GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation which designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week.
As in years past, Grissom recently commemorated the week by hosting its own police week event here.
The annual event brought a multitude of federal, state, county and city agencies together in an effort to educate students from area schools about the many facets of law enforcement.
The 434th Security Forces Squadron spearheaded the occasion that featured displays from other units as well.
Participating agencies included the Peru Police Department, The Miami County Sherriff’s Department and the Indiana Drug Enforcement Association.
“I’m so thankful that in our community they offer something so exciting to our kids,” said Natasha Eckerley, a sixth-grade teacher at Blair Pointe Upper Elementary School in Peru, Indiana.
Sixth-grade students from both Miami County, Indiana and Peru Community Schools were able to speak with both military and civilian law enforcement officers and tour a KC-135R Stratotanker.
Eckerley said the displays, information sessions and hands-on demonstrations are a great learning tool for students, especially those interested in careers in law enforcement.
“I have a student who wants to be a crime scene investigator,” she said. “So we’re just very appreciative that they offer this to our kiddos.”
Police week events, such as this one, have been hosted at Grissom since 1995.
“It’s important to continue community relations with the schools and local law enforcement,” said Tech Sgt. Timothy Augustyn, 434th ARW physical security manager. “It helps to know we’re impacting kids and giving them a look into what they want to do in the future."
The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. The Citizen Airmen from the Hoosier Wing routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission.
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