Rock Solid Warrior Published March 16, 2007 386 AEW SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Senior Airman Nathaniel Fredericks Senior Airman Nathaniel Fredericks 586th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron 3P051 FPASS Operator Home unit/base: 30 SFS / Vandenberg AFB How do you support the mission here? The office that I work with operates the Lockheed Martin Desert Hawk UAV. The UAV is known as the FPASS (Force Protection Airborne Surveillance System) in the USAF. The FPASS is a force multiplier because it allows us to see outside the wire without exposing our forces to unnecessary risk. For a small airframe, it has a lot of capability allowing us to see the battlefield during both daylight and night time. How many times have you deployed and what makes this one unique? I have been deployed 2 times counting this deployment. This deployment is unique due to how closely we (USAF) are working with the Army. The other factor that makes this deployment unique is the base I am at. Camp Bucca is home to the largest TIF (Theater Internment Facility) in the AOR. The Camp Bucca TIF is home to more then 13,000 detainees. Another factor is our responsibility to conduct external combat patrols conducting IED sweeps on the various supply routes in southern Iraq. The off base patrols are a unique opportunity for Security Forces to show how good we really are at our deployed job. How does your job differ in a deployed environment vs. home base? Situational awareness is the biggest difference. Iraq is a combat zone. There are other small factors such as being away from friends and family and the environment differences. All items stated in the last question are different factors, from home station, as well.