Sat. Com., when the word needs to get out

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Phillip Butterfield
  • 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --  When some people think of satellite communications, they may think of their television provider or being contacted by aliens through the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence Program but, when it comes to Misawa Air Base's Sat. Com. maintainers, their mission is more important than what's on T.V. tonight or chatting with space friends.

Radio frequency transmission systems technicians of the 35th Communication Squadron satellite terminal maintain Misawa Air Base's satellite interface with the Defense Information Systems Network, which communicates on the Defense Department's Global Information Grid. The GIG is the communication network that the DoD uses to talk to other bases across the planet.

"The purpose of Sat. Com. is to provide long-haul communications for combatant commanders wherever needed," said Staff Sgt. Randy Sewell, 35th CS RFTS technician. "Our satellite terminal is used for mission operations and related intelligence, but in a time of need, it can be used to transmit whatever the military may need during contingency operations."

The terminal acts like a pipeline for large amounts of information to stream in from the satellite. RFTS technicians ensure the equipment used to receive, dissect and transmit this stream of information is working correctly.

"There's a lot of moving parts that we deal with here, to ensure seamless communications," said Sergeant Sewell. "The signal passes through a series of different devices to include the satellite dish, up-converters, down-converters, computers, amplifiers and modems. These systems are supported by cooling units; power systems, cable routers and antenna motors, and sometimes these systems wear out and break. When a component in the chain breaks down, it switches over to a back-up system, so we can repair the fault with little to no system interference to the flow of information. Our maintenance practices are almost seamless."

To provide this seamless maintenance, RFTS technicians work 24/7 constantly monitoring for system faults.

"These Airmen perform rapid response maintenance," said Master Sgt. Aaron Sanchez, 35th CS RFTS section chief. "If our system starts malfunctioning, it could cause severe problems further down the line. If Sat. Com. wasn't here, Misawa would have to rely on commercial communication equipment more. This over-reliance would mean that Misawa would need to pay more for service, and if the commercial lines became damaged, we would be left in the dark".

There are times when Sat. Com. Airmen will work upward of 48 hourstrying to acquire a satellite, Sergeant Sewell added. When that connection is made, a sense of accomplishment is felt that a hard mission has been done and done well.

"Misawa Air Base's Sat. Com. terminal is a critical piece in the base's ability to receive and transmit information," said Sergeant Sanchez. "Our Airmen who work here are performing a vital mission and I'm extremely proud of them."