Communication techs ensure message gets through

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Val Gempis
  • Air Force Print News
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan (AFPN) --  Technicians from the 374th Communications Squadron’s systems control and facility control offices here help Pacific Air Forces leaders plan, direct, coordinate and execute operations worldwide.

The vast majority of command and control, voice conferencing and combat support communications traffic goes through the network center here. The center’s Airmen said proper maintenance, repair and upgrade of equipment is critical to timely delivery and uninterrupted flow of information to warfigthers in the Western Pacific.

“Yokota tech control is the eyes and ears of the global Air Force communication mission here. We’re Yokota’s link to the world,” said Tech. Sgt. Jun Lorica of the center.

The Airmen support people throughout the Pacific and as far away as Fort Meade, Md. The facility control Airmen manage the centralized communications system’s day-to-day operational control of various parts of the global information grid within mainland Japan.

The grid is globally connected. The Airmen who run it collect, process, store, distribute and manage information for warfighters, policy makers and support people. The grid includes all communications and computing systems, and services, software, data and security services necessary to achieve information superiority.

Sergeant Lorica describes the operation here as a “daily effort” that includes running system diagnostics and determining causes of hardware, software and network problems.

“We have to systematically walk through things here. There are no short cuts or you’ll find yourself chasing tails forever,” he said.

Chief Master Sgt. Gregory Hartzell, the systems control and field control offices chief said his 70-person team, comprising servicemembers and Japanese civilians, ensures smooth and continuous operation of systems and equipment at 42 sites across mainland Japan.

The facility here has almost 1,500 circuits. Every e-mail, Internet connection, secured and nonsecured data transaction, and telephone call that comes from on or off the base runs through their system. If a circuit is not performing up to standard, or quits working altogether, it is a technician’s job to get it going as soon as possible.

“It’s a very technical job. You have to understand how communication works. Knowing electronics, theories and signal flow is very important,” Chief Hartzell said.

The Airmen monitor facility and network traffic, and they ensure data get from one location to the next without problems or errors. Their 24-hour operation also monitors status and performance of various types of analog and digital systems.

They also test newly installed equipment and establish preventive-maintenance schedules for equipment and facilities throughout mainland Japan.