RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- The 879th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, a unit comprised of 24 different U.S. Air Force specialty codes, recently provided security support during a visit by President Barack Obama to Saudi Arabia during a mission that is now the highlight of some of the Airmen’s careers.
Not only did the squadron support the presidential mission on short notice, but they also simultaneously supported other distinguished visitors, to include senior government and military officials. Adding to the complexity of the logistics and security of the visit, the vast majority of the support occurred away from the installation and in the host nation’s secure areas.
“Two weeks before, we received a communication saying that the POTUS was traveling to Saudi Arabia and that our squadron was going to support it, which quickly became an all-hands-on mission,” said Lt. Col. Joel Briske, 879th ESFS commander. “The unit had to acquire everything from equipment to contracts, rearrange schedules, and coordinate access to host nation facilities.”
Team members executed security sweeps and secured equipment to be used at the airport several days ahead of the visit. During the arrival, team members wore civilian clothes to mitigate attention on the operation.
“It was amazing to see Air Force One at a foreign country’s international airport knowing that I was a part of the first-line of security to protect it,” said Staff Sgt. Cavan Reilly, 879th ESFS combined defense operations center controller. “It was unusual for us to be securing his plane not in uniform, but we were still equipped inconspicuously to perform our duties if required.”
Other 879th ESFS Airmen were tasked with military working dogs and explosive ordinance disposal support throughout the city and the airport. With additional visits from other distinguished visitors, such as the Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and Secretary of State John Kerry, the team adapted to meet the additional requirements.
“I have done many of these types of mission before, but you seldom ever meet the primary [member] that you are protecting,” said Tech Sgt. Gary Resta, 879th ESFS kennel master. “For him to stop and thank us for what we were doing has been the highlight of this deployment.”
During the visit, the squadron was invited to personally meet the president. He met and thanked a total of 15 879th ESFS members for their service.
“I was grateful for the opportunity to meet our Commander-in-Chief. It’s an amazing memory to share with my children,” said Master Sgt. LaTonya Bronner, 879th ESFS personnel support for contingency operations superintendent. “Even better, my children understand the relevance and importance of meeting the President.”
As Air Force One rumbled down the runway lifting off the ground, the team was thankful for the opportunity of a lifetime.
“This was truly an unexpected and complex mission for our unit to handle,” Briske added. “However, we have great Airmen doing great things, and watching them flex and stretch to overcome obstacles to make this mission a success made me think of how lucky I am to be part of it all.”
The 879th ESFS is a self-supported, geographically-separated unit based in Saudi Arabia. It is assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Mission Support Group, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.