Luke senior airman, Madera native, keeps deployed wing driving down the cyber highway in Southwest Asia

Photo By Master Sgt. Jenifer Calhoun | Senior Airman Veronica Uribe is a cyber transport journeyman with the 380th Expeditionary Communications Squadron at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia. Here she is pictured, May 14. Uribe is deployed from the 56th Communications Squadron at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., and her hometown is Madera, Calif.  

(UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)

05.20.2010

Story by Senior Airman Jenifer Calhoun 

380th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- In today's military, having access to the information highway is a critical part of completing the mission - which is also true in a deployed environment. That's why cyber transport Airmen like Senior Airman Veronica Uribe are deployed to make sure people have the access they need.

Uribe is a cyber transport journeyman with the 380th Expeditionary Communications Squadron at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia. Uribe is deployed from the 56th Communications Squadron at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. In her deployed job, she works on the client support team assisting customers in creating e-mail and other accounts for deployed information systems.

"Our client support team also maintains computer equipment throughout the base," Uribe said.

According to the official Air Force job description for the cyber transport career field, Airmen like Uribe deploy, sustain, troubleshoot and repair standard voice, data and video network infrastructure systems, Internet protocol detection systems and cryptographic equipment. They perform, coordinate, integrate and supervise network design, configuration, operation, defense, restoration and improvements.

Cyber transport Airmen also analyze capabilities and performance, identify problems and take corrective action. They fabricate, terminate and interconnect wiring and associated network infrastructure devices. In short, they are computer network hardware and communication equipment specialists, the job description states.

"Without computers, our deployed base and every base world-wide would have a harder time getting the mission done in today's computer age," Uribe said.

In joining the military three and a half years ago, Uribe said she has enjoyed being able to serve her country at both home station and while deployed.

"I love it," said Uribe, whose hometown is Madera, Calif. "Joining the Air Force was the best decision I ever made."

The 380th ECS is a sub-unit of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. The wing is home to the KC-10 Extender, U-2 Dragon Lady, E-3 Sentry and RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft. The wing is comprised of four groups and 12 squadrons and the wing's deployed mission includes air refueling, air battle management, surveillance and reconnaissance in support of overseas contingency operations in Southwest Asia. The 380th AEW supports operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

• Date Taken: 05.20.2010
• Date Posted: 05.20.2010 01:46
• Story ID: 49985
• Location: (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)