Deployed NCO, Savannah native, supports Global Hawk operations in Southwest Asia

Photo By Master Sgt. Jenifer Calhoun | Staff Sgt. Michael Middleton is the NCO in charge for ground communications for the RQ-4 Global Hawk with the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron's Hawk aircraft maintenance unit at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia. Here he is pictured, Feb. 12. His hometown is Savannah, Ga.  

(UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)

06.09.2010

Story by Senior Airman Jenifer Calhoun 

380th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Through the first four months of 2010, RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft assigned to the 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron and the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing completed more than 110 sorties in support of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions in the U.S. Central Command area responsibility. And for every one of those missions, Staff Sgt. Michael Middleton was on hand to make those missions successful.

Middleton is the NCO in charge for ground communications for the RQ-4 Global Hawk with the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron's Hawk aircraft maintenance unit at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia. An RF transmission systems craftsman, Middleton explained how his team of communicators gets the RQ-4 through each mission.

"Our team supplies all command and control for the RQ-4 system," said Middleton who is serving a one-year tour with the 380th EAMXS. "That effort, through maintaining the system, tells the RQ-4 who, what, when and where to go during a mission which could be in places like Iraq and Afghanistan."

According to its Air Force fact shee, the RQ-4 is a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system with an integrated sensor suite that provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or ISR, capability world-wide. The Global Hawk's mission is to provide a broad spectrum of ISR collection capability to support joint combatant forces in global peacetime, contingency and wartime operations.

Additionally, the fact sheet shows the Global Hawk complements manned and space reconnaissance systems by providing near-real-time coverage using imagery intelligence, or IMINT, sensors. The Global Hawk system, which Sergeant Middleton maintains, consists of the RQ-4 aircraft with an integrated sensor suite, launch and recovery element, or LRE, mission control element, or MCE, sensors, communication equipment mission planning equipment, support element and trained personnel like Sergeant Middleton. The IMINT sensors include synthetic aperture radar, electro-optical and medium-wave infrared sensors.

"This system is among the best for what it provides to the ISR community," Sergeant Middleton said.

As an RF transmission systems craftsman, Middleton is trained to deploy, sustain, troubleshoot and repair standard radio frequency wireless, line-of-sight, beyond line-of-sight, wideband, ground-based satellite and encryption transmission devices and intrusion detection systems in a fixed and deployed environment, his official Air Force job description states. Included in the systems he can manage are multiple waveform systems operating across the spectrum, keying and signal devices and telemetry and instrumentation systems. Airmen like Sergeant Middleton are trained to establish and maintain circuits and configure and manage system and network connectivity.

In doing his deployed job, Middleton establishes requirements for maintenance equipment, support equipment, tools and spare parts for maintaining the Global Hawk system. He requisitions, accounts for, and turns in supplies and material and interprets inspection findings while determining adequacy of corrective action. He also reviews and ensures compliance with maintenance management publications and procedures and identifies maintenance problem areas and recommends corrective action.

Furthermore, Middleton is trained to inspect wireless radio and satellite communications activities. To do this, he determines equipment operational status, serves on teams to evaluate transmission systems activities, interprets inspection findings submitted by other inspecting activities, and initiates corrective action. He also determines adequacy of corrective action and checks installed and repaired components for compliance with technical publications.

Middleton is also trained to resolve installation, repair, overhaul and modification problems associated with communications equipment. He employs orbiting communication satellite, line-of-sight and tropospheric scatter techniques and conducts tests to restore and maintain systems. He also uses layout drawings, schematics and pictorial diagrams to solve maintenance problems and he can analyze construction and operating characteristics of equipment to determine source of malfunctions.

Middleton, whose hometown is Savannah, Ga., said he is proud to serve in the Air Force and the military and said he has enjoyed all the new thing serving as brought to him.

"This is the best move I could have made in this chess game of life," Sergeant Middleton said. "I've gone from being a security forces Airman guarding planes to helping operate and maintain them. It's been a great experience so far."

The staff sergeant said he has been "all over the world" and on prior deployments as a security forces Airman. However, he added that his current deployment is also an excellent experience that makes him want to do his best.

"This job is the best I have ever had," Sergeant Middleton said. "I'm learning and teaching. I'm also speaking to everyone I can think of about what I do. I strive, every day, to be the best at what I do."

The 380th EAMXS and the 99th ERS are units 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: 06.09.2010
• Date Posted: 06.09.2010 08:43
• Story ID: 51117
• Location: (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)