820th Base Defense Group

The group traces its lineage to the 82nd Combat Security Police Wing, active from 1968 at Fairchild Air Force Base, WA., and then Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The 82 CSPW was inactivated in 1983.

Since its re-activation in 1997,[2] the 820 BDG has deployed in support of Operations Desert Safeside, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Inherent Resolve, Bright Star, Operation Resolute Support, Operation Freedom's Sentinel, Operation Juniper Shield, Operation Juniper Micron, and Operation Spartan Shield. It has deployed to locations such as Iraq, Djibouti, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Niger, and Kenya.

The group also deployed in a humanitarian assistance role to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.[3] Fifty members of the 820 BDG/823 BDS deployed to Port-au-Prince in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake to assist with security and humanitarian efforts.[4][5]

In August 2009 it was announced[6] that Airmen from the New York Air National Guard's 105th Security Forces Squadron from Stewart Air National Guard Base would support the 820 BDG with manpower for their deployments. Since then, Airmen from the 105 BDS have integrated with the 820 BDG for training and deployments.[7]

The 820th Security Forces Group was redesignated the 820th Base Defense Group in October 2010.

The 823rd Security Forces Squadron, in 2007 was changed from “Safeside” to “Jesters” some veterans, current troops and family members of the unit maintain the Safeside Association.[8] The volunteers maintain the history of the unit, provide periodic newsletters and organize an annual reunion at Moody Air Force Base.

The 820 BDG is different from other Security Forces Groups in that it is not on a rotational schedule, also known as Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) and supports the Department of Defense's Immediate Response Force (IRF). The concept of the 820 BDG is to have a high operations tempo and be ready to deploy to open and establish bases for joint operations in any location at a moment's notice for extended periods of time.

The Base Defense and Combat Operations Squadrons are made up of Security Forces, medics, communications, logisticians, vehicle maintenance, civil engineers, personnelists, explosive ordnance disposal, and intelligence specialties.

Various Department of Defense schools are available to the group's personnel, and may include: Airborne, Pathfinder, Army Sniper, Ranger, Air Assault, Special Reaction Team, the Close Precision Engagement Course (CPEC), Raven B sUAS, Air Advisor, and EMT.[9]

The Group has four subordinate squadrons:

An airman from the 823rd Base Defense Squadron receives his Ranger tab after completing Ranger school in 2011.

• 820th Combat Operations Squadron [10]
• 822nd Base Defense Squadron [11]
• 823rd Base Defense Squadron [12]
• 824th Base Defense Squadron [13]

• Established as 82 Combat Security Police Wing, and activated, on 5 March 1968.

Organized on 8 March 1968.

Inactivated on 31 December 1969.

Disestablished on 15 June 1983.

• Reestablished, redesignated as 820 Security Forces Group, and activated, on 17 March 1997.
• Redesignated as 820 Base Defense Group on 30 September 2010.

• Tactical Air Command, 8 March 1968 – 15 August 1969
• Ninth Air Force, 15 August – 31 December 1969
• Air Force Security Forces Center, 17 March 1997 – 14 March 2001
• Ninth Air Force, 14 March 2001 – 18 August 2006
• 347th Rescue Wing, 18 August 2006 – 1 October 2006
• 23rd Wing, 1 October 2006 – 25 January 2008
• 93rd Air Ground Operations Wing, 25 January 2008 – Present

• Fairchild AFB, WA, 8 March 1968 – 15 August 1968.
• Fort Campbell, KY, 15 August 1968 – 31 December 1969.
• Lackland AFB, TX, 17 March 1997 – 14 March 2001
• Moody AFB, GA, 14 March 2001 – Present

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

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