Grissom Airman earns Trooper's badge Published May 30, 2006 By SrA Jonathan Jones 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind -- It's like basic training all over again. The banging of cans, the screaming and yelling, rushed schedules, blowing whistles, pushups, shining shoes, physical training...only this time it lasts for 23 weeks. Senior Airman Vicki Cummings recently completed the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in Plainfield, Ind. She attended the academy for 23 weeks, graduating on Apr. 7, 2006 to become an Indiana State Police officer. Airman Cummings, an information manager with the 72nd Air Refueling Squadron, was the only female in her graduating class of 36. “Being the only female was tough. The only females I saw were the cleaning people,” she added. In addition, she feels that her instructors did a good job by not treating her different, but like everybody else. This became apparent during her defensive tactics or DTs training. Because of her smaller stature, it was difficult to physically overcome the larger size of the men, she said. “DTs I dreaded everyday. I mean you were getting the crap beat out of you for weeks because in order to learn how to do the certain moves you need to do you had to practice on your fellow classmates.” In addition to DTs training, she received training in emergency vehicle operations, emergency medical service awareness, firearms, vehicle crash investigations, criminal investigation, dealing with domestic violence and sexual assault, and physical training. Airman Cummings believes her military training assisted her while attending the ILEA. “Anything I did in basic military training, I did there [at the academy],” said the Airman. In addition, she could not help other classmates with room inspections because women and men did not share rooms, nor could she go into their rooms. An important advantage she had was her ability to maintain military bearing at all times. Some recruits would talk in formation or move while at attention and cause the entire class to be on “their faces,” she said. “I knew when to shut my mouth,” Airman Cummings added. Although she had an advantage, she often struggled with keeping her spirits up because the 23 weeks of training seemed so long. This showed every weekend when she went home, she said. Unlike BMT, trainees are allowed to go home to be with their families every weekend. However, Sunday would come quickly and it would be time to go back to the academy, leaving behind her husband Tech. Sgt. Jerry Cummings, a crew chief with the 434th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, and three children. “It was very hard to leave,” she said. Although Airman Cummings experienced her struggles while at the academy and leaving home every weekend, she was reminded of why she was there during her 12th week of training when all of the cadets were allowed to go home for one week and would be going on ride-a-longs with Indiana State Police officers. These ride-a-longs reminded the cadets of why they had gone through the training up to this point and kept their interest, said Airman Cummings. “I absolutely love the law, but I don’t want to be in an office loving the law; I want to be on the street loving the law,” she added.
