Grissom's 'gatekeeper' honored with Air Force Reserve award

Published Feb. 10, 2013
By Staff Sgt. Ben Mota
434th ARW Public Affairs

GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- The first impression an organization gives is vitally important to its overall image. Equally as important is securing and protecting an organization's people and assets. For Grissom, these two vital roles fall on the shoulders of one person.

Katherine Blackburn, 434 Security Forces security assistant, was recently recognized by the Air Force Reserve Command with an Outstanding Security Forces Flight Level Civilian award for fulfilling both those roles.

"I was completely shocked when I found out I had received the award," said Blackburn, who has served as a civil servant for over 36 years. "I didn't even know that I had been nominated."

As a security assistant, Blackburn is in charge of keeping the base safe through nonconventional methods by ensuring that people without traditional access to the base have the proper credentials as well as placing any type of driving restrictions on them if necessary.

"She has been instrumental in not only ensuring procedures to prevent unauthorized entry to the installation are in place, she also puts those procedures into her day-to-day duties as the 'gatekeeper' for the installation," said Maj. James Benvenuto, 434th SFS operations officer.

While serving over three and a half decades, Blackburn has seen numerous security changes including the recent addition of a new defense biometric identification system here. They system requires anyone who does not possess a common access card to have a new type of visitors pass that has scanning capabilities in order to ensure they have proper authority to be on base.

The system is an identity authentication tool and physical access control system that uses barcodes and biometrics to identify CAC card holders at entry control points. It is a Department of Defense mandated program recently implemented here at Grissom.

"Ms. Blackburn was key to developing procedures for visitor and contractor access to the installation to ensure the procedures meet (Air Force instruction) requirements and high security standards," said Benvenuto.

Prior to DBIDS, visitors and contractors at Grissom filled out hand-written forms to gain access to the base, added Blackburn. With the new system all contractors and visitors were required to get new identification cards creating a backlog of work that needed to be completed in a short amount of time.

"I have to be flexible because my job changes from day to day," she said. "I can go two hours without assisting anyone to a full room of people needing to get on base in a matter of minutes."
Blackburn is also in charge of all of the restricted area badges, often referred to as line badges, issued at Grissom and was recognized for her contribution to a mass reissue due to technology updates.

"A base-wide line badge reissue was conducted due to AFI requirements since over ten percent of the previous series of line badges were unaccounted for," said Benvenuto. "Ms. Blackburn coordinated with unit security managers to account for the previous series of line badges and reissued over 900 new credentials."

Blackburn's contributions to the squadron, excellent work ethic and her ability to deal with a challenging and dynamic work environment is why she was nominated for the award, said Benvenuto.

Prior to her civil service Blackburn served in the regular Air Force.

The 434th SFS is part of the 434th Air Refueling Wing, the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the AFRC. Airmen and aircraft from the 434th ARW routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission and U.S. Strategic objectives.

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Security Forces civilian recognized by command

Grissom's 'gatekeeper' honored with Air Force Reserve award

Public Affairs Staff