Viper Team And Tir Frp

[Mirta Dozar]

Members of Team Little Rock pose for a photo during the Child Abuse Prevention Fair at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, April 7, 2023. The ViPER team is involved in a collaborative approach with the Suicide Prevention Program, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program, Family Advocacy, Equal Opportunity, Diversity and Inclusion, and other programs on prevention efforts. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Maria Umanzor)

Damaris Sullivan-Powe, 19th Airlift Wing violence prevention integrator, poses for a photo at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, March 20, 2023. The Violence Prevention Execution and Resiliency Team focuses on identifying, implementing, and assessing different forms of interpersonal and self-directed violence throughout the base to provide connection and demonstrate peer support to service members and other base personnel. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Maria Umanzor Guzman)

Violence Prevention Execution and Resiliency Team brochures sit on display at the Walters Community Support Center at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, March 20, 2023. The ViPER Team is involved in a collaborative approach with the Suicide Prevention Program, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program, Family Advocacy, Equal Opportunity, Diversity and Inclusion, and other programs on prevention efforts. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Maria Umanzor Guzman)

The Violence Prevention Execution and Resiliency Team focuses on identifying, implementing, and assessing different forms of interpersonal and self-directed violence throughout the base to provide that connection and demonstrate peer support to service members and other base personnel.

The ViPER team is involved in a collaborative approach with the Suicide Prevention Program, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program, Family Advocacy, Equal Opportunity, Diversity and Inclusion, and other programs on prevention efforts.

559th Medical Group's Versatile Injury Prevention and Embedded Reconditioning Clinic. The VIPER team writes individualized exercise prescriptions to help patients maintain some level of fitness during the healing and recovery process. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Kevin Iinuma)

Trainee Kandyce Jones receives gait video and observational analysis at the 559th Medical Group VIPER Clinic on Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, Nov. 29. Gait analysis helps patients optimize their form and prevent further injuries. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Kevin Iinuma)

On a daily basis, the clinic writes personalized exercise prescriptions for injured trainees. Additionally, the VIPER team performs video and observational analysis to assess patients' running form and give them posture training.

Data collected shows the VIPER clinic has had a positive affect with on time graduation and lowering the attrition rate in the squadrons. The clinic demonstrated a 25% reduction in trainee attrition, 37% lower healthcare visits for injury and 40% lower time away for injury care since opening the clinic in January of 2016, saving approximately $1.2M.

The VIPER program has provided the first set of strong data within the Department of Defense, measuring the effectiveness of athletic trainer integration. The athletic training profession proactively engages in patient care by taking medical management into the field. By doing so, the clinic is able to treat patients on site and earlier than waiting for patients to self-report problems.

There is an inherent trust developed by embedding within a team. The embedded approach to military medicine with the intent of mitigating injury through early interventions and working closely with physicians and physical therapist, demonstrates measurable impacts of reduced injury and reduced loss of training time.

Gen. Hawk Carlisle (center), commander of Air Combat Command, and Maj. Gen. Thomas Deale, ACC A3, congratulate Capt. John "Rain" Waters, on certifying as the pilot for the 2017-18 F-16 Viper demonstration team Feb. 1, 2017 at Langley Air Force Base, Va. Demonstration pilots, who perform at air shows worldwide, serve two-year tours on their respective teams, and must be certified at multiple levels. Carlisle, as COMACC, was Waters' final level of certification, and named him as a demo pilot immediatley after the flight. (U.S. Air Force photo by Emerald Ralston)

A U.S. Air Force F-16CM Fighting Falcon piloted by Capt. John Waters, F-16 Viper Demonstration Team pilot, soars over Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., during a practice demonstration, Jan. 12, 2017. The mission of the team is to inspire the future generation of pilots and maintainers through their combat demonstration of the aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Michael Cossaboom)

A U.S. Air Force F-16CM Fighting Falcon piloted by Capt. John Waters, F-16 Viper Demonstration team pilot, soars over Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., during a 20th Operations Group certification flight, Jan. 4, 2017. In order to be certified as a demonstration pilot, Waters has to perform and pass four certification flights from the 20th Operations Group commander, 20th Fighter Wing commander, 9th Air Force commander, and Air Combat Command commander. The F-16CM Fighting Falcon was first put into action in 1979 as a multirole fighter capable of suppression of enemy air defenses, offensive counter air, defensive counter air, close air support, and forward air controller missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Michael Cossaboom)

A Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response team, sometimes Visible Intermodal Protection and Response (VIPR) is a Transportation Security Administration program. Various government sources have differing descriptions of VIPR's exact mission. It is specifically authorized by 6 U.S.C. 1112 which says that the program is to "augment the security of any mode of transportation at any location within the United States". Authority for the program is under the Secretary of Homeland Security. The program falls under TSA's Office of Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service.[1] TSA OLE/FAMS shares responsibility for the program with the Office of Security Operations and Transportation Sector Network Management.[2]

The VIPR teams detain and search travelers at railroad stations, bus stations, ferries, car tunnels, ports, subways, truck weigh stations, rest areas, and special events.[3][4][5][6][7] They also can deploy to deal with CBRNE/WMD (chemical, biological, radioactive, nuclear, and explosive weapons of mass destruction).[8] They also inspect ships, containers, and vehicles.[9]

The GAO says VIPR was prompted by the 2004 Madrid train bombings.[10] The program started up in December 2005.[11] The program was first created to work in a "non-aviation environment".[12][13] Bad initial planning caused "strained relations" with local law enforcement.[14][15] In July 2007 VIPR teams carried out controversial operations in several cities for the holiday weekend (see below). In June 2007 VIPR began working in "aviation environments".[13] In 2007 TSA reported there had been 84 missions in 18 months; as of 2011 TSA was conducting about 8,000 VIPR operations per year.[16] As of 2013[update] VIPR had an annual budget of $100 million and was growing rapidly.[17]

In 2007 some Indianapolis bus passengers complained to representative Dan Burton that TSA searches violated their unalienable rights. Burton replied that Al Qaeda was interested in attacking buses and that the "War on Terrorism" was still ongoing.[37]

This report studies problems at VIPR. It "identified concerns regarding chain of command, unclear missions, and insufficient communication". It noted progress, but said those issues were "undermining agency efforts to advance mass transit security".[14]

It especially discussed the controversial VIPR deployments on the weekend of July fourth in 2007. The TSA gave the local authorities short notice about the VIPR deployments, and did not consult them. This disrupted the plans that local authorities had created to deal with holiday traffic. Local transit officials had to work overtime accompanying VIPR teams unfamiliar with local systems such as rail stations; TSA did not reimburse local groups for overtime. TSA also compromised the anonymity, and thus safety, of Air Marshals by requiring them to wear clothing identifying themselves as Federal Air Marshals. VIPR deployments also caused tensions with transit officials and police unions. After these incidents, TSA tried to improve its communication, including setting up a Joint Coordination Center.[14]

The report also mentions a letter in which the National President of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association described the VIPR exercises as "clearly a waste of scarce Federal Air Marshal resources."[14]

This report focused on the role of Surface Transportation Security Inspectors on VIPR teams. It pointed out that TSI's were "underutilized" and their contribution to the VIPR operations was unclear.[1]

The U.S. Congress House Appropriations Committee wrote a report in September 2009 regarding the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It included a section on VIPR. It specifically quoted from the two DHS Inspector General reports listed above.[38]

The report also noted that TSA had failed to prepare a report on the "performance standards to measure the success of its VIPR teams in detecting and disrupting terrorism", as it had been directed to by Congress previously. The committee also rejected the TSA's request for more funding for rail inspectors because TSA had failed to hire people to fill its currently allocated inspector positions.[38]

Some TSA officials told the auditors that VIPR deployments were not always based on credible intelligence. The auditors said the VIPR teams might not have the required skills and information to do their jobs.[17]

Capt. Taylor Hiester, F-16 Viper Demonstration Team commander and pilot thanks Tony Accurso, 416th Flight Test Squadron logistics manager, for his work in managing the repainting project on the F-16 demonstration aircraft. The 412th Maintenance Group, Fabrication Flight - Corrosion Control Team recently repainted the F-16 Viper Demo Team aircraft in the classic YF-16 livery to commemorate the platform's first flight 50 years ago at Edwards Air Force Base, California. (Air Force photo by Giancarlo Casem)

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