451st ESFS aids force protection in ground attack Published Aug. 11, 2010 By Tech. Sgt. Renni Thornton 451st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Two members from the Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, deployed from Misawa Air Base, Japan, repaired a camera along the perimeter fence line Aug. 3 and in doing so, aided fellow force protection members thwart a ground attack. Staff Sgt. Sarah Aguilar, a security forces specialist and tactical automated security system administrator, deployed out of Misawa Air Base, along with a civilian colleague, went out to repair one of the cameras which was malfunctioning. "We usually go out to that area every day to check the equipment. On that day, one of the cameras was sending us a low battery signal." As the two repaired the camera, Sergeant Aguilar said she didn't notice anything different about the area. "Things seemed normal. We had just left the camera and were at another surveillance position down the road when an explosion happened and it rocked the entire ground under us," she said. "Initially, I thought maybe an animal had inadvertently stepped on a land mine." Approximately three minutes passed, and while she was assessing the area where the explosion came from, another explosion happened. This time Sergeant Aguilar said she knew something else was going on. "I told my colleague to get in the vehicle and we drove a short distance to some concrete barriers where I took up a prone position and he took cover." She and her partner received small arms fire as they fled that location for a more secure one. Armed with a 9 mm weapon, Sergeant Aguilar said she could hear the fire fight but couldn't really see because of the dust and smoke. "I could see down the road where the force protection guys in the tower were engaging the enemy; I just couldn't see the enemy." Sergeant Aguilar said things were happening quickly but she remembers hearing multiple detonations going off. At one point, she saw a fellow force protection member driving down the road and tried to flag him down but he was going too fast. Upon his return past her location, Sergeant Aguilar was able to communicate with him and get an update on the situation. They all proceeded to a ditch, took cover and waited for further updates. After being informed the situation was contained, the three traveled back to their compound. Sergeant Aguilar said she attributes her quick assessment of the events as part of her training. But she can't help but think about the timing of the sequence of events. It just so happened that they had the camera repaired and back online minutes before the suicide bomber reached the fence line. "The guys back in the joint defense operations center said they had just begun to watch the view from that camera when they saw the suicide bomber reach the fence line and detonate his device." While Sergeant Aguilar and her partner were taking cover and assessing the situation, Airman 1st Class Ragan Sheedy, 451st ESFS flight line security specialist, deployed out of Misawa Air Base, wound up working in the JDOC as the event unfolded. "I was on my way to lunch when the alarm sounded. I turned around, and reported in to my office. Airman Sheedy said he was not scheduled to be there that day but when the alarm went off, he returned to work and began to assist in the area. He said the view from the camera was very beneficial to the JDOC and the force protection patrols. "We were able to see what was happening out there. From that view, the force protection teams were able to dispatch additional forces and monitor what was going on out there." Sergeant Aguilar said she is reminded of a valuable lesson from this event. "Don't get complacent, even in broad daylight. You never know."