SPOKANE -- The deadly shootings at Ft. Hood last week came to an end when a civilian police officer shot and wounded the gunman. With combat deployments overseas military bases have turned to civilian officers to augment their security forces and Fairchild Air Force Base on the West Plains is no different.

Former soldier turned civilian Police Officer Kimberly Munley shot and wounded Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan four times, bringing to an end his deadly rampage at the Fort Hood Readiness Center last week. Her presence as a member of the security team guarding Fort Hood is a sign of the times. Only a few years ago if you had gone through the main gate at bases like Fort Hood in Texas or Fairchild Air Force Base here in Spokane you would have been showing ID card to members of the base’s security forces squadron.

These days, however, you will find armed civilian officers guarding Fairchild’s main gate. Their mission is to help keep Fairchild secure while uniformed members of the base’s security forces are deployed to foreign bases overseas where they’re guarding Air Force installations that Fairchild’s tankers are forward deployed to.

“That's why last fall Fairchild started supplementing its security forces with civilians. While enlisted policemen are heading overseas, people like Officer Dan Kenney are keeping things safe here at home,” Major Jeff Hollman with the 92nd Security Forces Squadron said.

Officer Kenney is a sworn-in civilian officer that serves with the 92 nd Security Forces Squadron, where his job is to catch speeders and is trained in the use of breathalizers and tasers, everything commissioned police officers do. The only difference might be he’s also helping safeguard billions of dollars in military equipment.

“With all the deployments going on right now civilians are providing continuity and keeping the homes fires burning in the Fairchild police department,” Kenney said.

The other thing about the provost program at Fairchild is when uniformed security forces return from their tours overseas the civilian officers secure the base, giving the airmen some well deserved rest and relaxation.