PRINCE SULTAN AIR BASE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia -- At the foundation of every military installation, capabilities for communications are a necessary driving force. From phone connectivity to internet access, the men and women of the military's communications squadrons help establish a baseline with capabilities to relay information between entities all over the world to accomplish the mission. With the help of his team, one Airman in particular worked to complete the vision for installing communications for joint forces at Prince Sultan Air Base.
Senior Airman Aldo Gjoza, 378th Expeditionary Communications Squadron client systems technician, was awarded the Army achievement medal for his exceptional and meritorious service while serving as a technician during the Army’s Operation Spartan Shield.
"From the beginning, I was one of the coordinators for the 4th Air Defense Battalion here," Gjoza said. "I provided direct communications support to them and helped many of the soldiers learn about our network."
Gjoza credits his team for his ability to do his job. He highlighted PSAB's dynamic duo that helped bring this base to proper communications standards.
"It wasn't just me," Gjoza said. "While I'm completing ticket request, Senior Airman Moran is answering phone calls and getting all the customers' information. He's doing a lot of the hard work that most people don't see."
"I’m Gjoza’s right hand man,” said Senior Airman Jorge Moran III, 378 ECS focal point lead. “My job is to retrieve all communications-related requests. Gjoza is the most stellar Airman I’ve had the opportunity of working with. He always ensures that any and every issue is resolved to the best of his abilities.”
Building the initial network for PSAB from nothing was no easy feat and working with a different branch of service presented many challenges.
"Combat Comm is use to setting up communication networks within two or three days," Gjoza said. "That's not what happened here at all. We were constantly building and breaking down networks, and the Army and Air Force do things very differently. Not better or worse, just different. In the Army, when it's time to do something, you make it happen in that moment," Gjoza said. "In the Air Force, there's a lot of process and procedure. We can only do it because this document says we can do it this way. It was difficult coordinating and communicating the differences and trying to make the customers feel like we care about them without violating procedure."
Despite the complex network issues presented at PSAB, Gjoza and his communication teammates in both the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army worked together to get the job done.
“He conveys the importance of relying on others to accomplish the mission,” Moran said. “His work with the Army in joint service communication has been eye opening. Experiencing their technical prowess and overall competence allowed for a graceful cohesion between Army and Air Force communications.”
Now the work is done. The words from Gjoza's decoration citation sum it up best. His dedication to duty, selfless service and loyalty greatly contributed to the success of the units' mission. His outstanding performance upholds traditions of military service and reflects great credit upon himself, the Army and the Air Force.