Photo By Senior Airman Jared Lovett | The 1st Engineering Installation Squadron guidon sways during a redesignation ceremony...... read more read more
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The 1st Communications Maintenance Squadron was officially redesignated as the 1st Engineering Installation Squadron at Kapaun Air Station, Germany, May 12, 2025.
The redesignation marks a pivotal shift for the unit, establishing a formal process for them to accomplish communications support across all of United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa.
“This is a milestone that’s been coming for a while,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Caleb Mays, 1st EIS commander. “This ceremony represents far more than a name change, it signifies a commitment to the EI standard.”
The 1st CMXS was a one-of-its-kind squadron, without any applicable standard to follow which created confusion and allowed the unit to change directions frequently.
“Now that we are associated with being an EI squadron, there is a well defined guide to follow that helps to ensure that our work quality is the highest it can be,” Mays said. “The forms, processes, training, evaluations and inspections we will do now all combine to empower our Airmen to make sure the final product is engineered and installed with the highest competence, and best quality possible.”
To ensure the 1st EIS is ready for this significant task, EIS Airmen from multiple guard units are training them to ensure they’re capable of accomplishing this mission.
When a unit is having a communications issue, they can reach out to the 1st EIS, who will then determine the priority of their request. The 1st EIS will then send Airmen to conduct a site survey to find the root cause or solution. Afterward, a logistics team sends all materials and equipment needed for the project. Finally, a team arrives who installs new communications or fixes them.
“The 1st EIS is ready to deploy in a moment's notice,” said Master Sgt. Daniel Brim, 1st EIS operations flight chief. “If any unit in USAFE faces communications challenges such as a network failure or disruption, our team is able to fix the issue.”
Providing repairs to communications isn’t the only focus of the 1st EIS though. They also focus on engineering and installing new communications requirements.
The 1st EIS provides the Department of Defense forces with specialized communications engineering, installation, maintenance and emergency restoration to ensure sustainable and versatile connectivity throughout Europe and Africa.
“In the past, the 1st CMXS was primarily focused on radio, tower and antenna maintenance for various sites in Europe,” Mays said. “That mission has significantly decreased. In its place, is the increase in engineering and installing new communications requirements for each of the bases around USAFE.”
It is clear that without communications, USAFE would not function properly. This new change provides assurance that USAFE Airmen and leaders stay connected at all times.
| Date Taken: | 05.14.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.14.2025 09:06 |
| Story ID: | 497919 |
| Location: | RAMSTEIN AIR BASE , RHEINLAND-PFALZ, DE |
| Web Views: | 29 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 1st CMXS redesignated as 1st EIS at Ramstein, by SrA Jared Lovett, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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