380th AEW Airmen pull double duty in AOR, build regional partnerships

Published Nov. 23, 2011
By Master Sgt. Chance Babin
380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- While the main mission of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing is supporting operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, a group of deployed Airmen served a dual purpose as the support team for the 2011 Dubai Airshow, which was held Nov. 13-17 at the Dubai International Airport.

"The 380th AEW went beyond its normal combat mission to contribute to a broader mission that supports the CENTCOM commander's objectives," said Col. Dean Neeley, the deployed forces commander for the Dubai Airshow 2011. "The 380th was critically important. The mission would not have succeeded without them. We had to save money, so we sourced as many of the support personnel as possible from in theater. The 380th AEW supplied most of that help. They were the key players in our support function."

U.S. Air Forces Central Command leadership was in charge of coordinating all U.S. Department of Defense participation in the international event, and tasked U.S. Air Forces Central Command with the main execution function for the air show.

"We were AFCENT's key link to working with the local entities and synchronizing activities," said Lt. Col. Wistaria Joseph, the 380th Expeditionary Mission Support Group deputy commander and the officer in charge of support for the air show.

For example, the 380th Expeditionary Communications Squadron contacted the event organizers and the hotels DOD personnel would be utilizing to coordinate communications equipment and ensure they had everything they needed to set up the three operations centers for the event, she said.

Force protection was another area that required extensive planning and coordination well before the start of the event, Joseph added.

"First, we had to ensure the hotels we were utilizing met force protection requirements. Then, we had to negotiate with Dubai police, airport security, and [U.S. military personnel] on all the security and force protection measures that needed to occur in order to support U.S. military presence at the air show," Joseph said.

In addition to the communications and force protection functions, the wing also provided key support for contracting, personnel, transportation, aircraft maintenance, medical care and emergency management.

One of the key things AFCENT officials tried to do, Joseph said, was maximize their use of in-theater assets without degrading the main wartime mission.

That meant that while several 380th AEW Airmen were being tasked to assist with the air show, their normal mission continued back at the base.

"The 380th AEW personnel went beyond their wartime mission to support theater security cooperation with their support of this event," Neely said." Our participation in the 2011 Dubai Airshow is helping build regional partnerships and promote interoperability."

For Joseph, the opportunity to be so involved in the world's third largest air show has been a valuable experience.

"The most rewarding aspect has been learning how air shows are done on an international scene, which is something I've never experienced before," Joseph said. "I've done quite a number of air shows in the United States in various roles, but this has been a different, rewarding experience because it allowed the team to cross cultural divides, support theater security cooperation and serve as ambassadors of the United States."

The Dubai Airshow is internationally acclaimed as the third-largest air show in the world and the premiere aviation and air industry event in the Gulf region. The U.S. highlighted military air power capabilities through several static displays and aerial demonstrations at the bi-annual event.

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