Pulaski countian Ping honored as top U.S.A.F. officer

By TRICIA NEAL, CJ Staff Writer
Commonwealth Journal

March 09, 2009 10:10 am

— Pulaski County native Darion Ping always wanted to be a police officer.
These days, he’s not only living his dream, but he’s also proving to be the best in his field.
Ping was recently named the top security forces senior noncommissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force for 2008 — over approximately 30,000 other Air Force officers.
“Basically I was chosen as the top cop in the Air Force,” Ping explained to the Commonwealth Journal.
“It’s a huge honor. ... I couldn’t have done it without the support of my family, my supervisors or my troops. It’s their award, too. They just pointed me in the right direction.”
Master Sgt. William Darion Ping, son of Glenn Ping and Lois Mathis, graduated from Pulaski County High School in 1990 with his eyes on a future in law enforcement.
“Law enforcement is in my blood,” he said.
“I had a cousin who was in the Air Force as a jet mechanic, and a great uncle who served in World War II, so there was military in my family. ... The Air Force guaranteed me a job in law enforcement, which is something the other services couldn’t guarantee at the time.”
And so, in 1991, Ping left Kentucky and began Air Force training in San Antonio, Texas. From there, he went to New Jersey and North Dakota, and, within a few years, the Air Force sent him overseas — to an air base in Buechel, Germany. Ping stayed in Germany for three years before he was transferred to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. There, he was a dog handler with the Air Force officers whose job it was to protect the President. Next, Ping was off to Elmendorf, Alaska, and then he was sent back to the eastern U.S. — this time to work at the Pentagon, part of the time as a bodyguard for the Secretary of the Air Force.
Now Ping is back at Andrews, where he is the sergeant in charge of operations for the 316th Security Forces police agency. He commands a troop of approximately 450.
In April of 2008, Ping was hand-picked by top Air Force leaders to direct K-9 coordination at Andrews Air Force Base for Pope Benedict XVI’s arrival – the first such coordination in 27 years. But Ping’s toughest challenge came in June of that year, when he was tasked to lead a squad of 39 security forces members to an air base in Iraq to perform duties at the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Anti-terrorism Superintendent.
‘‘My job was to secure the base from the inside ... as much as possible,” explained Ping.
‘‘When you have anywhere from 29,000 to 30,000 people on a base, that’s a big time job.”
In his nearly 18 years in the Air Force, Ping has had a productive career, but 2008 was an especially good year.
In addition to being chosen for the Air Force Security Forces Senior Officer of the Year Award, he was awarded the 2008 Best U.S. Central Command Installation Anti-terrorism Program, the 316th Security Forces Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, the 332nd AEW Team of the Month, the 332nd AEW SNCO of the Month, and the AFDW Security Forces Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year.
Ping will be able to retire from the Air Force in about two-and-a-half years. But he doesn’t plan to sit still during his retirement.
The next thing on his to-do list?
“My long-term goal is to run for Sheriff in Pulaski County,” Ping said.
He believes his 20-year career in law enforcement will help him in his campaign.
“My wife and I own a home in Science Hill that is already being prepared for our return when we retire,” Ping said.
He says he’s a Kentucky boy at heart and misses country living.
He is married to Petty Officer 1st Class Rachael Ping, a Navy intelligence analyst at the Pentagon. He also has a son, William Joseph Ping, 13, who lives in Maryland.
When he returns to Pulaski County, Ping hopes to find a job in law enforcement — and then to run for sheriff a few years later.
Ping said he knows current Pulaski County Sheriff Todd Wood.
“It’s nothing personal,” he said.
“I’m sure when (Wood) sees this, he’ll laugh.”
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Some information for this article was obtained from the Air Force District of Washington News Web site.

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