Commander arrives: New 90th SFG leadership

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Daryl Knee
  • 90th Space Wing Public Affairs
F. E. Warren AFB, Wyo. --  A new group commander arrived last month to assume command of the 90th Security Forces Group here.

Colonel David Martinez, 90th SFG commander, received his position from Col. Allen Jamerson, former 90th SFG commander.

Colonel Martinez said he has big plans for the 90th SFG. He wants to emphasize the importance of the mission here.

"I want to ensure that our young people know how vital this job is," Colonel Martinez said. "I want to lead these Airmen to do the very important job here. We need to do our mission to ensure that everybody is safe."

Colonel Martinez grew up in Louisiana, 50 miles south of New Orleans. Even though his elders were all fishermen, Colonel Martinez joined the Air Force as an enlisted member in November 1974.

"I joined on a Tuesday and left Thursday," Colonel Martinez said. "The Air Force made me a cop."

Colonel Martinez served six years as an enlisted member, and then enrolled in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Southwest Louisiana, obtaining his commission in May 1983.

Colonel Martinez continued to rise through the commissioned field and in November 2005, he received the rank of colonel.

Colonel Martinez departed from his job as the deputy chief of security forces, United States Air Force in Europe at Ramstein Air Base, Germany in early June to come to Warren.

The transition from the air operation mission to the missile mission takes an 'adapt and overcome' attitude he said.

"Who would have thought that I would be the group commander for the security forces?" Colonel Martinez said.

He said the security police here have to remain diligent at all times. The nuclear capacity of this base requires that security be at 100 percent.

"We need to do our job better than anybody to ensure that everybody is safe," Colonel Martinez said.

To do the job to the best of their abilities, the security forces Airmen here have to carefully access every situation and act accordingly. The group commander stands behind the actions his Airmen take.

"The security forces group is a very professional group put in the awkward position of telling people what they are doing is wrong," Colonel Martinez said. "That is a necessity for the accomplishment of the mission."

"I'm blessed to be a security forces member," Colonel Martinez said. "My 30 years as an SF member have been extremely good to me. It's been my home."

Colonel Martinez said he will take this position and do the best he can with it.

"Being the commander is an honor," Colonel Martinez said. "There's not a base, a deployment situation or civilian enterprise out there that does not have a cop. Being able to think that my job is relevant all the time is a blessing."