” Metzger said. “We’ve not adapted in my 20 years to the threats that are now evolving. With Eagle Shield – finally – we’re adapting our enemy’s new tactics and countering them.”

But the second part of Eagle Shield is the most far-reaching: authored by security specialists Tech. Sgt. Michael Johnson and Staff Sgts. Bryan Miller, Joshua Botto and John Broughal, the program trains selected airmen – from airplane mechanics to cooks to administrative specialists – giving them the ability to protect others at work.

Dubbed the Unit Marshal Program, staff sergeants and above are selected by their commanders to undergo a wide-ranging eight-day course in handling a 9mm pistol, use of force, reacting to an active shooter situation, communications and working with security personnel during emergencies.

Dover is the first installation to implement a unit marshals program.

The training developed by Johnson and the others will be the baseline for unit marshal programs throughout the Air Force. It is being studied for possible use in the U.S. Army and Navy.

The training emphasizes recognizing a possible shooter before he or she can pull a weapon, Johnson said. Training includes learning the sometimes subtle signs of possible trouble.

“We’re teaching them to be more aware of their surroundings, to open their eyes to what’s going on around them,” he said.

“They’re responsible for eliminating a threat, if need be, and for protecting their co-workers.” Miller added.

The last three days are spent in hands-on tactical training scenarios that cover how to move through buildings or other places where there may be an active shooter. Some of that involves “simunitions,” nonlethal ammunition akin to paintball. Getting hit with one of these rounds is not fun: “They hurt,” Miller said.

Marshals will undergo refresher training on a regular basis.

“The safety and security of Team Dover is a top priority,” explained Deputy Chief of Public Affairs Lt. Alannah Staver. “We must take every possible precaution so our military members, civilian personnel and family members can traffic DAFB without any concerns for their safety.”

These airmen are not first-responders, Metzger said; their task is to protect people until trained security forces take over. When on duty, they’ll wear a distinctive insignia quickly let others – including responding security forces – know who they are and also will serve as a deterrent for anyone thinking about starting a shooting spree.

Due to security concerns, the base is not releasing information on how many unit marshals have been appointed and where they are working, Staver said.

“Through the Eagle Shield program, DAFB has taken substantial steps to increase the safety and security of all individuals on the installation,” she said.