Cable techs bring copper, fiber to table

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Russell Wicke
  • 447th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
SATHER AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  As far back as ancient Mesopotamia, communication specialists have been essential, starting with a runner and a simple piece of papyrus and evolving over time into people like Tech. Sgt. Frank Robinson, 447th Expeditionary Communications Squadron cable and antenna technician.

The ancient Mesopotamian runner didn't need a specialized skill -- or even be literate. He just had to know where he was going, and have the ability to get there. But, in order for Sergeant Robinson meet the same demand today, he requires practiced knowledge of copper wire, electricity, fiber optics, antennas -- and even entrenching and landscaping.

"Cable maintenance is like the backbone of base communications," said Capt. Brian Bailey, the 447th ECS Mission Systems Flight commander.

"These guys put copper wire and fiber optic cable in the ground to make the phones and computer systems work," he said.

There are two different types of teams that provide phone and computer infrastructure, said the captain: inside and outside teams. The inside teams make all the connections from the wires to the phones and computers. But it is the outside teams that brave the elements to make wires available for the inside workers. The outside teams make up the modern-day "runners." Captain Bailey explained that most people don't realize all the physical obstacles his maintainers deal with to put wire down.

"The heat and terrain alone are obstacles to us," he said. "Runways, fences, ditches, buildings and more all become challenges when you have to run wire somewhere."

Captain Bailey's team faced similar obstacles in early June while delivering communication infrastructure for 150 Airmen of Detachment 3, 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, at the north side of Sather.

On the cable team for this project was Staff Sgt. Matthew Pearson, who said they entrenched nearly two miles of phone lines and fiber optics for the security force's computers. But putting these lines down isn't as easy as digging in a straight line and rolling wire out.

The copper cables used for just the phones contain 400 individual wires - and each one needs to be spliced, said Sergeant Pearson. Multiple lines of this "200 pair" cable were used for Det. 3's installation. And, this splicing usually occurs more than at the two ends.

The cable often needs to be spliced somewhere in the middle because the length is limited, said Staff Sgt. Erik Castilleja, a 447th ECS cable and antenna technician. These cables will often require splicing in the most unfavorable places.

"We've had to splice cable in sewer manholes, in muddy ditches, in the heat, and any other dirty condition you can think of outside," he said. But even if every splicing job was in a "clean" environment, there's one element that makes it a sticky mess.

A gooey material called "pic" speckled Sergeant Castilleja's DCU pants like he was just caught in the rain. Unlike water, however, pic has the consistency of honey in Iraq's heat - and it doesn't come out of fabric easily.

"The manufacturer fills these cables with pic to prevent water damage and corrosion," said Sergeant Castilleja. "It's messy and it gets everywhere."

So just like any outside job, this one comes with its challenges. The Airmen say they know what to expect and are ready to execute. There's just one part of the job that grinds frustration into every cable technician out here.

"Sometimes, when people are doing their own job, they unknowingly damage our lines," said Sergeant Robinson. "It makes more work for us." When a line is damaged, that means these Airmen have to splice on both sides of the damage - 800 wires, if using 200 pair line. And Sergeant Robinson was quick to point out that his team does most of their own entrenching, rarely using the civil engineer squadron.

The cable and antenna technicians of Sather AB are in no shortage of skill, said Master Sgt. Derek Fromenthal, 447th ECS Mission Systems Flight superintendent.

"Without these guys, we'd be using cans and string," he said, "or we'd go back to using runners." Although many runners have crossed over these grounds on foot in the past, the modern age demands a higher standard - the 447th ECS cable techs are the ones who uphold that standard it here.

Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link)

Click here to view the comments/letters page