Comm member represents the wing in another part of the Middle East

  • Published
  • By Airman Randy LeMay
  • 916th ARW Staff Writer
Sather AIr Base, Baghdad International Airport, Iraq --  Members of the 716th Communication Flight are certainly doing their part to support the War on Terror. With their two of their senior officers deployed to locations in Iraq and Afghanistan they are setting the example that their enlisted members are following.

Staff Sgt. Charles Alford, a member of the 716th, also deployed in early May to Kirkuk Regional Air Base in May to work with an Army unit out of Kentucky.

Sergeant Alford is no stranger to deployments, however his past locations of Istres, France and Moron, Spain were certainly more desirable than his current location in the Middle East.

And while it is not the beaches of the south of France, Sergeant Alford said that the flat, hot and dry terrain is a made a little more scenic by the mountains in the distance. But scenery is just a fleeting thought with the work hours he keeps.

"We work the voice shop 12 hours a day, six days a week to help install, maintain and service telephones at Kirkuk," said Sergeant Alford. "I also run Cat5 line, which is a normal internet line for unsecured transmissions or NIPR and secure transmissions or SIPR."

After working four months in Kirkuk, Sergeant Alford left for Sather Air Base, Baghdad International Airport. Sather AB is the Air Force hub that helps make up the Victory Base Complex.

Sergeant Alford now works in technical control to maintain the circuits out of Sather to other locations in the area of responsibility.

I am not working directly with other services, the Army still maintains a very strong military presence there, explained Sergeant Alford.

"One of the good things about being here is meeting and working with lots of great people," said Sergeant Alford. Sergeant Alford said that he has met many of the local people at the bazaars held once a month on Kirkuk Regional Air Base.

"The people I met were really nice and hard workers," he added.

Sergeant Alford stated that the military is paying the ultimate price for freedom in Iraq, but he values the time he is able to spend in that part of the world. Learning about the culture and the people enhances his skills as a deployable Airman of the United States Air Force Reserve.