3rd Herd trains for success Published Dec. 19, 2011 By Mike W. Ray Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The 3rd Combat Communications Group conducted a training exercise this week, establishing a complete base communications network in a deployed environment. "This is a Compliance Operational Readiness Inspection," said 1st Lt. Frank Jamerson of the 34th Combat Communications Squadron. "It's our chance to gain practical experience; be inspected on our equipment, physical readiness and personal fitness; and to prove we're ready to deploy." The exercise simulated landing at a bare-base location in a foreign country and setting up communications -- satellite, radio, telephone and computer -- from scratch. The participants -- who spent the week camped out at Glenwood -- had to establish an entry control point, set up an array of equipment, monitor weather conditions, maintain adequate fuel, food and water supplies, etc. The training scenario included defending against insurgents and coping with casualties. Airman 1st Class Nicholas Schiebel, of the 31st Combat Communications Squadron, said his responsibility was to set up computer servers and, once a satellite up-link was established, provide Internet access, e-mail, Facebook access, keep U.S. pilots connected with ground forces, ensure that the computer firewall was secure and the computer network was virus-free -- "whatever is needed" in the area of communications. A critical goal of the unit is "to get our equipment up and running, and do it within a time constraint," said Senior Airman Nathaniel Robinson, also of the 31 CBCS. "If you can't communicate with your teammates, it contributes to the fog of war." The 3 CCG conducts these exercises to gain experience, "so when we're in the field it's instinctive," Airman Schiebel said. "We'd rather solve any problems we encounter here, in a test, as opposed to a real-world environment," said Chief Master Sgt. Michael Maynard of the 31 CBCS.