Beyond the Badge: Tinker Air Force Base Defenders Train for Domestic Violence Situations

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. — Two people are involved in a domestic violence incident. One is the victim, the other the aggressor. Arriving to assess the situation are two Security Forces defenders tasked with determining what happened, separating those involved and preventing the confrontation from escalating further.

The situation is fictional, but the decisions defenders must make reflect the challenges they could face during an actual emergency.

Airmen assigned to the 72nd Security Forces Squadron participated in scenario-based domestic violence response training here Nov. 3, 2026. The training challenged defenders to practice communication, situational awareness and de-escalation techniques while responding to simulated incidents involving role players.

Each training team paired a less-experienced defender with a seasoned member, allowing newer Airmen to develop their communication and response skills alongside experienced personnel.

Tech. Sgt. Taylor Wheeler, 72nd SFS Alpha Flight flight sergeant, explained that the objective is for defenders to identify the victim and aggressor, separate those involved and work toward de-escalating the situation.

Determining the circumstances requires more than identifying who appears upset or who speaks first. Defenders must approach the situation without allowing initial impressions or personal bias to influence their response, while remaining alert to potential threats.

Staff Sgt. Tyler Causer, a 72nd SFS defender, emphasized the importance of approaching the individuals involved without making assumptions about their actions or intentions.

"We're not going in there thinking, ‘Oh you're the bad guy or anything,’" Causer said. "We're all humans. We're just trying to figure out what's happening."

While Security Forces personnel routinely train to respond to physical threats, the ability to prevent a situation from becoming violent is an equally important part of their law enforcement responsibilities.

Staff Sgt. Angel Navarro, a 72nd SFS instructor, explained that the central focus of the training is developing defenders' ability to use communication to influence the outcome of an encounter.

"What we're trying to practice and instill in them is basically verbal judo," Navarro said.

Verbal judo refers to the use of deliberate communication techniques to manage conflict, encourage cooperation and reduce tension without unnecessarily escalating an encounter.

Navarro emphasized that responding personnel cannot assume they understand another person's experience simply because they have encountered similar situations during training or previous calls.

"What we want to do is, we want to open up that doorway for them to explain what's going on," Navarro said. "Because they just went through something heinous, right? And we can't just walk in there and be like, ‘Hey, I know what you're feeling.’"

During the training, role players simulated individuals involved in domestic violence incidents, requiring defenders to apply these principles through practical interaction rather than discussing them solely in a classroom.

While de-escalation is a primary objective, defenders must remain alert to potential threats. Maintaining a professional, approachable demeanor without becoming complacent is essential, as circumstances can rapidly escalate from a verbal disagreement to a potentially dangerous confrontation.

Throughout the exercises, instructors evaluated more than whether participants understood the basic steps of responding to a domestic violence incident.

Appearance, posture, demeanor, listening skills and eye contact all contribute to the overall evaluation. Navarro explained that these details influence how individuals perceive responding personnel and can affect their willingness to cooperate.

The controlled scenarios also provide opportunities for participants to recognize mistakes and receive feedback before responding to actual emergencies.

While Navarro acknowledged that some participants experienced setbacks during the training, those moments were viewed as opportunities for improvement.

For Causer, the ultimate goal of the training is straightforward: preparing defenders to respond effectively while protecting everyone involved.

"When we get to a situation, that involves domestic violence, we know how to take care of the individuals, know how to deescalate the situation so everyone can go home," he said.

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