1st Combat Comm Airmen support presidential visit to Ghana

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Jim Fisher
  • 17th Air Force Public Affairs
ACCRA, Ghana (AFNS) --  More than 150 Airmen of the 1st Combat Communications Squadron set up forward communications for the President Barack Obama's visit to Ghana in July. 

The Airmen joined Marines in Accra and more than 1,000 Sailors and Marines aboard the USS Iwo Jima to form a task force to support the president's visit, which concluded July 11.

"It's a massive honor to be selected for this mission," said Senior Airman Kirk Rodgers, a network control technician as he watched preparations for the president's arrival at Kotoka International Airport July 10. "Up until now, we've been focused on our mission. When you are working on a computer, working on a router, you don't really think about it. But the heart of the mission is the fact that President Obama is coming to Ghana. Now, seeing this, you really see what it's all about. As it all comes together, it's really powerful."

The unit routinely deploys to remote and bare-base environments to set up communications from scratch. On arrival to Accra June 30, the team arrived to find austere conditions and little infrastructure.

The mission was planned and conducted by 17th Air Force, also known as Air Forces Africa, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Seventeenth Air Force is the air component for U.S. Africa Command.

Included in the task force were aerial port and aircraft maintenance teams, along with forward communications, medical, helicopter support, early warning and air domain safety and security elements to support the president's visit. This was his first to sub-Saharan African continent since taking office in January.

The communications capabilities supplied by 1st Combat Communications members were extensive, said 1st Lt. A.J. De La Fuente, the officer in charge of the deployed 1st Combat Communications Squadron members. Upon arrival, his team began providing for a range of communications capabilities, including Internet, land-line telephone services, network administration and radio.

"We pretty much have a hand in every form of communications outside of the commercial cell phones," the lieutenant said. "When the rubber meets the road, it's really awesome to see it all working out well."

The lieutenant cited the quality of expertise and performance on his team for making this happen.

The team is a mix of qualified technicians on their first deployment and experienced experts who have set up similar operations again and again. But for everyone, this mission is "a pretty big deal," Lieutenant De La Fuente said.

Tech. Sgt. Scott Dorofee, who serves as the team's facilities chief, said the group gained valuable experience for future deployments as well: expect the unexpected.

"You probably will never be completely prepared," Sergeant Dorofee said. "The biggest thing we can do is to pass on what we learn here to the next group so that maybe the little bit that we don't get gets smaller and smaller each time. You have to go with what you have."

Challenges overcome by the team included gaining access to the Global Information Grid and making it through each of the way stations controlled by various network control centers across the Department of Defense. Pinpointing the sticking points in traversing the GIG required diligence and determination, Lieutenant De La Fuente said. 

"These guys are so smart, they are the backbone," said Sergeant Dorofee referring to his team. "We had some issues setting up part of the network, and they found a workaround. They've done great."

Col. Mark Vijums, normally the commander of 404th Air Expeditionary Group at Ramstein AB, led the task force in Ghana. He said communications support was integral to successful operations in Ghana.

"There is no higher priority mission than this," Colonel Vijums said. "The eyes and ears of the world are upon us and we need to have the conduit of Combat Comm here to help us maintain worldwide connectivity. Once we were up, our connectivity was flawless. They certainly did a tremendous job,"

Now that President Obama has departed, the team will dismantle the networks and other capabilities they assembled here and, according to Lieutenant De La Fuente, they will leave satisfied with a job well done and a sense of partnership with their new Ghanaian friends.

In addition to fostering teamwork on the task force, the mission also enhanced the partnership with the Ghanaians. 

"(The Ghanaians) are going out of their way to be helpful," the lieutenant said. "It's really a pleasure to work with them."