Photo By Staff Sgt. Tylon Chapman | U.S. Air National Guard Senior Airman Tyler Peterson, 185th Air Refueling Wing...... read more read more
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While many National Guard Security Forces members are employed full time in emergency services in their civilian occupations, Senior Airmen Tyler Peterson is a bit of an anomaly who makes his living as a chiropractor.
“I wanted something that was a little more hands-on,” Peterson said about joining Security Forces in his hometown Air National Guard unit.
During July, Peterson is honing his war fighting skills with fellow Air National Guard members at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center in Alpena, Michigan as part of their two-week annual training.
Peterson is with a group of Security Forces Airmen from the Iowa Air National Guard who are training on techniques associated with base defense and law enforcement.
At home, Peterson works fulltime with his wife, Sarah, who is also a chiropractor at their shared practice, Acu-Plus Chiropractic, in South Sioux City. The two live in North Sioux City where they raise their young daughter.
As part of the Air Guard, Peterson works one weekend each month and two weeks each year as a Security Forces Airman with the Iowa ANG’s 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City.
After graduating from high school in 2010 the South Sioux City, Nebraska native first studied at nearby Wayne State College. Peterson said he then finished his Bachelor’s in Human Science and Biology and earned his Doctorate of Chiropractic at what is now Cleveland University-Kansas City.
Peterson explained his desire to serve in the military grew early in his life and never went away. After establishing his practice, with no education benefits and few other financial benefits he joined the Air Guard in Sioux City in September 2021.
Nearly three years into his Air Guard experience, Peterson says the camaraderie is one of the best things about Security Forces.
“Its a fairly tight-knit group and you get to do a lot of things that the average person doesn’t really get to do,” said Peterson.
At the CRTC, the Airmen have been training on urban operations techniques, expeditionary skills, and weapons use and weapons qualification.
According to Capt. Joe Johns, 132nd Wing Security Forces Commander, Peterson and his peers from both Iowa Air Wings are experiencing the Security Forces profession’s return to its roots with a greater focus on Air Base Ground Defense.
The Security Forces Airmen from Sioux City’s 185th ARW and Des Moines’ 132nd goals are to replicate eventual future deployments where they will need work with both new and familiar people.
Master Sgt. Eric Smith, who is Peterson’s flight chief, says that Peterson has proven himself in the squadron as being highly dependable.
“I trust and rely on him to help with training new and younger Airmen,” said Smith.
In life, Peterson strives to improve himself as a father and husband. Peterson says he wants to provide a good example for his daughter and provide for her and his wife.
“Those things, in combination, push me to do the best that I can,” he explained.
Having finished his education without National Guard tuition assistance, Peterson says he can still take advantage of education benefits by transferring his military tuition assistance to his daughter when she is old enough to attend college.
In the future, Peterson looks forward to the opportunity to deploy and hopes to become a commissioned officer with the Air National Guard.
| Date Taken: | 07.18.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.19.2024 17:29 |
| Story ID: | 476662 |
| Location: | ALPENA, MICHIGAN, US |
| Hometown: | SOUTH SIOUX CITY, NEBRASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 502 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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