Combined team handles DOD accountability for 2011 Dubai Airshow

Published Nov. 18, 2011
By Master Sgt. Chance Babin
380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- A small group of personnel specialists and communications experts deployed from the 380th Air Expeditionary wing and other units in U.S. Air Forces Central Command have joined together to handle personnel accountability functions for the 2011 Dubai Airshow.

The combined team is charged with keeping accountability of all Department of Defense personnel participating in the event, handling any personnel issues that may come up and manning the three operations centers at the event to ensure everyone is getting the information they need.

Working the PERSCO aspect in the operations centers is something different for the communications folks.

"It's been interesting," said Tech. Sgt. Akiba Ratkowski, the NCO in charge of the client services team for the 380th Expeditionary Communications Squadron, who is working the event. "I'm used to working more of the technical side of things, but working with PERSCO, they are more of the customer service-oriented side of the house."

The operations center teams act as welcome teams, the Lake City, Fla., native explained. They in-process personnel when they arrive at the event, give people the rules of engagement and the community standards for the show and brief them on what to expect, she added.

The chance to work the personnel support for contingency operations, or PERSCO, side of the house is a new experience for the PERSCO team lead as well.

1st Lt. Loren Hulen, the sustainment services flight commander for the 380th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron and PERSCO team lead at the event, said working the Dubai Airshow has given her a chance to do something different from what she does back at her deployed wing.

"It's a bit different, especially the accountability piece," she said. "We have to make sure we have everything ready and the information is available on a moment's notice."

Hulen is a force support officer, which includes manpower, personnel and services. However, her experience up to this point has been almost exclusively in services roles.

"This has actually been really great," the Germantown, Md., native said. "I've been working in the services flight the majority of the time I've been in [the Air Force]. So, the opportunity to work in the PERSCO role has been challenging and fun."

There are three operations centers at the air show. The main operations center is the hub for information.

"The challenge is that information changes frequently and we have a really a high operations tempo," said Hulen. "We have to make sure all the information gets to all the different operations centers."

Having the communications team serve the dual role has made this task a little easier, she said.

"I had to get SharePoint training prior to coming here and have continued to learn it while I'm here," she said. "It's an easy transition for the comm.. personnel, because they all know SharePoint already."

The communications team set up the operations centers and the SharePoint database and other programs the PERSCO team uses to track accountability so they know how the programs work and can help troubleshoot when needed.

The unique make-up of this team has offered this group of Airmen the chance not only to learn new skills, but to meet people outside of their career fields and work together as a team.

"I want people to know what a great team we have," said Hulen. "Even though we've come together from different areas everyone is doing their piece; we're getting all the information we need, and we're getting the job done."

The U.S. military is participating in the 2011 Dubai Airshow to build regional partnerships and foster a shared commitment to security, according to DOD officials. The Dubai Airshow is internationally acclaimed as the third largest air show in the world and the premier aviation and air industry event in the gulf region.

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