Kadena Airmen ensure link to the world

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Val Gempis
  • Air Force Print News
UTAPAO, Thailand (AFPN) --  Although they are not in the thick of things handing out food and supplies, Airmen from the 18th Communications Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, said that the parade of huge lumbering aircraft that come and go from here, only validates how their mission affects the success of relief operations.

The 22-person “comm” team ensures that the command staff here has the proper tools to coordinate relief operations stretching from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and other parts of Asia.

“Our job is to provide an outside link for the deployed joint forces. We’re very excited to help,” said Capt. Robert Bonner, commander of the deployed unit.

The group provides telephone service, computer, fax, e-mail and Internet support. They also have a 24-hour help desk for those who need help. The Airmen said without comm, relief operations here would grind to a halt.

The Airmen brought seven pallets that held 30,000 pounds of equipment, including satellite dish and tents.

Captain Bonner said the equipment provides a state-of-the-art, ground-to-ground communications infrastructure that transmits and receives voice, data and video communications securely to or from wireless, satellite or hard-wired sources.

The system is also both mobile and modular, and it can be moved anywhere in the world for military contingencies.

And although the Airmen have used the equipment during exercises, they have never deployed with it on a real-world mission.

Upon arrival, the technicians started setting up their gear. Master Sgt. Zachary Wilson, the team’s noncommissioned office in charge, said that within a day they had telephone and data connectivity.

“We got voice circuit up faster than I’ve ever seen,” Captain Bonner said.

But there were problems along the way.

First, the heat caused generators to overload. Power would shut off, causing servers to crash.

Another challenge was space. Because some of their equipment had not arrived yet, the Airmen were jammed elbow-to-elbow inside a small trailer.

“We were packed so tight we couldn’t even move. But we came up with creative solutions, and soon everything just worked out great,” Sergeant Wilson said.