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Ready when called: 3rd Herd units prepared for multiple taskings

  • Published
  • By Howdy Stout
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  It's "scramble time" as the 32nd Combat Communications Squadron deployed this week for three separate missions, including one to assist with humanitarian relief efforts in earthquake-stricken Haiti.

Living up to its motto of "Out in Front," members of the 32nd are deploying for an exercise in Southwest Asia, preparing for another exercise at the end of the month at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., and the mission to Haiti. All at the same time.

"It's been non-stop, 12 to16-hour days since the earthquake hit Haiti," says Maj. Ken Bratland, commander of the 32nd CCS.

For the last two weeks, members of the Herd have worked non-stop to ready equipment and personnel to assist with relief efforts in Haiti. The 32nd is sending many types of communications equipment when they deploy to Haiti. Members of the 34th Combat Communications Squadron and the 3rd Combat Communications Support Squadron will also fill critical positions during the deployment to Haiti.

"One of my biggest concerns is unloading the aircraft down there," Major Bratland says. "They don't have a lot of heavy equipment to unload aircraft -- and we have a lot of equipment."

While the 32nd CCS awaited available aircraft to transport them to Port-Au-Prince, the unit readied the equipment, with both Airmen and civilians pitching in to make sure the equipment is ready.

"We've had enough time to set up everything in the backyard and check it before packing it up," says 1st Lt. Charles Cadwell, 32nd CCS. "We're ready to go."

A mobile air traffic control radar and an operations shelter for air-traffic controllers are also on tap to leave Tinker for Haiti in April. The system will allow up to half-a-dozen air traffic controllers to conduct radar-controlling duties in Haiti. This larger unit will replace temporary equipment brought in shortly after the massive earthquake devastated the Caribbean nation. The 32nd will maintain the equipment while also training controllers to operate the system.

"We have international controllers that will fall in with us and help us control traffic in Haiti," Major Bratland says. "We're bringing the equipment and the management oversight. We'll train them and they'll be operational within hours."

Lieutenant Cadwell says the arriving Airmen will most likely be stationed at a tent city at Port-Au-Prince's airport, with the radar placed on a nearby hill for maximum radar coverage.

Although not a war zone, the conditions are expected to be more austere than at the established bases in Southwest Asia.

"This is going to be the first bare-base deployment for the squadron in many years," Lieutenant Cadwell says.

Major Bratland and his Superintendant, Chief Master Sgt. Russell McLaughlin, are deploying to Haiti as well, bringing much needed experience to the operation. It will be the Chief's last deployment before retiring this summer with 30 years of service.

"He's dying to go," Major Bratland says of his Chief. "He has more bare-base time than I have deployment time -- he is a wealth of knowledge."

Air Force Engineering and Technical Service employees, civilian members of the 3rd Herd, are also using their specialized knowledge to make sure the equipment -- and Airmen -- are ready to go. Two of them will also be deploying to Haiti alongside their uniformed counterparts. Later this month two more will accompany the radar equipment.

"They're kind of unique in the Air Force in that they are civilians but deploy right along with us," Major Bratland says. "They help train our guys with their higher level of experience. They are the real experts on many of our systems."

Once the equipment is checked, it is packed and stacked on pallets, and secured for shipment via air transport. The radar system alone is the equivalent of 25 pallets, enough to fill two C-17 aircraft. The pallets must meet stringent guidelines and be double-checked before shipment.

"We build the pallets in our backyard and then send them to the Support Squadron's quality assurance shop before they are processed by the 72nd," Major Bratland explains. "With the help of their experts we have nearly a 100-percent success rate. We have some pretty incredible pallet building expertise in the Herd."

Readying for three deployments is no small feat considering the squadron recently underwent reorganization following an Air Force-mandated force-reduction and career field restructuring.

"So we had to completely reorganize the squadron," Major Bratland said. "We had just finished moving everyone out of three different buildings when they told us to get ready to go to Haiti. Today. It was chaotic."

But, Major Bratland adds, deploying at a moment's notice is what they do and why they train.

"We're sending a lot of people and a lot of equipment to three different locations at the same time," Lieutenant Cadwell says. "It's pretty entertaining. But this is why we exercise all the time."

And after several weeks of real round-the-clock preparation, the Airmen are ready.

"Time to go," says Staff Sgt. Gary Feige. "We just want to be on the way."