HERAT, Afghanistan, - In the midst of sweltering desert sun and blinding sand storms, you’ll find six men hard at work trudging along the gravel roads and concertina wire-lined berms here in an effort to make joint communication easier and reliable.
The Air National Guardsmen, assigned to the 359th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade, were activated when a request for forces was received from the U.S. Army.
“The Army requested 80 E&I [Engineering and Installation] folks, which is comprised of engineers, electronics technicians, cable, wire and CAD [computer aid and design],” said Senior Master Sgt. Anthony Potter, 359th TTSB E&I team lead. “What they are asking us to do here is an E&I Guard specialty... it’s a turnkey product.”
This team is the first of three Guard teams from the 219th in Tulsa, Okla., the 205th in Oklahoma City, Okla.; and the 272nd, based in Houston, Texas, designated to complete the 18-month project.
“The Air Force Engineering and Installation Teams are part of a group which is upgrading tactical communication packages all across the CJOA with a much more robust and commercialized solution capable of handling the ongoing surge of coalition troops,” said Capt. John Grambling. “The scope of the project includes the installation of 17 tech control facilities and supporting infrastructure valued at over $150 million.”
Camp Arena is the first location to receive much needed infrastructure.
“We’re putting in the backbone of the fiber ring for this base and basically giving broadband connectivity between the bases…ultimately there will be a ring of communication,” said Potter. “We need that connectivity of communication. A lot of people take that for granted and when you’re in a combat situation, communication is key.”
When completed, the systems will provide NIPR/SIPR/CENTRIX-ISAF/JWICS connectivity on the same level of service as continental U.S. bases.
“CENTREX is where the command wants us to go,” said Potter. “It’s going to become central to our communications.”
CENTRIX-ISAF, like SIPR, is designed for transmitting and receiving information over a secure means, according to Captain Grambling; however, unlike SIPR, CENTRIX-ISAF is integrated into an even longer network known as Afghan Mission Network, which was designed specifically to provide coalition partners the ability to collaborate via one seamless network.
“Each country has their own enclave which links directly to AMN,” said Grambling. “CENTRIX-ISAF happens to be the U.S. link.”
This is good news because there will no longer be a need for multiple computers on our desks to communicate with coalition members, but it’s taking the work of the E&I teams to get it started…without their usual tools of the trade.
“We’re out here pulling cable by hand,” said Staff Sgt. Christopher Johnson, a JET Airman. “Normally we would have a cable reel truck and different equipment that would help so it wouldn’t be complete manual labor like we’re doing here, but we don’t have that luxury…it’s just part of the desert environment.”
Manual labor during the desert heat may not sound like something everyone would like, but some of the team members enjoy it.
“The best part of the job for me is I like the manual labor part of it honestly…I like working,” said Senior Airman Travis Bryant. “The heat I could definitely do without, but it’s better than the cold…I’m not a big fan of the cold.”
The technical control facility at Camp Arena is scheduled to be online and fully operational in October but this is just the beginning.
“This is a multi-stage project,” said Johnson. “You’ve got a lot of different people working together … it takes a team effort to make this project work because it a large-scale project. We’re doing what we need to do to help them get their job done; it’s a one team, one fight attitude.”
This project will end and the team will move on to their next location, but they are very happy to have been given the opportunity to do their part in the war effort.
“Personally, I like that we’re going to these COB's and FOB's and not sitting at a big base,” said Bryant. “I’m glad we’re getting out there and doing our part because in the end it’s all about getting communication and communication wins the war.”
“We are blessed to have some very seasoned, experienced leaders,” said Potter. “I’m also very fortunate to work with these guys. It’s hard to work outside 12-13 hours in the heat of the day, but these are ‘get it done’ guys and I have a lot of respect for them…they don’t ever complain.”
And for others, the training they received and the chance to deploy was an opportunity to satisfy other goals.
“We received tactical combat training and it was a good experience...we got to fill some of those ‘G.I. Joe’ wants that we have,” laughed Bryant.
“When it’s all said and done about what we’re doing here,” said Potter. "We’re not outside the wire giving candy to kids out in the street, but this is our contribution to the war effort."