Yokota Comm keeps interagency team connected during Operation Tomodachi

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Lynsie Nichols
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  Since the beginning of Operation Tomodachi, the 374th Communications Squadron has been working around the clock to provide communication support to Team Yokota. Comm has not only enabled the three primary lines of operation: Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief to northern Japan, Authorized Voluntary Departures, and Consequence Management, they have also supported the beddown of more than 2,000 deployed augmentees.

Comm's support has ranged from the general to the highly technical--whatever its clients need to complete the mission. One particularly noteworthy task involved threading more than 1,200 feet of fiberoptic cable through an underground conduit to provide high-speed network access to the Deployed Joint Command and Control (DJC2) package.

"When the DJC2 arrived here, their satellite communications were not stable; within hours, we had them connected to both our base network and USFJ's network," said Lt. Col. Favorito, 374th CS commander.

The 374th CS has been key to Yokota personnel accomplishing their mission in support of Operation Tomodachi.

"A lot of hard work goes into what we do, but if we didn't do it, people wouldn't be able to do their jobs," said Sergeant Nichols. "By setting up these communication capabilities, we saved everyone a lot of time and resources."

Less than 24 hours after the devastating earthquake and tsunami struck northern Japan, the 374th CS was pulling cable in the United States Forces Japan's (USFJ) command center.

Together, the 374 CS and USFJ communications units more than doubled the USFJ's network and telephone capacity, providing critical communications capabilities for Joint Task Force-519 and Joint Task Force-505.

"Since day one, we have been supporting 24 hour operations seven days a week," said Senior Airman Mason, 374th CS client systems technician. "There has been a lot of demand for us, and we are constantly busy, but it feels great to be a part of something so big."

Another part of the 374th CS that has been working hard, yet which often gets forgotten, is the Yokota Post Office.

Throughout the span of Operation Tomodachi, the Post Office has supplied temporary mail boxes for attached forces and moved more than 80,000 pounds of mail without any augmentation.

The 374th AW had just completed its Operation Readiness exercise on March 11, the day the disasters struck. This training, in conjunction with the development of the wing's In-
Garrison Expeditionary Site Plan (IGESP), prepared the 374th CS for the opportunities and challenges presented by Operation Tomodachi.

"Operation Tomodachi gave us the opportunity to execute our surge capabilities to enable key missions like that of the Department of Energy, here to assist with the situation at Fukushima," said Colonel Favorito. "I am very proud of my Comm Warriors, our fellow units through the base, and the entire interagency team. It's an honor to be stationed in the great country of Japan and to be helping our dear Japanese friends."

To date, the 374th CS has installed over 4,000 feet of networking cable, adding 198 network drops and 265 telephone connections. These communications capabilities ultimately enabled the reopening of Sendai Airport, the delivery of 3,629 tons of relief cargo, and the safe departure for 7,713 people.