HAMPTON, Va. — In 1962, President John F Kennedy established National Peace Officers Memorial Day. In 1982, Congress expanded it to National Police Week.
In 2022, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Langley airmen did their part to render honors for the annual event.
The 633d Security Forces Squadron Kicked off the week with a joint K-9 demonstration with the Portsmouth Police Department.
It was all about saluting fellow police -- military and local government forces -- who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
According to FBI statistics, 129 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2021.
Of those, 73 officers died as a result of felonious acts, and 56 officers died in accidents.
The keynote speaker for Monday's ceremony, Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew, unfortunately knows about that all too well.
Two years ago, his department lost 24-year-old Officer Katie Thyne who was dragged to her death after a traffic stop, while fulfilling her sworn duty to serve and protect.
"We have lost 13 in the line of duty," Drew said. "We had gone about 26 years before we lost Officer Thyne in 2020, January. She had been on the department just two years. Beautiful little girl."
Members of the Air Force 633rd Security Forces Squadron said it's important to take the time to always remember the nation's fallen police officers.
"So today was just to show honor and support and just remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice," said Staff Sgt. Isaac Morrow.
Sgt. Timothy Poissant added: "Just to be able to pay respect to everyone who has done that is just amazing."
According to the Officer Down Memorial website, more than 25,000 police officers in the U.S. have died in the line of duty since 1776.
The site says 535 of those deaths took place in Virginia.