Viper Team helps leadership reach out, touch someone

Published Sept. 3, 2007
By Senior Airman Clark Staehle
379th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Airmen with the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing help provide senior military leadership with a way to keep in touch while they fly the friendly skies.

The 379th Expeditionary Communications Squadron's Viper Team helps open and maintain the lines of communication for admirals and generals while they're en route to other locations.

"We support primarily U.S. Central Command commander, Navy Adm. William Fallon, and other distinguished visitors, which enables them to communicate securely throughout the area of responsibility with secure voice and SIPRnet." said Tech. Sgt. Kevin Richard, 379th ECS. "We provide secure communications to the big guys so they can do their planning while they're out here."

The team uses C-17s and C-130s, both are equipped with defensive measures like flares and chaff, which help ensure the flights are as safe as possible.

To prepare the plane for the flight, the team brings in several cases containing racks full of computer equipment. To connect the components to the antenna, they're simply plugged into jacks inside the aircraft.

The hardware provides leadership with the ability to send e-mails over SIPR and NIPR networks, as well as secure and nonsecure phone lines.

Signals are sent from an antenna to satellites, where they're routed to their final destination anywhere on the plane.

Being assigned to the Viper Team is similar to an additional duty for these Airmen, who come from different career fields through out the communications career field, said Tech. Sgt. Jason Moore, 379th ECS, a satellite booster launch specialist deployed from Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. The communications specialists receive their deployment tasking and are sent to McChord Air Force Base, Wash. to attend Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape training to ensure they'll be as prepared as possible for their missions.

During AEF 7/8, their mission has sent the team to Iraq and Afghanistan several times, as well Europe.

The team supports major generals and above, and that has given the Airmen opportunities to meet and work with some of the highest ranking members of the U.S. government.

The team recently accompanied Navy Adm. Fallon, to Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy and has also escorted Hon. Gordon England, Deputy Secretary of Defense and Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"Supporting the U.S. Central Command commander was my most memorable flight, because I know the job he's doing is important," said Sergeant Richard, a senior controller from Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. "To know I'm enabling him to communicate securely makes me feel like I'm taking a big part in the war."

The team is also comprised of Tech. Sgt. Adrian Saenz, Staff Sgt. Ryan Hilliard and Staff Sgt. Christopher Pettit, all of whom are with the 379th ECS.