Eyes, ears work for Tallilians

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Chris Stagner
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
TALLIL AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  At an Air Force base it is important that someone know what is happening while it is happening, especially at an Air Force base in the middle of a combat zone. The 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing’s command post here makes sure the commander knows what is happening while it is happening in Iraq.

“We are the eyes and ears for the commander,” said Master Sgt. Roger Belgarde, the command post superintendent. He is deployed from Minot Air Force Base, N.D.

The command post staff monitors actions throughout Iraq. When something occurs at one of the other bases, command post workers pass that information on to the commander so he can make any educated decisions he might need to make, according to Sergeant Belgarde.

“If there’s a report of gunfire off base, we have to gather all the information and inform him of the situation,” he said.

In an environment like the one here, things occur that are not always expected. When the current rotation first got here, the Italian explosive ordnance disposal team detonated munitions without informing anyone, said Sergeant Belgarde.

“The entire base went into red alert and we had to ensure there wasn’t a danger to our airmen before we could lift that alert,” he said. “We’re in a war zone, so it’s a little different than in the states. The frequency of unusual events is higher here.”

Explosions that happen are not always going to be as easily explained as an EOD detonation, however.

“The biggest thing [for the command post] to know is what to do during a hostile act, because it can cost someone (his or her) life,” said Sergeant Belgarde.

Besides playing a role in the safety of all airmen on Tallil, command post workers assist the air mobility division of the Combined Air Operations Center with the handling of its intra-theater assets. The AMD is the big planner here, according to the command post superintendent.

“When the [C-130 Hercules] pilots want to leave a little early, we have to coordinate it,” Sergeant Belgarde said. “It could affect [the mission] three stops down if our guys leave early.”

The job of the command post here is not always as simple as relaying information.

“Our job sounds boring, but a lot of the things we handle we can’t talk about,” said Senior Airman Tracy Major, a command post controller who is deployed here from Edwards AFB, Calif.

There are benefits of being the eyes and ears of the commander.

“I enjoy it,” said Airman 1st Class Lisa Payne, a command post controller who is deployed here from Hickam AFB, Hawaii. “Staying in the loop of things and knowing what’s going on is exciting.”