In Your Face

April 7 was a stinging day—literally—for some members of the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Fighter Wing at Tucson International Airport. To comply with a new Air Force-wide directive that went into effect in February, they had to endure being sprayed in the face with pepper spray during a training exercise so that they would know first-hand what its effects are should they ever be on the receiving end. (The directive states that all security forces members must experience the spray at least once in their military career.) SrA. Joe De Vos and Army Specialist Jose Zavala, a security forces augmentee, were the first to receive the spray. The rest of the security force members will get theirs by early May. “I think they did really well,” said TSgt. Jonathan Wallace, a security forces member, of De Vos and Zavala. Wallace, who served as a mock assailant against De Vos and Zavala in the exercise, added, “They fought through it, maintained control of their weapons and the situation, and that’s all we can ask for.” (Tucson report by Capt. Gabe Johnson)