PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Lawrence "Larry" DeLacy passed away unexpectedly on June 9 surrounded by his family. His team, along with roughly half of the population of New Boston Space Force Station, New Hampshire, attended his funeral mass at a local church where he served as a deacon. The service also highlighted his wife’s own distinguished service as an active-duty defender, serving alongside her husband earlier in their careers.
DeLacy leaves behind a legacy of significant impact within the community at New Boston SFS that will continue to shape security forces training on the installation for years to come. He will be remembered not only for his accomplishments and competency, but also for the lasting impression he had on those around him.
David Dinwoodie, NBSFS defense force director, said that in addition to his 21 years of active-duty service in security forces, DeLacy worked for 25 years as a contracted defender and five years as a DoD Civilian assigned to the NBSFS Security Forces Staff.
“In his final role, DeLacy planned and participated in exercises while overseeing the Standardization and Evaluation program and serving as an alternate Emergency Management program manager” Dinwoodie said. “He was pivotal to the installation's exercise program and its success.”
DeLacy’s dedication to safeguarding others was deeply rooted in his active-duty experiences, which included being a first responder to the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia in 1996. Due to his extensive experience, he took a proactive approach to security. One example of his dedication included him diligently tracking active shooter event statistics and briefing personnel at commander's calls.
“These presentations were always delivered with the same sincerity he would give to his own family,” stated Thaddeus Dickinson, NBSFS antiterrorism program manager.
What distinguishes the team at New Boston is its involvement with local first responders. The installation relies heavily on New Boston Police, Fire and Emergency Medical services.
The planning for their most recent exercise, focusing on an active shooter scenario, began in January of this year.
“Naturally, Larry was the primary planner and coordinator between the local departments,” said Jeff Oja, NBSFS emergency manager. “It was his baby.”
DeLacy fostered strong ties between the various local first responder departments. He always made it a point to ensure they knew the personnel they’d have to work with in a real-world scenario and showed them intricacies of many facilities on base. This collaboration enables more effective responses, allowing first responders to focus on the mission without being hampered by unfamiliar surroundings or communication barriers between departments.
This most recent exercise involved New Boston Police, New Boston Fire Department, and New Boston Emergency Services. The scenario simulated a threat neutralized by police, followed by firefighters conducting a "warm zone extraction" to tend to victims. Oja noted the exercise also tested interagency communication with the Base Defense Operations Center which served as a central communication hub.
While many units follow routine training guidelines, DeLacy approached exercises personally, crafting scenarios to improve defenders' skills. He mentored younger personnel, drawing parallels to his roles as a coach for his grandchildren’s various sports teams, focusing on enhancing force survivability.
"He was a walking encyclopedia when it came to Air Force Security Forces procedures," Oja said.
Dickinson added that radio communication was a key focus of the exercise, reflecting DeLacy's emphasis on addressing regional communication challenges due to terrain.
“The exercise, the first of its kind at NBSFS, allowed different organizations to practice communicating with BDOC across varied frequencies and encryption levels,” Dickinson said.
Overall, the exercise was considered by all organizations to be a success, with participants expressing gratitude for the collaborative experience. All organizations acknowledged their areas for improvement and conveyed their desire for future exercises to further develop skills and strengthen these crucial relationships.
Oja concluded by saying, “The unit will have to fill his job eventually, but they will never quite fill his shoes, there is only one Larry DeLacy.”
New Boston Space FS is a satellite tracking station operated by Detachment 6, 22nd Space Operations Squadron, a geographically-separated unit of Mission Delta 31, and part of Space Base Delta 41 at Schriever SFB. To learn more about NBSFS, visit here: New Boston SFS, New Hampshire