Communication specialists provide vital support downrange

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Nicholas Benroth
  • 23rd Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  When Airmen deploy to remote locations without phones, internet or radio communication, a unit on base is prepared to get these critical tools up and running.

Tactical units like the 820th Base Defense Group have a mission to be the first on the ground. To be effective, they rely on their communications specialists. These communications airmen are not typical special forces members. They are highly trained to drop in, set up equipment and support their unit.

"When a team jumps into a zone where there is nothing except the equipment on their back, they need to have the capabilities and power to communicate," said Tech. Sgt. Michael Welch, 820th Combat Operations Squadron NCO in charge of radio frequency communications systems. "When the first group's boots hit the ground, it takes approximately an hour for them to get all the communication systems up and running."

Soon after the communications are set up, an advanced unit is sent in to begin the process of setting up the tactical operation center.

This encompasses all the equipment that was set up from the jump pack plus short- and long-wave radios and communication devices.

"This setup can sustain a unit for around five days before the batteries that the team carried in run out," said Capt. Nicholas Kuc, 820th Combat Operations Squadron chief of communications. "Before this happens, a follow on unit is sent to set up the base defense operations center, which houses the battle captain, intel analysts and radio telephone operators."

What makes the communication division within the 820th Base Defense Group different from most other communication squadrons is their first-in capability and the sole mission they perform.

This means that when these communications airmen deploy with the 820th BDG, they are solely there to provide support to the unit's people, as opposed to a communication technician who helps supports an entire base.

"What I like about the way we deploy is it's unlike a regular communications airman where you may be the only one deploying from your squadron," said Sergeant Welch. "With the 820th BDG, you deploy as a unit. That helps build amazing bonds between the members in that unit."

Those bonds help the communications airmen provide critical support to the 820th BDG whenever and wherever they deploy.

"The bottom line is that we help support the 820th BDG capability of being first-in," said Captain Kuc. "Communications is just one of the many functions that support the base defense group and the capabilities they bring to the mission downrange."