17th AF supports presidential visit to Ghana

ACCRA, Ghana  — Before President Barack Obama could land in Accra July 10, Airmen, Sailors and Marines were on the ground days in advance preparing for the visit.

More than 150 Airmen in Accra and more than 1,000 Sailors and Marines aboard the USS Iwo Jima came together to form a task force to support the president’s visit July 10 and 11.

The ongoing mission was conducted by members of 17th Air Force, also known as Air Forces Africa, at Ramstein. Seventeenth Air Force is the air component for U.S. Africa Command.

The task force provided aerial port and aircraft maintenance teams, along with forward communications, medical assistance, helicopter support, early warning coverage and air domain safety and security elements to support the president’s visit, his first to the African continent since taking office in January.

In addition to supporting the visit, members worked with their Ghanaian counterparts to strengthen the partnership between the two nations.
The multiple teams that made up the task force gelled into a cohesive team to provide the level of support mandated for a mission of the highest priority, said Col. Mark Vijums, task force commander.

“When you are supporting the president of the United States, our commander in chief, you deliver your absolute best, and that’s what this task force has done,” the colonel said. “Everyone has operated with a keen sense of the purpose and scope to ensure our president and all those supporting him have everything they need while in Ghana.”
A presidential mission overseas means transporting equipment ranging from the president’s limo to the stair truck that makes it possible for him to de-plane Air Force One.
Scheduling, offloading and maintaining a stream of C-17 Globemaster IIIs was crucial to getting all the equipment to Ghana and having it in place in time for President Obama’s arrival, Colonel Vijums said.

Master Sgt. Ken Duran served as the aerial port team chief during the operation. Deployed from the 819th Global Support Squadron at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., his team unloaded every piece of equipment needed for the visit. He said his team was excited about their first visit to the African continent and more importantly, the chance to support the president.

“This is pretty much a once in a lifetime experience for us and something I know I will always remember,” Sergeant Duran said. “We are all very excited, and the Ghanaian people are phenomenal.”

While his aerial port team didn’t have all the support they would have while conducting a similar operation at their home base, they were well equipped, both in terms of personnel and resources, to provide complete support to the operation in Ghana.

“This team is designed lighter and leaner and to make sure we can handle everything that arrives on every aircraft,” Sergeant Duran said. “Also, the 17th Air Force folks have been a really big help to us.”

Like the rest of the task force, the aerial port team was prepared to pack up, depart Ghana and return to home station as soon as the president’s visit was done.
The task force had the communications capabilities supplied by a team from the 1st Combat Communications Squadron at Ramstein.

Upon arrival, 1st Lt. AJ DeLaFuente and his team began providing for a range of communications, which included Internet, land-line telephone services, network administration and radio.

“We pretty much have a hand in every form of communications outside of the commercial cell phones,” the lieutenant said. “When the rubber meets the road, it’s really awesome to see it all working out well.”

Airmen in the 1st Combat Comm deploy to set up forward communications at locations throughout Europe and the team is well versed in overcoming communications challenges outside of the normal base infrastructure.

“This is my A-team, the cream of the crop, and that’s what they do,” Lieutenant DeLaFuente said.

He also explained that the team was a mix of qualified technicians on their first deployment to experienced experts who have set up similar operations again and again. But for everyone, this mission is “a pretty big deal.” And the lieutenant himself was on his first forward operation.

“I’m really thankful to be on a mission of such notoriety with such qualified professionals across the spectrum,” he said, noting that in addition to fostering teamwork on the task force, the mission also enhanced the partnership with the Ghanaians. “They are going out of their way to be helpful. It’s really a pleasure to work with them.”

Master Sgt. Russ Killpartrick agreed that the Ghanaians were eager to work in concert with the U.S. delegation. The production superintendent for aircraft maintenance operations was deployed from Charleston AFB, S.C., where he is assigned to the 437th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. His team of maintainers attended to every C-17 touching down at Accra.

“We provide whatever they need, usually filling them up with gas and launching them back out,” Sergeant Killpartrick said. “Everyone’s excited to be here. This is the highest priority mission we could have.”

This point was reiterated by the commander, who said that everyone, including Sailors and Marines on the Iwo Jima and Marines conducting security on the ground, was acting on this premise.

“Our Marine and Naval components of this team have displayed the highest level of dedication and professionalism and have instilled confidence in everyone taking part,” Colonel Vijums said. “They are excellent at what they do and it shows.”
The commander also took time to thank his staff and the team overall.

“We have nicknamed this task force Rock Star Ops, because these men and women have truly performed like rock stars to make this mission happen,” he said. “They can be very proud of what they’ve accomplished here. This visit by President Obama has meant a great deal to the people of Ghana and we are happy to have played a part.”

The task force remained in-place until after the president departed Ghana, at which time they set in motion an equally rigorous operation to pack up and return home, with lingering memories of a historic mission successfully completed.

Besides the 17th AF and 1st Combat Communications Squadron, other Team Ramstein members, including the 86th Logistics Readiness Squadron, 86th Maintenance Squadron, 86th AW Public Affairs and Office of Special Investigations, supported the presidential visit to Ghana  to provide everything from video coverage, maintenance support and refueling assistance to security.