CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Staff Sgt. Loletha Brooks is a member of the 437th Security Forces Squadron Bravo Flight and has been stationed at Charleston AFB for more than three years.
She is currently deployed to the Middle East and is assigned to the 387th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron.
In her deployed unit, Sergeant Brooks is a response force leader. Her primary duty is to serve as an armorer and an area supervisor, responding to alarms and incidents dispatched by the Base Defense Operation Center.
While at Charleston AFB, Sergeant Brooks is assigned to the 437 SFS as a security forces patrolman. In her daily duties she performs building checks and conducts random checks as well.
Sergeant Brooks is also an active member in the Charleston AFB 5/6 Council, she said.
According to Sergeant Brooks, what she likes best about her job is the opportunity to see many parts of the world and meet different people along the way.
"I get to meet many people and interact with them all. I have been on four deployments and each one is different in their own way," she said. "I have gotten to see things that many in the world will never see.
"This career field deploys more than most, but it's not too bad. Some deployments are better than others, but they all are what you make of them. The work tempo is much harder and the work schedules are more hectic, but you feel a sense of being a part of something at the end of the day."
Sergeant Brooks said she feels her greatest contribution to Team Charleston's mission is accomplished through her dedication to ensuring Charleston AFB's security.
"I provide security for one of the world's busiest ports in the Air Force. I ensure the safety of all personnel and resources," she said.
This "warrior of the week" hails from Columbus, Ga., and joined the Air Force more than six years ago to travel the world and to pursue higher education.
"There are many challenges that you face being deployed," she said. Taking classes are a very big challenge. You have to find the time to work, which most days are at least 12 hours and that's not to include any extra duties that you may have. Being an NCO more times than not there are many that you have, but it's all about how you manage your time."
Sergeant Brooks said her goals are to earn a bachelor's degree in nursing and possibly pursue a career as an officer.