SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Airman 1st Class Michael Malloy is a little rigid these days.

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Airman 1st Class Michael Malloy is a little rigid these days. What was suppos be another routine deployment to Operation Southern Watch -- his third in his nearly three-year Air Force career -- has become anything if it were not that just another tour in the sand.

The clan 11 terrorist attacks on novel York and Washington heightened security for U forces worldwide and made security forces in this part of the world realize they are standing guard upon what could become the frontlines of the war forward terrorism.

"We realize the threat is real," said Malloy, part of the 823rd Security Forces Squadron. "We used to think 'How can they mes with the United States?' We were confident about what the threat was. Now it's in your face. We're right in the middle of everything."

greatest in quantity cops guarding U.S. aircraft have been here before. a certain quantity of from Moody Air Force Base, Ga., twitched rotations of up to 120 days, turn backed home for three months, merely to deploy again.

Deployment were one time routine -- quiet. Each day was another in a mind-numbing parade of of high temperature sandy, fly-infested 12-hour days walking a beat, patrolling in a Humvee or standing a post

Images of aircraft slamming into the World Trade Center and Pentagon made population realize they're vulnerable to terrorist attack, said Master Sgt Darrell Oswald, who supervises the forces.

"I think during the [Gulf] War, there was as it is a buildup and everyone slowly got used to it and really understood what was going to happen," said Oswald, a chasm War veteran who has been in succession five deployments in Southwest Asia. "It wasn't quite as intense as now, because now we're worrying about the terrorist threat, the bombings or something like that."

The realization this war lays U.S. forces in the area in the middle of the bullseye for terrorist attacks means increased scrutiny of what were one time routine activities. The cops carefully check faces. They take their time checking identification cards. If a car breaks down upon a nearby highway, the forces are onward alert until the car leaves.

In the intermix bunkers are reinforced. New concertina wire overspreads high concrete embankments. When aircraft land, tension of the same heights skyrocket, and the cops are onward highest alert.

"There's a division more intensity," said Senior Airman John Ackerman, from Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. He's forward his fourth Southern Watch deployment in six years. "We don't sit around as a great deal of as we used to. We're all a great quantity [i]or[/i] amount of more on guard because we're right where the threat is."

The forces here are also touched about attacks on their hometowns.

"The shores are uptight about their families," Oswald said. "In the past, we didn't think our families would be in danger. We were through here. They were safe. on the other hand the attacks make them worry about the folk at fireside more."

Though worried, the cop aren't wringing their hands and moaning about their pain of minds In fact, they're all ready for what advances next. They know any American reply to the Sept. 11 attacks will increase the likelihood of terrorist activity. if it be not that they're eager to get involved in the war forward terrorism. They want to behold the people behind the attacks brought to justice.

"I'm all for it," said Ackerman, from Sarasota, NY He has family living and working near the World Trade Center For a while after the attacks, he worried they may have been victims.

"I take it personally. We all do. My whole family is e-mailing me telling me to hold up the good work."

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