An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | May 2, 2011

Florida Guard unit supports force protection at Bagram

By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Awareness and vigilance remain the watchwords here as news spreads of an attack on April 27 at Kabul International Airport that left eight airmen and a U.S. civilian employee dead.

The attack, which occurred during an uptick of enemy activity and coalition casualties coinciding with the spring thaw, resonated with a Florida National Guard unit that supports the force-protection mission on Bagram and within the surrounding Parwan province.

"When things happen in an area of operations around here, basically the information comes down and we ... look for the same patterns that happen elsewhere here as well," said Spc. Xavier Flores, a Soldier with the 164th Air Defense Artillery, Florida National Guard.

"If something happens elsewhere, it is an indication that more likely something similar could happen here or somewhere else, so you just kind of tighten down on security," agreed Spc. Joseph Deramo, 164th ADA.

Flores and Deramo are part of a joint, multitiered system that provides security at the largest coalition base in Afghanistan, and intelligence support for troops operating "outside the wire."

Their detachment runs three 107-foot towers on the base, all equipped with cameras able to scan 360 degrees in search of suspicious activity. Eighteen four- and five-Soldier teams also provide support at eight other sites within the area of operations.

Working in conjunction with aerostats and other ground-based sensors, as well as Air Force and Marine Corps security forces and the Joint Defense Operations Center, they provide persistent surveillance for troops on Bagram and beyond its perimeter.

The unit provides over-watch for convoys and patrols outside the base as well.

"We save patrols all the time," said Army Master Sgt. Wesley Erb, the detachment first sergeant. He said that tower operators have provided ground troops with their sightings of roadside bombs being planted and ambushes being staged.

One of the detachment's proudest achievements was the discovery of a homemade explosives laboratory with 600 pounds of munitions at a village northeast of Bagram, said Erb.

Working with the 34th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the Iowa National Guard--responsible for force protection and base support operations within Bagram and the surrounding province--the Guardsmen also provided intelligence used to identify and capture a local insurgent leader.

"We are the quickest to get eyes on [developments]," Deramo said. "We keep a pretty good eye out, so if anything looks suspicious, we are going to report it up and we are going to have it checked out.

“If we see something suspicious, we report it to them, then we get with the Air Force as well to provide their drones accurate locations of things we have spotted."

The unit also works with defense contractors operating radar systems that detect fast-moving objects in the airspace such as rockets or mortars, and sensors that detect motion along the base perimeter.

This speeds the response, said Army Pfc. Audrey Triplitt, "because we can give them an exact grid coordinate where they can go, so their mission can go outside the wire and locate where it is and [confirm] a possible threat."

Trained to do air defense artillery support, the unit attended a two-week crash course at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., to receive tower certification before deploying here in November.

Flores said when the unit first arrived in Afghanistan and hadn't yet learned the local patterns of life, "everything was a red flag."

"Anybody out there almost seemed like a threat to us," he said. Now, with five months of experience under their belt, Flores said the team knows what to look for and is ready for what is expected to be a busy summer.

"We are all anticipating just anything," he said. "Our guard comes up come summer, because it gets a lot busier."

Deramo said the team's mission boils down to providing a watchful eye.

"By keeping 24-hour watch on the area and the surrounding population ... we can allow soldiers that have to go out and do convoys a chance to actually rest and not have to worry about what is going to happen when they sleep," he said.

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Air Force Chief Warrant Officer 2 Robert Peck, officer of information technology with 242nd Combat Communications Squadron, Washington Air National Guard, operates a small unmanned aircraft system during Exercise Phoenix Dawn 2025 at Saylor Creek Range near Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, May 6, 2025. The 194th Wing's inaugural class of Warrant Officers are paving the way by re-establishing the role in the Air Force and setting standards for future generations.
Washington Air Guard’s Warrant Officers Pave Way
By Airman 1st Class Jordaan Kvale, | May 29, 2025
CAMP MURRAY, Washington – The 194th Wing’s warrant officers are not only breaking new ground — they’re laying the foundation for generations to come.For the first time in more than 65 years, the Air Force reintroduced warrant...

Airmen with the Washington Air National Guard and the Royal Thai Air Force work alongside their RTAF counterparts in small groups to finalize their respective training objectives at the Enduring Partners 2025 final planning conference in Spokane, Wash., May 20, 2025. The working groups focused on areas such as air operations, ground-controlled interception, Air Force Special Warfare, cyber, combat communication, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief medical logistics, intel, and space.
Royal Thai Air Force, Washington Guard Finalize Plans for Enduring Partners 2025
By Staff Sgt. Adeline Witherspoon, | May 29, 2025
SPOKANE, Wash. – Airmen with the Washington Air National Guard and the Royal Thai Air Force assembled in western Washington May 19-24 to finalize plans for Enduring Partners 2025, an exercise involving RTAF and the Washington...

Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux, adjutant general of Louisiana, discusses briefing details with Col. Augusto Villalaz, director of the Joint Staff for the Louisiana National Guard, during the annual Hurricane Rehearsal of Concept (ROC) Drill at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, May 21, 2025. The drill helps synchronize plans and strengthen coordination across LANG’s senior leadership ahead of hurricane season.
Louisiana Guard Rehearses Emergency Plans for Hurricane Season
By Capt. Peter Drasutis, | May 28, 2025
NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana National Guard conducted its annual Hurricane Rehearsal of Concept (ROC) Drill at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Baton Rouge May 21, uniting key personnel across multiple commands to refine...