728th ACS helps National Guard unit prepare for deployment

  • Published
  • 33rd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (ACCNS) --   The 728th Air Control Squadron helped the Army National Guards 653rd Range Extension Company prepare for a deployment to Iraq recently.

The Army National Guard contacted Air Combat Command requesting help on validating communication equipment used for fax, internet and telephone communication. ACC passed the word to the 728th ACS to see what they could do.

Master Sgt. Hector Marquez, Senior Airmen Mark Saverice, Jason OLeary, Travis Hammond and Jeffrey Snider answered the call.

We got our own vehicles, provided all the test equipment and other things to help these guys out, Sergeant Marquez said. All they had to do was supply the parts, give us the generators to power up the equipment and let us do the rest.

Funding was tight for the deploying unit, but the 728th ACS offered support for free. In the end, the 728th ACS saved the Army National Guard more than $500,000.

The 728th ACS got a majority of the equipment status mission capable in a week, and also trained 60 National Guard soldiers to fix and maintain the equipment, Sergeant Marquez said.

It was the perfect training opportunity for these guys, Sergeant Marquez said. You cant give away opportunities like this.