902nd SFS civilian policeman wins Air Force award

  • Published
  • By Alex Salinas
  • Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas --  A 902nd Security Forces Squadron police supervisor proved to be the "best of the best" by winning the Air Force 2013 Outstanding Security Forces Flight-Level Award in the civilian supervisor category.

The award was given to Richard Coon after a year's worth of hard work - and a little good fortune.

"I'm proud of the award and thankful to the people who believed in me because there are many others out there who deserve this honor," he said. Coon served in the military for 23 years before retiring in 2000 and coming to Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph in 2005.

Responsible for supervising about 14 civilian policemen, Coon said he also assists in managing an additional 80 uniformed security forces.

"Other than supervisory duties, my job is to provide law enforcement coverage and perform day-to-day security operations," he said.

On any given day, JBSA-Randolph security forces may respond to dozens of calls ranging from building alarms and fire activations to medical emergencies and criminal activities, Coon said.

"I learn something each day from interacting with the people I work with and the people I serve," he said. "Law enforcement has a constant learning curve and no matter the number of years you put in, no situation is exactly the same."

In fiscal 2013, Coon helped his squad respond to 256 traffic violations, 63 larcenies, 10 driving under the influence charges and two drug-related cases.

Filling a void the equivalent of an E-8 for a number of months, Coon also became an operations supervisor for three flights, the military working dogs and five programs that accounted for 130 members.

During a time when 42 percent of his unit was deployed, Coon preserved eight-hour shifts and kept the gates open - where thousands of people enter and exit JBSA-Randolph every day.

Most meaningful to Coon is upholding the responsibilities that come with wearing the badge and having the "heart and soul to take care of business the right way."

"In any community, I believe everybody must be treated with professionalism and compassion," he said. "That is the kind of integrity that makes or breaks us."