Deployed Guardsman ‘paves’ way for secure reconstruction efforts

  • Published
  • By Capt. Al Bosco
  • 163rd Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  What do the 163rd Reconnaissance Wing, security forces, and construction have in common? Not a lot unless you're Tech. Sgt. Karl Kooser, a 163rd Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels craftsman, who is currently deployed to Southwest Asia as a security forces augmentee.

Assigned to the 386th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, Sergeant Kooser serves as NCO-in-charge of a team that provides escort and force protection services for Third Country Nationals, or TCNs, bringing construction materials to an undisclosed base in the region. The team, also referred to as the Gravel, Asphalt and Concrete Team, travels outside the base's "safe zone" each day to nearby concrete or asphalt plants or rock quarries to meet foreign individuals responsible for obtaining the materials needed for the base's various construction projects. Additionally, the team are provides security for personnel and vehicles transporting the materials - a job Sergeant Kooser said begins well before he and his team depart the base.

"My day begins between midnight and 3 a.m.," Sergeant Kooser said. "I arrive ahead of the rest of my team and ensure that the mission brief, vehicles, supplies and personnel are ready for the mission. Once the team has gathered at our reporting time, I give a mission brief that includes photographs of the location we will be going to, current intelligence assessments, weather conditions, and rally points and operating procedures should a situation develop."

Once "outside the wire," Sergeant Kooser and his team conduct a protective sweep of the area and once at the material site they inspect awaiting construction vehicles to ensure nothing has been tampered with and there is no risk of hazardous materials making their way back to base. Once Sergeant Kooser is confident the area is safe and secure, the team provides force protection for the convoy of personnel and vehicles as they travel to the construction sites on base.

"When we arrive at the material gathering site we thoroughly inspect each vehicle to ensure it doesn't contain anything that could harm the base or its personnel," said Sergeant Kooser. "Additionally, a big part of our mission is to prevent anything that could be used for intelligence gathering, so we physically search each driver and vehicle occupant for any contraband, such as cell phones, cameras, pens, paper or other materials that can be used to record information."

Once the inspections are complete, the vehicles prepare to move as a convoy to the base under Sergeant Kooser's watchful eye.

"Once we secure the vehicles and drivers, nothing leaves our sight until we escort it from the base," Sergeant Kooser added.

But even after a mission is complete, Sergeant Kooser's job is not done. In fact he said most of his time is spent getting ready for the next mission.

"After we return from our mission, I conduct a debrief and team members provide feedback as to what we did right, what we can improve, and things they would like to receive additional training on," said Sergeant Kooser, "The balance of my day is then spent scheduling, setting up training and attending meetings to plan upcoming missions."

According to Sergeant Kooser's co-workers, the job he performs is critical to the safety of his team as well as the war effort overall - and he's doing his job well.

"[Sergeant Kooser] leads our highest risk, and highest profile team over here," said Master Sgt. Gary Rihn, 386th ESFS Force Protection Alpha Flight chief. "He conducts an in-depth brief before every mission, to ensure the safety of his team and he has coordinated some excellent training from our Special Actions Team here to give his team every advantage if confronted by a hostile situation. They work some of the longest hours of anybody here, in some of the toughest conditions. He and his team have been instrumental in ensuring the safe delivery of hundreds of truckloads of concrete and asphalt used in paving a large portion of our ramp and taxiways allowing a greater number of aircraft to operate from here having a direct and positive impact on combat missions in Iraq and other downrange locations."

Despite the long hours and sometimes dangerous conditions, Sergeant Kooser remarked that this deployment, his third in two years and fifth since 1991, has had its highlights.

"One of the most flattering moments was when the superintendent from Syria brought his son to meet us because in his own words, he wanted "to show his son what Americans were like and that even though America is very, very powerful, the people are very nice and good people despite what others in the Arab world may say," described Sergeant Kooser. "He was very cordial and warm. To me this was one of the highlights of the deployment so far."

"It's been great to get out and see what the people that live and work here, are like and what they think," Sergeant Kooser said. "They are very interesting, hard-working people, who are very curious about the U.S. Everyone waves at us when they see us at a location, and I've been told by several people that they love America."

Having been deployed since May, Sergeant Kooser is looking forward to returning to his family and the 163rd in September.

"I am looking forward to coming home to my family," he said. "It's been hard on my wife not having me there, and my son has been asking more questions this time around and wants to know if other little boys' daddy's are gone too."

"I'm also anxious to get back to the wing," said Sergeant Kooser. Everyone has been so supportive. It is a great bunch of people and I am doing my best to represent them well over here.