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380AEW Article

Cable maintainers keep 380th AEW connected

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Amanda Savannah
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  An Airman in his dorm room talks to his family at home through the wireless internet connection on his computer. In the vehicle operations office, another is on the phone with a customer. At the Army compound, a soldier is receiving the secure information he needs to carry out his mission.

Though they are all separated, they are all communicating with others, thanks to the 380th Expeditionary Communications Squadron cable antenna systems maintainers.

"We provide the physical infrastructure to support communication services (wing-wide) via copper cable, fiber optic cable, co-ax cable, and antennas on towers," said Tech. Sgt. Hans Pugh, 380th Expeditionary Communications Squadron cable antenna systems maintenance NCO in charge, who is deployed from Kadena Air Base, Japan.

This infrastructure provides the base with its cable television, secure and non-secure internet protocol routers, commercial internet connection, and telephone lines.

Put simply, "without us, you wouldn't have (communications)," said Staff Sgt. David Hollars, 380th ECS cable TV NCO in charge, who is also deployed from Kadena.

The cable "dawgs," as they are called, climb high, dig low, and go everywhere in between to perform their mission.

"We install and maintain all cable communications and all antenna communications, so we're up in the air, working aloft on towers and telephone poles," said Pugh, an Austin, Texas, native. "We also pull cable through manhole systems, and dig trenches to install buried cable."

The Airmen aren't working alone, however. Here, they are joined by a team of six contractors permanently assigned to the squadron.

"Every six months when the military comes in, we make them feel at home and we get the jobs completed as a team," said Keith Jones, 380th ECS cable maintenance contractor team lead, who has been here more than seven years. "I like the camaraderie we have with the military. We do an extraordinary job."

Hollars, a Mitchell, Ind., native, echoed Jones' sentiment.

"It's always a real good atmosphere working with the contractors," he said. "We go out and get a lot accomplished and we have a good time doing it."

Pugh agreed.

"This is probably one of the best teams I've ever worked with," he said. "Everyone is 110 miles per hour every day."