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380AEW Article

Fly-away kit provides immediate communication capability in remote locations

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Amanda Savannah
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  When an aircraft crashes in the desert, can the on-scene commander relay crucial, secure information back to his home station about it?

He can if he has a communications fly-away kit.

Airmen of the 380th Expeditionary Communications Squadron radio frequency transmission systems section are responsible for maintaining the kit, called a CFK. The CFK provides Non-secure Internet Protocol Router, Secure Internet Protocol Router, and Voice Over Secure Internet Protocol capability within 30 minutes during emergency and contingency operations.

"The CFK is basically a network setup that we can use ... to connect to a satellite," said Senior Airman Garrett Rhodes, 380th ECS RF transmission systems journeyman. "It's a kit that helps people have communications wherever they are."

The 45-pound kit supports one NIPR and SIPR user, and provides one VOSIP line.

Rhodes, an Augusta, Ga., native deployed from Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., said the kit is crucial during emergency situations in remote locations.

"Say there's a jet crash somewhere, they can send us out there, we hook it up ... and they can send messages back (to home station)," he said.

When the kit isn't being used in an emergency, the RF transmission systems section tests its capability weekly and performs monthly operations checks at various locations around base.

"I've never worked with it before besides here, so it's pretty neat to set up something to where the NIPR and SIPR capabilities (are available) right there on the spot, without having it hooked up to anything," Rhodes said.

Staff Sgt. William Adams, 380th ECS RF transmission systems NCO in charge, said his team is working hard with the CFK and a new piece of equipment, called a Hawkeye, which is essentially an expansion kit for the CFK. The 300-pound Hawkeye looks like a small satellite dish and allows for 20 more users.

"We just got this in and they're troubleshooting it now," said Adams, an Omaha, Neb., native deployed from Buckley Air Force Base, Colo. "With the (CFK), they've all learned it pretty quickly. They're awesome."

Rhodes just enjoys being able to provide the capability to those who need it.

"I like that they can depend on us to be ... a resource they can use to take with them if they need that network stability," he said.