 The U.S. Navy's Auxiliary Security Force, or ASF, are sailors who help support base security in times of need. When sailors sign up for ASF, it's not the watches or combat training that scares them. So it felt like my face had a blowtorch to it. I couldn't breathe. Then my eyes felt like they had glass and pepper in it. Dealing with the effects of pepper spray is something every sailor who has to carry it goes through. No, I know it's a necessary evil. Once you've gone through this, you kind of understand what they're going through and you kind of sympathize with them because you know how much pain it is. And undergoing this training and feeling its effects makes them all reluctant to use it depending on the circumstances. Petty Officer Nicholas Vickery, Fleet Activities, Sasebo, Japan.