81170 Career Guide
81170: Security Forces Specialist
Career transition guide for Air Force Security Forces Specialist (81170)
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Real industry tech roles your 81170 background maps to — picked from BLS-anchored occupations using your training, cognitive skills, and systems experience.
Security Engineer
Security
Your experience in force protection, weapons systems security, and integrated defense translates directly to security engineering. Your training in intrusion detection systems, law enforcement procedures, and threat assessment provides a solid foundation for cybersecurity principles. Your work with radio systems also has some adjacency to network security.
Typical stack:
SOC Analyst
Security
As a Security Forces Specialist, you have experience in detecting unauthorized personnel, implementing security reporting systems, and responding to security incidents. This background aligns well with the responsibilities of a SOC Analyst, who monitors and analyzes security events to identify and respond to potential threats.
Typical stack:
IT Support Specialist (Help Desk)
Infrastructure
Your experience operating communications equipment and responding to incidents, combined with your problem-solving skills, can be applied to providing technical support to end-users. Additionally, your experience with Life Saving procedures and CPR, can be used to support health it systems and provide critical support in medical environments.
Typical stack:
Skills You Already Have
Concrete bridges from 81170 experience to tech-industry practice.
- Weapons Handling and Qualification (M4, M9)→ Understanding of secure systems and risk mitigation
- Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS)→ Monitoring and responding to security alerts in SIEM systems
- Law Enforcement and Investigation Procedures→ Incident response and digital forensics
- Situational Awareness→ Identifying and responding to potential security threats and vulnerabilities
- Procedural Compliance→ Adhering to security protocols and regulations
- Adversarial Thinking→ Analyzing potential attack vectors and developing proactive security measures
- Rapid Prioritization→ Responding to security incidents and prioritizing critical tasks
Skills to Learn
The concrete gap to bridge — specific to the roles above, not generic.
How VWC fits
Vets Who Code accelerates the parts we teach — software engineering fundamentals, web development, AI tooling. For everything else above, the path is doable independently with the resources we link to.
See VWC ProgramsCivilian Career Pathways
Top civilian roles for 81170 veterans, with average salary and market demand data.
Police Officer
Security Guard / Security Officer
Criminal Investigator
Skills to develop:
Security Systems Installer
Skills to develop:
Firearms Instructor
Skills to develop:
Salary estimates from VWC career data
Hidden Strengths
Cognitive skills your 81170 training built — and where they transfer.
Situational Awareness
SF personnel constantly scan their environment for threats, whether on patrol, guarding a base, or responding to an incident. They must identify potential dangers, assess the level of risk, and react accordingly to maintain security and protect lives.
The ability to perceive and understand the surrounding environment, anticipate potential problems, and make quick decisions based on available information is highly valuable in dynamic and unpredictable civilian settings.
Procedural Compliance
SF members adhere to strict protocols and procedures when handling weapons, securing areas, conducting investigations, and responding to emergencies. They understand the importance of following established guidelines to ensure safety, maintain order, and uphold the law.
Meticulous adherence to regulations, standards, and operating procedures translates into efficiency, accuracy, and risk mitigation in many civilian roles. Your commitment to following established protocols makes you a reliable and trustworthy asset.
Adversarial Thinking
SF personnel are trained to anticipate the actions of potential adversaries, assess vulnerabilities, and develop countermeasures to protect assets and personnel. This involves thinking like the enemy to identify weaknesses and develop effective security strategies.
The ability to anticipate and assess threats, understand an opponent's perspective, and develop proactive strategies for risk mitigation is valuable in competitive and security-sensitive civilian industries.
Rapid Prioritization
In dynamic and high-pressure situations, SF members must quickly assess the urgency of different tasks, allocate resources effectively, and make critical decisions under tight deadlines. They must be able to distinguish between essential and non-essential actions to maintain security and control.
The ability to quickly assess situations, prioritize tasks, and allocate resources effectively is critical in fast-paced civilian environments. Your experience in making rapid decisions under pressure translates into valuable leadership and problem-solving skills.
Non-Obvious Career Matches
Emergency Management Specialist
SOC 11-9161.00You've been trained to handle crisis situations, assess threats, and coordinate resources in high-pressure environments. Your experience in force protection, security protocols, and emergency response makes you an ideal candidate to plan and execute disaster preparedness and recovery efforts for communities or organizations.
Compliance Officer
SOC 13-1041.00You're intimately familiar with regulations and procedures, and you're adept at ensuring that standards are met. As a compliance officer, you can use your attention to detail and commitment to upholding the law to help companies adhere to industry regulations and internal policies.
Fraud Investigator
SOC 13-1070You've developed skills in observation, investigation, and evidence collection. Your experience in security and law enforcement translates well into investigating fraudulent activities, gathering information, and building cases for prosecution in the financial or insurance sectors.
Training & Education Equivalencies
Security Forces Academy, JBSA Lackland
Topics Covered
- •Basic Security Tactics
- •Weapons Handling and Qualification (M4, M9)
- •Law Enforcement and Investigation Procedures
- •Integrated Defense
- •Entry Control Point Operations
- •Combat Life Saver Skills
- •Military Working Dog Support
Certification Pathways
Partial Coverage
Study areas such as security management principles, business continuity planning, and risk assessment methodologies specific to the civilian sector.
Focus on civilian-sector physical security measures, vulnerability assessments, and the latest technological advancements in security systems.
Review any differences in protocols and update on local regulations.
Recommended Next Certifications
Technical Systems Translation
Military systems you've used and their civilian equivalents for your resume.
| Military System | Civilian Equivalent |
|---|---|
| M9 Pistol | Beretta 92FS |
| M4 Carbine | AR-15 style rifles |
| M240B Machine Gun | Commercial equivalent belt-fed machine guns |
| AN/PVS-14 Night Vision Device | High-end commercial night vision monoculars |
| Land Mobile Radio (LMR) systems | Motorola two-way radio systems |
| Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) | Commercial security alarm systems (e.g., ADT, SimpliSafe) |
| Breath Alcohol Testing Devices | Lifeloc FC series breathalyzers |
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