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Airman shines when tasked to set up squadron

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Kevin Tomko
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan --  Every now and then an Airman is given a special task. These tasks may include working longer hours, organizing meetings, forming committees...or maybe starting a squadron.
The latter was the task given to Tech. Sgt. Lisa Bitton, a 13-year, active-duty veteran from Minot Air Force Base, N. D., who is on her first deployment here.

Back at her base, Sergeant Bitton works at the host Aviation Resource Management Flight, which manages flight records, aircrew training, flight pay, and flying hours. Upon arrival at Bagram Airfield, she noticed that the personnel she would be working with had not arrived yet.

"I was the first one here when I found out we would be standing up an operations support squadron. At that point, it was two weeks before the main body came. In those two weeks we worked out plans for real estate, communications, supplies and vehicles," said Sergeant Bitton.

The sergeant also credits service members from other groups for helping. "Everybody just came forward and helped along the way," she said. "From the logistics readiness squadron we had the best customer service I've ever seen. We also had two weapons system videographers who helped us out when they were not doing their mission."

The new 455th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron is a support function for the flying operations of the 455th AEW and other airfield users at Bagram. The many "moving parts" of operations here include the Air Force flying squadrons, Army aviation, weather, airfield management, intelligence (location of targets and weapons needed), and tower operations.

Sergeant Bitton said with the increase in flying operations, the EOSS is going to be able to look at the big picture of Bagram air operations and manage the cross flow of information between the airfield users, in addition to collecting, tracking and helping implement lessons learned.

Lt. Col. Danny Palubeckis, the 455th EOSS commander, said the EOSS was activated in order to support the increasingly complex flying activities at the airfield. He credits Sergeant Bitton and the rest of the squadron with getting the squadron started on the right foot.

"Tech. Sgt. Bitton, as an aviation resource manager, was able to pull things together. She even got billeting squared away," he said. "All together we have a well-organized group. All the people here are from operational support squadrons back home."

Having an operations support squadron will increase the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing's effectiveness in supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and the Global War on Terror.

"For the big picture, it's going to provide safer flying conditions and flights and more continuity," said Sergeant Bitton.