HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – The 66th Security Forces Squadron held a 24-Hour End of Watch Memorial Run in recognition of National Police Week here May 14-15.
National Police Week pays special recognition to federal and local law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
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“This year’s event provided a meaningful tribute to all defenders who have fallen since 9/11,” said Maj. Shane Watts, 66 SFS commander.
Organizers dedicated each hour of the run to a fallen defender.
“While the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many of the events typically held as part of Police Week at Hanscom, we will not allow it to stop us from paying respect to our fallen brothers and sisters,” said Staff Sgt. Graciela Correa, SFS Police Week organizer.
SFS personnel paid tribute to Senior Airmen Kcey Ruiz and Nathan Sartain, former 66 SFS Airmen who were killed while deployed to Afghanistan when the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft they were on crashed shortly after takeoff in 2015.
“National Police Week is very important to me, but the memorial run is extremely special,” said Master Sgt. Brandon Johnson, 66 SFS Defense operations support manager, “There are not many of us left who were here when we lost Nathan and Kcey.”
Johnson went on to say both Airmen were amazing people and true police officers, and remembers them each time he enters the installation.
Base officials renamed Hanscom’s two gates in 2018 in honor of the former 66th Security Forces Squadron members.
To learn more about National Police Week, visit www.policeweek.org.
By Mark Herlihy, 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs / Published May 15, 2020
