644th Combat Communications Squadron supports Silver Flag

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Chelsy Alamina | Airman 1st Class Steven Estrada, 644th Combat Communications Squadron, works on a electrical board for a tactical satellite communications terminal during a Silver Flag exercise at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. Silver Flag is a monthly exercise that teaches students from throughout the Pacific Area of Responsibility (AOR) how to set up, establish and operate a fully functional base in a contingency environment. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Chelsy Alamina)  

YIGO, GUAM

01.15.2015

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Chelsy Alamina 

Defense Media Activity - Guam

YIGO, Guam—Airmen of the 644th Combat Communications Squadron (CBCS) participate in a monthly training exercise monitored by the U.S. Air Force 554 Red Horse Squadron, Detachment 1, at Northwest Field, Guam.

Silver Flag is a combined service exercise that trains students from throughout the Pacific Area of Responsibility (AOR) on how to set up, establish and operate a fully functional base in a contingency environment.

During the eight day Silver Flag course, servicemembers are taught how to build and maintain bare-base operations at a forward-deployed location, for the airmen at 644th CBCS; it is a chance to sharpen their skills as an expeditionary unit by providing quick response to relief efforts in various situations where communications have not been previously established.

“We are able to take this opportunity to train and familiarize our technicians with the equipment we would deploy with and ensure that the operational capability of our equipment is validated,” said 2nd Lt. Denisse Paz, the Officer in Charge (OIC) of Cyber Transport Systems and the Mission Commander of Silver Flag Communications Support.

The squadron provides equipment in accordance with requirements from Red Horse. For this exercise, laptops, phones, printers and speakers were placed where needed to accommodate the 88 students participating in this exercise along with a tactical satellite terminal paired with airtime to deliver access to the internet.

According to TSgt William Granada, the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) of Cyber Transport Systems, this exercise is an opportunity to expand knowledge on connecting to other equipment outside of a normal setup. It helps to better prepare the airmen on real world scenarios by training in a controlled and less demanding environment.

“This allows us to consistently test our skills and equipment since we rotate both our personnel and communications assets,” said Paz. “We value the opportunity for us to have a team working with other squadrons from the Pacific. It makes us be innovative with how we can set up when we choose to use different equipment to meet their user requirements.”

• Date Taken: 01.15.2015
• Date Posted: 01.16.2015 01:11
• Story ID: 152131
• Location: YIGO, GU