SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Preparation, training, agility and teamwork came together here recently when an inbound mission, transporting Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and other State Department staff, was received by the 387th Air Expeditionary Group during Tillerson’s recent visit to the AOR.
Tillerson’s visit required multi-agency coordination between the State Department, Secret Service, host nation, and a wide variety of 387th assets and personnel, according to Col. Douglas Edwards, 387th AEG commander.
A major player in the visit was the 387th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron.
“It isn’t day-to-day business for the 387th AEG to receive a cabinet secretary, but we made sure we had the assets and people to accomplish the mission,” said Master Sgt. Tanya Fox, 387th ESFS operations superintendent.
The 387th ESFS provided convoy security and escort duties for the Secretary of State while entering and exiting the installation. Additionally, they supported with close-bound sentries, which provided around-the-clock security while his aircraft was on the ground.
“We had to bring in extra manpower to support the needs of the mission,” said Airman 1st Class Reese Register, 387th ESFS response force leader. “Even when the secretary was off base, we made sure we had the support needed to secure the aircraft. There was a lot of coordination, but we made it work.”
For Register, this visit demonstrated to him that he was part of a bigger mission than some of his other standard duties as a 387th ESFS defender.
“Going from everyday work with the usual things going on, to working a mission like that was pretty neat,” said Register. “Seeing all the forces come together; host nation forces, secret service, and then leading the convoy to get them out the gates…It was pretty cool.”
Realization of the grander scale of their mission was a sentiment also shared by another defender, Airman 1st Class William Lower, 387th ESFS response force leader.
“It gave me a broader picture of what we do over here because supporting the travel of a cabinet secretary isn’t something you get to do every day,” said Lower, “Some days feel routine but when you see something like that going on, you know that you’re really over here defending a wide range of missions.”