Local Airmen provide summit support

Members of the 1st Combat Communications Squadron, 616th Air Communications Squadron, 32nd Air Operations Center, 38th Construction and Training Squadron, 86th Contingency Response Group, 606th Air Control Squadron and 435th Logistics Readiness Squadron teamed up to form the 720th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron, 722nd EABS, 724th EABS, 726th EABS at the NATO Summit Nov. 28 to 29 in Riga, Latvia.

Each squadron was responsible for providing long-haul communications and services, delivering a real-time air picture and other information used by Gen. Tom Hobbins, USAFE commander, and his operational staff to make time sensitive decisions regarding potential air threats.

Personnel used secure and non-secure voice, data and video services to provide connectivity between five deployed locations, which enabled COMUSAFE to command and control two NATO Airborne Control and Warning Systems aircraft and a continuous combat air patrol of four fighters.

In addition, the support provided allowed leadership to maintain dedicated communications with the Secretary of Defense for immediate approval to launch combat-ready assets in response to potential threats over the Baltic air space. Line-of-sight radios were also used to provide vital command and control information between aircraft and COMUSAFE.

“We really stretched the capabilities of our people and equipment, and really pushed the envelope as to what we thought we could deliver for communications services. This was a great deployment for our team,” said Master Sgt. Ron Jaskolski, 720th EABS superintendent.
(Courtesy of 1st CBCS)