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BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (7/25/2012) — The intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance community likes its privacy. ISR is
also well-known for their use of new technologies. The MC-12 Liberty
might be the epitome of ISR character.
An MC-12 sits on the runway in preparation for a flight at Bagram
Air Field, Afghanistan, June 29, 2012. The MC-12 mechanics inspect
each aircraft after they land so that they're prepared for the next
flight. Photo by USAF Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Nevison |
The ISR community began using the MC-12 in early 2009,
and introduced it to Bagram Air Field later that year as the
4th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron. Among the myriad
of military aircraft spread across the flight line, this
unassuming newcomer looked completely out of place. But what
looked like a small executive “island hopper” was actually a
state-of-the-art ISR total package.
This
indispensable multi-role aircraft supports all aspects of
the Air Force irregular warfare mission, and quickly became
the busiest aircraft on the ramp. For the last three years,
the Air Force pulled men and women from many different
backgrounds and airframes to fly and maintain this “secret
agent.”
Ed Cartier, Jr., 4th Expeditionary
Reconnaissance Squadron Maintenance line lead, is in charge
of making sure the available aircraft are kept ready to fly
on a very tight schedule.
“Working out here is
completely different from home. The pace is faster and you
work more hours,” Cartier said. “There are also more
personnel here than usual on this airframe, so you get to
meet people from different walk of life.”
Cartier
has not only worked on various airframes as a civilian, but
he's also quite familiar with the military side of the
house.
“I was in the Air Force from 1991 to 1995 at
Minot AFB. I worked on KC-135 Stratotankers and B-52
Stratofortresses as a Guidance and Control Specialist, so
it's great to be working with the military again.”
Airmen and civilians are constantly working together in 4
ERS, so unity is paramount. That doesn't seem to be an issue
for the team.
“The camaraderie is great between Air
Force personnel and civilians. And there's no obvious
separation between military and civilians,” Cartier said.
“Whether civilian or military, you feel like you're part of
a team where everybody knows their job, and knows their part
in the mission. So it's a great working environment.”
After Cartier, Jr.'s team's work is done, more
specialized Airmen step up to do their part. The MC-12 is
highly modified with special sensors, a ground exploitation
cell, line-of-sight and satellite communications datalinks,
and a robust voice communications suite. So team members
have to be expertly trained to prepare the aircraft and crew
for a variety of possible mission.
Staff Sgt Janet
Gonzalez, deployed from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, is NCOIC
of crew communications. She understands the importance of
her part of the mission.
“I'm responsible for
providing the crew with specific guidance, and encryption
information they need for that day's mission. So the info
has to be up-to-the-minute and accurate,” Gonzalez said.
Accurate info is crucial for the four-person crew. The
mission could be counter insurgency, foreign internal
defense, or even supporting a partnership-building capacity.
Just like the uniqueness of the MC-12 mission at Bagram,
Gonzalez's duties are different from her duties at Ramstein.
“It's my first time working on any aircraft. This
gives me a different perspective on Air Force operations. I
enjoy it because I get to work with civilian maintainers,
special agents and aircrew. That makes my job interesting.
They teach me a generic perspective of their missions. The
aircrew really seems to enjoy talking about what they did
that day,” said Gonzalez.
The 4 ERS mission's
combination of fast operational tempo, uniqueness, and
importance to troops on the ground, seems to deeply appeals
to both maintainers and crew alike.
Senior Airman
Joel Hunt, from Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, is an intelligence
analyst with 4 ERS. He says he values his part in the 4th
ERS mission, and has become attached to it.
“I enjoy
my job because my actions have a direct impact on the
mission which is immediate,” said Hunt. “I absolutely love
being out here and being a part of the 4th ERS. I will have
a hard time leaving.”
Staff Sgt. John Busbee, from
Kadena AB, Japan, is an MC-12 sensor operator with 4 ERS. He
agrees with Hunt's sense of attachment to the mission.
“At home we control airborne fighters. Here I work with
ground forces too, helping them through any situation they
may encounter with enemies,” Busbee said. “I feel like I'm
doing more here; that I'm a direct part of the process that
brings them back safely, instead of being back at home
station working from thousands of miles away,” Busbee added.
When the MC-12s land, the mission isn't complete yet,
for the team of dedicated civilians, yet again, take the
necessary time to asses every inch of the aircraft in
accomplishing a thorough post-mission inspection.
While data gathered from the flight is processed, the
maintenance team restarts their work, checking everything
from the engine compartments to the landing gear in
preparation for the next mission, which could be entirely
different than the previous one, and might be just minutes
away.
By USAF Tech. Sgt. Shawn McCowan
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2012
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