Communications Airmen complete Rodeo ‘puzzle’

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Katherine Kebisek
  • Rodeo Public Affairs
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. (AFPN) --  Months of preparation have allowed base officials to assemble the puzzle pieces necessary to run Rodeo 2005. Perhaps one of the most essential, and busiest, pieces of the puzzle has been the Airmen of the 62nd Communications Squadron here.

With more than 1,000 people coming here for the one-week air mobility event, computers, Internet connections, cell phones, radios and other communication services are needed to keep the competition running smoothly, officials said.

Initial planning for Rodeo communications began in July. The 200 people in the squadron have been working constantly since then to meet the competition’s needs.

“Everyone in our squadron has done something to support Rodeo because of all the infrastructure we’ve been (developing) over the past year,” said 2nd Lt. Heather Lamb, project officer for Rodeo communications. The squadron has several augmentees from across the country working during the event.

One of the squadron’s first projects was upgrading communications within the lodging facilities. They ran new fiber and copper lines throughout the buildings and provided high-speed Internet access in distinguished visitor rooms.

Another large project was setting up a new wireless Internet network in the hangars and at Rodeo’s tent city. The network allows people with wireless-enabled computers to access the Internet.

Besides the big projects, the Airmen also set up phones and computers, issued equipment and set up a network to transfer satellite imagery.

As people pick up their equipment, communications Airmen remain available to help with problems and requirements.

“We’re really ramped up in terms of the hours that we’re working,” Lieutenant Lamb said. “To support Rodeo, we’ve had to move our footprint forward so that we’re out where the Rodeo staff is.”

To meet the amount of communication support needed, there are three help desks for the competition.

“The main thing (we are) looking for is having a really quick support time,” Lieutenant Lamb said. “When things are happening, if communications go down, they need to get right back up.”

At the end of the competition, the communications Airmen will begin collecting the equipment, getting it back to the warehouse and taking inventory. While easier than setting it up, teardown is still a big job, she said. (Courtesy of Air Mobility Command News Service)