Anti-terrorism and Information Protection Office

John McCann, standing, and John Van der Ven, seated, Dover's Information Protection Office, are shown getting settled in to their new office space within the Security Forces Squadron on April 1, 2014, at Dover Air Force Base, Del. The Anti-Terrorism and Information Protection function has been realigned and consolidated within the 436th SFS. (U.S. Air Force photo/Greg L. Davis)

Anti-terrorism and Information Protection Office

Walter Billing, left, Michael Mendoza, middle, and Derek Feny, right, make up Dover's Anti-Terrorism Office and are shown on April 1, 2014, at Dover Air Force Base, Del. The Anti-Terrorism and Information Protection function has been realigned and consolidated within the 436th SFS. (U.S. Air Force photo/Greg L. Davis)

AT/IP move back to SFS

Published April 1, 2014
By Senior Airman Jared Duhon
436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- Anti-terrorism and information protection will no longer exist as separate entities April 1, 2014.

In an Air Force initiative to preserve mission capabilities while reducing cost, the offices, in Air Mobility Command, are realigning with Security Forces squadrons.

"The move by the Air Force to consolidate the offices into the squadron will help reduce cost by getting rid of redundancies," said Lt. Col. Joel Briske, 436 SFS commander. "I know this will be a smooth transition for customers of the programs, because other than a location change nothing will affect the capability to deliver the information."

Michael Mendoza, 436 Airlift Wing anti-terrorism officer, said the move makes sense.

"The two agencies, right now, work as separate entities in wing staff," Mendoza said. "The offices have a lot of parallel processes and merging them will allow for us to make better decisions because we have the whole picture."

Before April 1, the agencies existed as part of the wing staff agencies, responsible for their own support. Now the agencies will have a support system.

"The programs will have the support of our squadron, but I am extremely lucky," said Briske. "The offices have very capable individuals, making this transition very smooth."

After the Khobar Towers bombing in 1996, AT offices were created and placed into security forces squadrons. Following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, AMC directed that an AT officer be placed into the wing staffs in 2003.

"The program has grown and developed a lot since it was first moved out of SFS," said Mendoza. "That should make the issues that caused the move in the first place not to happen again."