Activities included a 14K ruck march, retreat ceremony, military working dog demonstrations, displays and a golf tournament to memorialize fallen defenders and raise money for charity.
"National Police Week is a time where we can take a moment and pause and reflect on everything that's happened in the past regarding the law enforcement community," said Tech. Sgt. Nathan Patterson, 28th SFS noncommissioned officer in charge of police services. "I think it's one of the most important things to do is to remember everything that people have given, because they made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms."
Throughout the week, the activities paused for moments of silence to remember fallen defenders.
“The events that occur are there to commemorate the fallen brothers and sisters that we have in the law enforcement community,” Patterson said. “When we look at our brothers and sisters that have fallen, we see somebody that could be our friend, neighbor or loved one that has passed away.”
In addition to honoring fallen defenders, Patterson says Police Week also recognizes the achievements in the squadron and allows them to be active in the community.
“The goal of the many different events that happen during Police Week is so we can reach out to the local community… giving back to them and getting them involved in crime prevention and police services,” he said. “We have a lot of accomplishments within the squadron, but most importantly, we have the great community of Ellsworth Air Force Base.”
One calendar week doesn’t seem like enough time for the 28th SFS to honor the memory of those fallen, celebrate achievements and educate and participate with the community, but the mission never stops for the defender.
“National Police Week gives our security forces an opportunity to take a few minutes to reflect on where they've been, to reflect on fallen comrades,” said Chief Master Sgt. Adam Vizi, 28th Bomb Wing Command Chief. “The 28th Security Forces Squadron has the daunting task of defending Ellsworth Air Force Base, protecting all of our B-1s, and all of the family, Airmen, all the assets that we have on our installation. Our defenders are very, very good at doing that.”