By Air Force Senior Airman Jenna Caldwell, 22nd Air
Refueling Wing
WICHITA, Kan., Nov. 20, 2017 — Air Force Tech. Sgt. Clayton
Allen, 22nd Air Refueling Wing Plans and Programs noncommissioned officer in
charge, isn’t a communications airman by trade. He’s a water and fuels systems
maintenance airman pulled from the 22nd Civil Engineer Squadron.
Allen is self-taught in computer programming and satellite
and ground command-and-control radio systems.
He was sent on a short-notice temporary duty assignment to
Moron Air Base in Spain as a missions support liaison from Sept. 28-Oct. 12.
KC-135 refueling aircraft and crews from McConnell Air Force
Base here are currently deployed to Spain in support of Operation Juniper
Micron, providing air refueling and airlift support to French aircraft
conducting operations in Mali and North Africa.
Establishing Operations
This deployment marks the first time that KC-135s from the
22nd ARW have supported the OJM mission, so the McConnell-led task force had to
set up an entire operation from the ground level.
Allen developed and built radio communication equipment
necessary for the crisis action team to monitor and communicate
mission-essential information with the KC-135 aircrew while on the ground and
during arrival and departure.
“Since I have knowledge about radios, I was able to improve
the range in which we could talk to the pilots,” Allen said. “[Previously] the
max measure distance was 230-240 miles. I was able to double the range.”
Radio communication is essential for the detachment
commander to be able to speak with the allies being refueled, keeping them
updated on maintenance issues with our aircraft and how it may affect our
ability to support their mission, Allen said.
Allen had two days to set up radio communications and ensure
the team was ready for their first mission.
Allen ‘Makes Things Happen Quickly’
“There was necessary equipment and instructions that were
not mentioned in the deployment orders that they needed when they landed, which
is why they needed a guy like Allen,” said Air Force Master Sgt. Bartek
Bachleda, 22nd ARW XP superintendent. “He shows up and makes things happen
quickly. His abilities, his passion and all his hobbies all came into fruition
into one single job.”
In preparation for this deployment, Allen helped update over
400 mission-essential equipment items for the detachment commander, ensuring
mission readiness.
McConnell KC-135s supplemented the workload of KC-135s
assigned to the 100th ARW, RAF Mildenhall, U.K., which typically conducts this
mission. RAF Mildenhall is temporarily unable to support the mission due to
flightline construction at Istres-Le Tubé AB, France, and Naval Station Rota,
Spain, according to headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces
Africa.
Allen played a very large part in the hand-over crew from
Rota, Spain, where this mission set previously operated out of. He orchestrated
all the transport of vehicles and equipment, helped maintenance offload
equipment and passengers and served as acting detachment first sergeant,
Bachleda said.
“I can guarantee you,
he is the only plumber in Air Force history who has ever deployed to set up an
air refueling squadron and their network communications,” Bachleda said of
Allen.
Posts
