Combat Comm supports mission in Lithuania

When most military people hear the word “deployment,” they think of sweat, sand, heat and desolate places. However, when 10 members of the 1st Combat communications Squadron prepared to deploy in September, they packed their long underwear, polar fleece, heavy gloves and winter hats.

They were getting ready to spend the rest of fall and early winter months in Lithuania, providing comm support to Lakenheath’s 493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, as the states takes its turn in the Baltic Air Police rotation.

“I use their systems all day long,” said Maj. Jeffrey Galloway, 493rd EFS commander. “They do a great job and we can’t do our mission without them. They always come through.”

Since Lithuania and the other Baltic states joined NATO in 2004, the Baltic Air Police mission has been continuously in effect, shared by all NATO countries in 120-day rotations to Zokniai/Šiauliai International Airport to keep the skies clear of potentially hostile air traffic. This is the second time the United States has sent four fighter aircraft to stand on constant alert, ready to scramble and meet any unwelcome visitors to Baltic air space at any time of the day or night.

“We have our own little network here,” said Airman 1st Class Kirk Rodgers, a network operation technician for the 1st CBCS. “All the same services you’d expect on a base, and any access to the resources you need to a computer network, we’ve got right here.”

Linked via satellite to home-station networks, phone and Internet system signals are divided between classified, unclassified and voice. Powered by their own generators, the 1st CBCS has become the masters of their own destiny.

“We are completely self-reliant here,” Airman Rodgers said. “Any sort of catastrophe that could strike the power grid here in Lithuania would not affect us on our network.”

When the team first arrived in late September, a lot of work had to be done in a short time. They needed to build a tent to serve as their workplace, build a satellite dish, create an Internet server from scratch and create all necessary patches. They also needed to install additional security features to protect from Internet marauders.

The high workload made the first week a busy one, with team members averaging 18- to 20-hour days.

“The first five days were a blast. Hard work, but a blast,” Airman Rodgers said. “Everyone was just so focused on the mission. You don’t think about the hours, you don’t think about anything more than just getting the job done. Just keep the coffee coming and do what we’ve gotta do.”

Once the initial set-up phase was complete, the team moved into phase two – maintenance. Now the deployees only have to make sure their systems continue to function correctly, and they keep up their defenses against cyber attackers.

Staff Sgt. Gary Vergara, the heating, ventilation and air conditioning specialist assigned to the team, has learned a lot about work he wouldn’t normally do.

“Since each one of us has a specific Air Force specialty code, if one of us has the day off or they’re not here, we have to learn a little bit of their job to make sure everything’s covered,” he said.

Which shouldn’t imply that his own job has been easy. As the man responsible for the environment inside the tent workplace, his work is cut out for him.

“For the past month it’s been very windy. Twenty, 30 knots maybe,” Sergeant Vargara said. “It’s been cold and we’ve been having a lot of snow. I just make sure it’s nice and warm in this tent.”

As hours grow longer in the maintenance phase, team members have found productive ways to spend off-duty hours. Some are finishing college classes online or getting certified on software products for work, while some team members compete to see who knows the most about everyone else’s AFSC. They also visit a local children’s home regularly, often delivering toys, clothes and other needed items.

The team has developed into a cohesive unit in the way only possible for a small, deployed group.

Overall, life is good in Lithuania.

“We love it out here,” Sergeant Vergara said.

“The people of Lithuania are very nice. The culture is great, and we’re learning as we go.”