31P1 Career Guide
31P1: Security Forces Officer
Career transition guide for Air Force Security Forces Officer (31P1)
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Top civilian roles for 31P1 veterans, with average salary and market demand data.
Security Manager
Skills to develop:
Law Enforcement Officer/Police Detective
Skills to develop:
Emergency Management Director
Skills to develop:
Corporate Security Director
Skills to develop:
Private Investigator
Skills to develop:
Salary estimates from VWC career data
Hidden Strengths
Cognitive skills your 31P1 training built — and where they transfer.
Situational Awareness
As a Security Forces leader, you constantly maintain awareness of your surroundings, identifying potential threats, vulnerabilities, and changes in the environment that could impact security operations.
This translates to the ability to quickly assess complex situations, understand the key factors at play, and anticipate potential problems, a skill highly valuable in dynamic civilian environments.
Rapid Prioritization
You routinely make critical decisions under pressure, prioritizing tasks and allocating resources based on the urgency and importance of the situation, often with limited information.
This ability to quickly assess and prioritize competing demands is directly transferable to any fast-paced civilian role requiring effective decision-making in time-sensitive scenarios.
Adversarial Thinking
You are trained to anticipate threats and think like an adversary to identify vulnerabilities and develop countermeasures to protect personnel, resources, and critical infrastructure.
This proactive and strategic mindset is invaluable in roles that require risk assessment, security planning, and problem-solving, where anticipating potential challenges is crucial.
Resource Optimization
You are responsible for managing and allocating resources effectively, ensuring that personnel, equipment, and funding are utilized efficiently to achieve security objectives.
Your experience in resource management and optimization directly translates to civilian roles that require budgeting, procurement, and strategic allocation of assets to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.
Non-Obvious Career Matches
Emergency Management Director
SOC 11-9161.00You've been in charge of security, antiterrorism, and force protection planning. This means you have direct experience with developing plans, policies, and procedures to mitigate a variety of risks and threats, very similar to what an Emergency Management Director does.
Compliance Officer
SOC 13-1041.00You've been responsible for enforcing standards of conduct, discipline, and adherence to laws and directives. This skillset allows you to ensure organizations are adhering to regulations, policies, and procedures, and your experience ensures you can do so effectively.
Logistics Manager
SOC 11-3071.00You're experienced with resource optimization, procurement, and strategic allocation of assets. You can leverage these skills to oversee the supply chain operations of an organization and guarantee the constant availability of goods and services.
Training & Education Equivalencies
Security Forces Officer Course, Lackland Air Force Base, TX
Topics Covered
- •Air Base Ground Defense
- •Law Enforcement and Security Operations
- •Physical Security and Resource Protection
- •Contingency Operations and Disaster Response
- •Antiterrorism and Force Protection
- •Security Planning and Management
- •Weapons Handling and Tactics
- •Leadership and Team Management
Certification Pathways
Partial Coverage
While the military experience provides a strong foundation in security management, additional study in areas such as business continuity planning, risk management methodologies (beyond physical security), and specific legal aspects of private security is recommended.
The military experience provides a strong foundation in physical security. Gaps include in-depth knowledge of the design and implementation of integrated security systems, and current standards of practice for the private sector.
Recommended Next Certifications
Technical Systems Translation
Military systems you've used and their civilian equivalents for your resume.
| Military System | Civilian Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Integrated Base Defense Security System (IBDSS) | Integrated security management systems (e.g., Genetec Security Center, Milestone XProtect) |
| Ground-Based Radar (GBR) | Perimeter surveillance radar systems (e.g., SpotterRF, FLIR Ranger series) |
| FalconView | Geographic information systems (GIS) (e.g., ESRI ArcGIS, QGIS) |
| Joint Effects Model (JEM) | Risk and vulnerability assessment software (e.g., RiskWatch, DNV GL Phast) |
| Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response System (ALERRT) | Active shooter response training programs (e.g., CRASE, Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events) |
| Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs) | Mobile workforce management software and ruggedized tablets (e.g., Panasonic Toughpad, Getac Tablets) |
| Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) | Access control and visitor management systems (e.g., HID Global, Brivo) |
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