With the recent hiring of Regina Bucher by Akima Intra-Data, Arnold Air Force Base now has its first female leading the Facility Support Services (FSS) II Security Service contract section.
Eugene Mittuch, project manager for FSS II at Arnold, commented on the significance of this event.
“It’s a first in the 60-plus years of AEDC’s existence in a male-dominated field,” Mittuch said. “There have been females, a few, but a very small percentage, on the guard force for the past 20 years. However, none have had the experience or leadership qualities to run the organization until now.
“No doubt there are other females in local law enforcement agencies equally qualified; Ms. Bucher happens to be in the right place at the right time and is a great fit for the position.”
Before taking on her current role, Bucher was the Electronic Security Systems Officer and Security Operations Manager at Arnold AFB.
Bucher served active duty in the U.S. Army as a Military Police Officer for 10 years, and she is currently serving in the Army National Guard. After leaving active duty, she worked as a police officer for 10 years.
Mittuch noted these are some of the many reasons why Bucher was the perfect candidate to fill the role.
“She brings a wealth of experience in military (U.S. Army active and National Guard), civil service (Department of the Army), and contractor security and law enforcement at various installations over the past 20-plus years,” he said. “These experiences make her uniquely qualified to provide the leadership for the Akima Intra-Data (AID) contract security team at Arnold.”
Bucher added that she’s proud to be the first female to lead the Security Services contract at Arnold AFB.
“The position means a lot to me, and I don’t take the responsibility lightly,” she said. “For Arnold AFB, we, as security, want to provide a safe and secure environment for those that work and live here. As for the security officers, I would like to thank them for the hard work they do. I want to create an environment where they are happy to come to work and are proud of what they do.”
Ray Kelly, AAFB Chief Security Forces, also welcomes Bucher to the team.
“Securing Arnold is a team effort,” he said. “I am looking forward to our continued team success. Our contract partners are critical to the success of the overall security mission.”
Photo: Regina Bucher, the new Security Services Supervisor at Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn., stands in front of a collage of photos showing security services personnel over the years in her office Dec. 8, 2020. She is the first female to lead the contractor security section. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jill Pickett)
