|
Security Forces Airman Embodies Warrior Ethos
by U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Jack
LeGrand
October 23,
2021
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jonathan
Cornelius, assigned to the 319th Security Forces Squadron as a Base
Defense Operations Center controller, is the embodiment of the
warrior ethos that an Air Force career like security forces demands
every day. However, working in a military occupation demands more
than just being a warrior on the surface.
|
September 23, 2021 - Staff Sgt. Jonathan Cornelius, Base Defense Operations Center controller assigned to the 319th Security Forces Squadron, stands fully equipped for his patrol shift beside a Security Forces vehicle on Grand Forks Air Force Base, ND. Security Forces personnel safeguard Airmen and their families on Grand Forks Air Force Base to ensure the success of the surveillance and reconnaissance mission. (Image created by USA Patriotism! from U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jack LeGrand.)
|
“Being in a profession of arms, a high
level of discipline is required. You have to be 100 percent on all
levels; spiritual, mental, physical. All those platforms come into
play when it comes to keeping your discipline in order to perform,”
said Cornelius.
That need to perform is what defines a
first-responder job like security forces and how they have to treat
every situation.
“There’s no
alternative. If the job doesn’t get done then potentially people
die. I take that pretty seriously and for me it’s easier to stay in
check knowing that I’m responsible at any given moment for someone’s
life. It has a bigger impact for me,” said Cornelius.
That
impact stems from Cornelius’ upbringing with a large portion of his
family having served in the military.
“Both of my
grandfathers served, one in the Army and the other in the Air
Force,” said Cornelius. “My great grandfather was in the Navy and
survived Pearl Harbor, then continued to fight in the Pacific.”
The legacy of Cornelius’ family that served before him helped
frame what it means to be in a profession of arms. It also helped
instill the drive to embody a warrior ethos at an early age.
“As a teenager I did combat sports like jujitsu and MMA. I wrestled
and played football, so athleticism kind of tied it in as well,”
said Cornelius.
The life of a security forces Airman calls
for some of the most rigorous job standards in the Air Force. The
high-stakes situations that security forces personnel have to engage
with at a moment’s notice and the overall pressure of the occupation
requires each person to find a way to deal with the demands of the
job.
“I like to strive under stress and it’s for sure high
stress,” Cornelius said. “Overcoming it is more of just a mental
fortitude thing so you have to just power through. At the end of the
day, you have to have that resolve and get the job done.”
Our Valiant Troops |
I Am The One |
Veterans |
Citizens Like Us
U.S. Air Force |
Air National Guard
|
U.S. Air Force Gifts |
U.S. Department
of Defense
|
|
