Courtesy Photo | U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jordan Rosa and Staff Sgt. Bradley Schmid, 725th Air...... read more read more
The 725th Air Mobility Squadron recently partnered with the 86th Communications Squadron to bolster the Air Force network at Naval Station Rota, Spain.
The 725 AMS is the only Air Force squadron located on the Navy base along the southwestern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. As the largest Air Mobility Squadron in the European theater, the 725 AMS is tasked with providing fixed en-route support to U.S. Transportation Command aircraft through Air Mobility Command’s Global Air Mobility Support System, part of USTRANSCOM’s Joint Distribution Enterprise. Being an Air Force unit on a Navy base presents some unique challenges for the squadron, and it starts with powering on their computers.
“It didn’t occur to me until I arrived here that we need to provide access to AFNet,” said Lt. Col. Brad Seehawer, 725 AMS commander. “Our small team of cyber systems, client systems, and infrastructure technicians do a lot to ensure that we have the digital connectivity and resiliency to support AMC’s European enroute.”
The 725 AMS connects to the Air Force network hosted at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, more than 1,300 miles away. Ensuring uninterrupted functionality requires a strong relationship with the 86 CS provide communications support to all Ramstein AB. Much of that partnership is developed from afar, but recently Senior Airman Zyler Ziebol, an 86 CS cyber transport technician, and Senior Airmen Angelo Aguilar, an 86 CS network technician, traveled to Rota to assist with some big projects.
The first is PacStar, a deployable router that enables access to both classified and unclassified networks. The 725 AMS is the first AMS to acquire this capability, ensuring that Airmen stay connected even during AFNet service interruptions. PacStar is a crucial system for an Air Mobility Team, the squadron’s rapidly deployable force that provides port, maintenance, command and control, and cyber capability.
Second, the 86 CS and 725 Airmen tackled an old switch in the 725 AMS Tactics vault. The squadron hosts deployed Total Force tacticians who provide threat briefings and updated products to aircrew conducting missions in theater. The need was amplified during recent influxes of AMC missions in support of U.S. Central Command operations.
“We’ve been waiting to get this switch updated for a long time,” said Lt. Col. Benjamin Segreti, New York Air National Guard. “It will be a huge help towards supporting crews going downrange.”
Finally, the cyber team implemented the Department of Defense’s telephone replacement plan. As part of a cost-saving and modernization initiative the DOD is replacing copper line telephones with more convenient Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phones. These phones run on the same AFNet as the 725 computers, streamlining the infrastructure the team supports. The 86th and 725th team configured 58 VOIP phones, advancing Rota’s compliance with the DOD vision of a full IP-based communications system.
“As a Cyber NCO, I was greatly impressed with these Airmen’s technical expertise, professionalism, and dedication to getting the job done, especially at the junior enlisted level,” said TSgt Jordan Rosa, 725 AMS cyber systems and operations section chief.
The Airmen were presented with squadron coins by Lt. Col. Seehawer for this quick turn support, accomplishing all the upgrades in a single week.
“As a geographically separated unit to Team Ramstein, the 725 AMS relies heavily on partnerships to make the mission happen,” said Seehawer. “We couldn’t do it without the outstanding support we have from Team Ramstein.”
| Date Taken: | 08.29.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.29.2025 06:32 |
| Story ID: | 546872 |
| Location: | DE |
| Web Views: | 85 |
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