Navy commander contributes to Naval aviation in Afghanistan

Photo By 94th Airlift Wing | Lt. Cmdr. Tom Williams, executive officer, shakes hands with Cmdr. Brian Stephens, officer in charge, of the Navy and Marine Corps Multi-Mission Tactical UAS Program Office. The two spent a 9-month deployment at PRT Kunduz in Afghanistan in support of the International Security Assistance Force mission.  

MAZAR-E-SHARIF, AFGHANISTAN

02.02.2012

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Christophe Laurent 

ISAF Regional Command North

REGIONAL COMMAND NORTH, Afghanistan - A Sandusky, Ohio, native-turned U.S. Navy sailor has been serving in Afghanistan for the past nine months supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Cmdr. Brian Stephens was previously stationed in northern Afghanistan with the International Security Assistance Force, serving as the officer in charge of the Navy and Marine Corps Multi-Mission Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System Program. Stephens commanded a team sent to Afghanistan to implement an experimental UAS program.

“My staff and I are excited about the progress we’ve made here,” said Stephens. He stated that during the short deployment they flew multiple missions in support of combat operations, with almost a fifth conducted over the course of one month.

Naval aviation has been an important role in Stephens’ career since it began in 1988. He began as an H-3 helicopter pilot and transitioned to fly the MZ-3A airships in support of Operation Desert Storm. Stephens continues his service as a reservist and performs his drill duty at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.

Setting up a new UAS squadron in Afghanistan was one of the challenges Stephens faced upon arrival to Afghanistan. Since this is the first program of its kind, the team faced the many pitfalls of maintaining the initial supply requirements and scheduling the airspace for every flight. He successfully managed a mixed group of military personnel and government contractors on location. He credits his team for the mission’s success.

“We were able to really show off here in Afghanistan as a detachment,” Stephens exclaimed. "We can now say that we are the only expeditionary detachment to perform a stand-up of this type."

• Date Taken: 02.02.2012
• Date Posted: 02.03.2012 04:33
• Story ID: 83276
• Location: MAZAR-E-SHARIF, AF