1
00:00:03,690 --> 00:00:04,610
(somber music)

2
00:00:04,610 --> 00:00:07,410
- We are about connecting people.

3
00:00:07,410 --> 00:00:08,650
If you think about communications,

4
00:00:08,650 --> 00:00:10,340
it's really about connectivity.

5
00:00:10,340 --> 00:00:12,290
We live in an information age,

6
00:00:12,290 --> 00:00:13,880
and that connection matters more

7
00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:15,470
and more every single day.

8
00:00:15,470 --> 00:00:17,740
We can talk about the
real sexy cyber stuff,

9
00:00:17,740 --> 00:00:20,980
or just the real nitty
gritty down in the dirt.

10
00:00:20,980 --> 00:00:25,230
That connection could be fiber
optics between buildings,

11
00:00:25,230 --> 00:00:28,470
that connection could
be a dusty comm closet

12
00:00:28,470 --> 00:00:29,730
in some corner of Bagram,

13
00:00:29,730 --> 00:00:31,370
and that is just really
what it's all about,

14
00:00:31,370 --> 00:00:33,830
kind of the glue that
binds the mission together,

15
00:00:33,830 --> 00:00:35,887
and it comes down to connectivity.

16
00:00:35,887 --> 00:00:38,100
(somber music)

17
00:00:38,100 --> 00:00:40,330
We are the only Air
Force communications unit

18
00:00:40,330 --> 00:00:43,450
in Afghanistan, which
means we support Kabul,

19
00:00:43,450 --> 00:00:45,843
we support Kandahar, Jalalabad, Bagram.

20
00:00:46,780 --> 00:00:48,090
They're behind the scenes doing that

21
00:00:48,090 --> 00:00:51,180
and in all sorts of conditions,
hot dusty summertime,

22
00:00:51,180 --> 00:00:53,075
winter time just like this.

23
00:00:53,075 --> 00:00:55,658
(somber music)

24
00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:01,310
- We literally reach out and touch

25
00:01:01,310 --> 00:01:03,250
everything on an installation.

26
00:01:03,250 --> 00:01:05,020
Just about every operation on this base,

27
00:01:05,020 --> 00:01:08,330
relies on some sort of
movement of data, right?

28
00:01:08,330 --> 00:01:11,200
And that is our job, that is what we do.

29
00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:14,540
And how efficiently, and
how well we do that job

30
00:01:14,540 --> 00:01:16,640
determines how efficiently and how well

31
00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:18,888
the wing can execute their mission.

32
00:01:18,888 --> 00:01:21,471
(somber music)

33
00:01:25,970 --> 00:01:30,320
Being actually on the ground
in Bagram, in Afghanistan,

34
00:01:30,320 --> 00:01:34,350
brings the reality home, that
this is no longer preparation,

35
00:01:34,350 --> 00:01:35,810
this is no longer training,
but we're actually

36
00:01:35,810 --> 00:01:37,700
doing the jobs that we were trained to do.

37
00:01:37,700 --> 00:01:42,420
And to actually see the
effect of what we're doing,

38
00:01:42,420 --> 00:01:44,180
we definitely see the impact of our job

39
00:01:44,180 --> 00:01:45,645
and all of our training.

40
00:01:45,645 --> 00:01:48,228
(somber music)

41
00:01:56,530 --> 00:01:58,480
As far as, you know, maintaining switches,

42
00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:01,520
maintaining infrastructure,
knowledge management,

43
00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:03,840
all of our planning capabilities,

44
00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:05,870
all of this stuff comes together and gels

45
00:02:05,870 --> 00:02:09,390
and provides a overarching
communications support

46
00:02:09,390 --> 00:02:12,144
to a wing that's executing
an actual mission.

47
00:02:12,144 --> 00:02:14,727
(somber music)

48
00:02:19,090 --> 00:02:19,940
- In the comm squad here

49
00:02:19,940 --> 00:02:22,250
we got a ton to be
excited about right now.

50
00:02:22,250 --> 00:02:24,810
Just this last year, we were selected as

51
00:02:24,810 --> 00:02:28,380
the best small communications
unit in the entire Air Force.

52
00:02:28,380 --> 00:02:32,220
And that's exciting, but
what really gets me fired up

53
00:02:32,220 --> 00:02:35,520
is the airmen and the people
that make that happen.

54
00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:38,170
The thing that I
absolutely cherish the most

55
00:02:38,170 --> 00:02:40,520
is that this unit, this squadron

56
00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:42,600
knows that we didn't get here by ourself.

57
00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:43,870
We're standing on the shoulders

58
00:02:43,870 --> 00:02:46,850
of people that went
before us here at Bagram.

59
00:02:46,850 --> 00:02:50,000
We're standing on folks that
made even greater sacrifices,

60
00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:51,160
and we're standing up for people

61
00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:52,710
back home that really matter.

62
00:02:52,710 --> 00:02:55,160
Our families, our friends, our loved ones

63
00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:56,920
are depending on us to protect them,

64
00:02:56,920 --> 00:03:00,500
and to take care of them,
and to assure that mission

65
00:03:00,500 --> 00:03:02,800
so that we assure bombs drop.

66
00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:06,144
And that, quite honestly,
is what I cherish the most.

67
00:03:06,144 --> 00:03:08,727
(somber music)