AEDC's chief of police is top grad

  • Published
  • By Janaé Daniels
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  One of the duties of AEDC's chief of police is to continually push his officers toward training and education. 

Leading by example is Chief Rick Trull who recently took steps to further his own education all the while gaining important leadership and supervisory skills. 

"I seized this opportunity to attend the academy and further my knowledge of law enforcement innovation, technologies, techniques and procedures," he explained. "I did this not only as a benefit to me by adding to my management and leadership skills, but the things I learned will make our organization better." 

Trull attended the Southeastern Command and Leadership Academy (SECLA) at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga,one week per month for the past seven months. He received a partial scholarship through the Tennessee Chiefs of Police Association and ATA funded the remainder of the tuition. At no surprise to all who know him, Trull graduated at the top of his class, which included 29 other officers. 

He received the academic achievement award which honors the person with the highest grade point average on all work completed. The award will be presented today during the graduation ceremony. 

"Rick was a delight to have in the SECLA Class,"said Vic Bumphus, SECLA coordinator. "You all should be very proud of him." 

According to Bumphus, SECLA is a seven-week law enforcement leadership and management program designed for police managers. The program prepares mid and upper level supervisory personnel for the increased responsibility of administrative command positions by providing them with the knowledge and skills necessary for successful leadership in their agency and community. 

"It is envisioned that the SECLA program will help students develop skills necessary to become a more effective leader," Bumphus said. "Additionally, students are exposed to information allowing them to maximize efficiency within their organizations. 

"A large part of the program involves networking between the various law enforcement agencies. The SECLA curriculum is certified by the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) Commission, and students are able to further their academic education geared toward fulfillment of both bachelors' and masters' degrees." 

The chief echoed that statement. 

"I hoped for an opportunity to meet police leaders and managers throughout the state with similar issues to ours," he said. "Even though we (AEDC Police) are a little unique, in most ways we mirror a small to mid-size city police department. Networking is as critical in the police profession as it is in any other." 

According to Chief Trull, this course certification will not only help his personal goal of completing his master's in criminal justice, but provide credibility to the base as a whole. 

"This certification places me in a fairly small group of police professionals in Tennessee that have completed the academy and lends significant credibility to our organization and the base," he explained. "For the organization and base it offers us identity with local, county, state and federal agencies that we may not otherwise have access to. In the large scheme of things, the benefits for the organization and base far outweigh the benefits of personal certification.

"One of the major benefits the chief said this program has allowed was for other leaders from police organizations to get to know and understand Arnold's mission. 

"First, they learned that we are not unlike their own departments -- we are burdened with the same challenges (critically managing budgets, continuously changing and growing technology and manpower issues)," he commented. "The more opportunity we have to discuss these like problems and benefit from lessons learned, regardless of which department they come from, the better we all will be independently and as a law enforcement community." 

Pat Eagan, director of the Support Services department, said he promoted Trull to chief based on his innate leadership skills. 

"Rick is an ever-present figure around the base complex as he strives to stay in touch with AEDC's mission and make improvements to the police department's support to that mission," Eagan said. "He is first to recognize his officers and staff for noteworthy achievements and has successfully gained recognition for his officers through such things as the center's awards program." 

Trull spent 25 years in the Air Force as a non-commissioned Security Police officer prior to coming to AEDC in 2002. He started out as the police training officer under the previous contractor ACS and over the years has worked his way up to his current position as police chief and manager of ATAs Force Protection Branch.