Wired in the desert Published Dec. 3, 2010 By Darren D. Heusel Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Keeping with their motto of "Anytime, Anywhere," 17 members of the 3rd Combat Communications Group at Tinker Air Force Base recently took their combat communications skills on the road to King Abdul Aziz Air Base for more than three weeks in support of Exercise Falcon Nest, or what officials dubbed as "a bi-lateral air exercise between the Saudis and the Americans." The 3rd Herd team, comprised of 16 members from the 32nd Combat Communications Squadron and one from the 33rd Combat Communications Squadron, spent from Oct. 15 to Nov. 7 providing support to the Florida Air National Guard's 125th Fighter Wing stationed in Jacksonville. "They brought six F-15s and flew missions with the Saudis for 10 days," said 2nd Lt. Trevor Steen of the 32nd CBCS, who served as officer-in-charge for the communications part of the exercise. According to officials, the objective was to strengthen ties with the Royal Saudi Air Force, enhance interoperability with USAF forces, and share training opportunities with the Saudi F-15 aircraft. Lieutenant Steen said his crew provided communications support to the 250 personnel who were there, including ground-to-air radios, hand-held radios, Internet and telephones. "The area we provided communications to was a Saudi hardened aircraft shelter," he said. "We had to run cable throughout the hangar to provide the services to all users." Overall, Lieutenant Steen said, "the mission was a huge success and everyone involved learned invaluable lessons about working with real customers and taking our equipment out for a real mission." According to Lieutenant Steen, Falcon Nest is part of a series of exercises hosted by United States Air Force Central Command in that area of operations. He said the exercises take place on a rotating basis throughout the Middle East. "Exercises similar to this one happen fairly regularly," he said. Lieutenant Steen noted that two of his 32nd CBCS troops, Staff Sgt. Zachary Monson and Senior Airman Megan Engelhardt, were recognized as "superior performers" during the exercise. Sergeant Monson was recognized for providing critical power support despite the failure of an automatic voltage regulator and for providing diesel fuel support to security forces, in addition to providing fuel support for the 3rd Herd's own needs. Airman Engelhardt was recognized for providing critical command and control capability through the use of land mobile radios and for enabling the first communications through a portable satellite terminal. Lieutenant Steen went on to say Airman Engelhardt was lauded multiple times by senior leadership for her commendable work ethic and her ability to find a solution to almost any problem. The 3rd CCG provides deployable communications, computer systems, navigational aids and air traffic control services anywhere in the world. In February, the 3rd Herd deployed 31 Airmen to Haiti to provide combat communications capabilities to other U.S forces in the earthquake-stricken area. "The 3rd Herd is extremely proud of Lieutenant Steen and the work his crew performed for the Falcon Nest exercise," said Col. David Babyak, 3rd Herd commander. "They provided flawless support during this joint endeavor and continue to showcase why the 3rd Combat Communications Group is the best in the Air Force at providing communications worldwide."