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Maintenance controller earns Top Performer honors

  • Published
  • By Airman Whitney Amstutz
  • 36th Wing Public Affairs
In today's military, the ability to relay information quickly and accurately has become as vital to the success of the U.S. mission as the ability to fire a weapon. On Andersen Air Force Base, members of the 36th Communication Squadron are dedicated to ensuring communications capabilities are fully operational and accessible at all times.

Staff Sgt. Ryan Trandell, 36th Comm Squadron maintenance controller, was selected by the squadron's first sergeant, Master Sgt. Michael Schoenly, as Team Andersen's Top Performer due to his outstanding performance and can-do attitude on the job.

"Sergeant Trandell is a hard-worker," Sergeant Schoenly said. "He continually exceeds what is expected of him. He comes to work prepared to tackle whatever task is presented to him and has enough initiative to take on ones that aren't."

On a daily basis, Sergeant Trandell is responsible for monitoring and maintaining all outlets for official communication on base.

"Basically, we provide communications support for the entire base," Sergeant Trandell said. "We're the first line point of contact for any communications issues. We deal with problems in a variety of different areas ranging from e-mail to the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network, and that's just the Comm Focal Point aspect of the job."

Additionally, Sergeant Trandell performs maintenance and routine checks on radio and radar equipment located both on and off base.

"Being a maintenance controller myself, I am responsible for keeping the radio at Mount Santa Rosa in good working order," Sergeant Trandell said. "The radio sends a shot all the way to the Naval base and allows us to keep in contact with them, so it's very important that it function correctly."

Although he has only been on Andersen since December of last year, Sergeant Trandell has plans to improve and renovate base infrastructure.

"One goal I hope to achieve during my time here is to make the infrastructure better than what it was when I got here," Sergeant Trandell said. "I hope to make it more efficient and solve the recurring problems that we have as a result."

Sergeant Trandell attributes his intense work ethic to staying personally motivated to perform at his best each day.

"I try to do the best I can," Sergeant Trandell said. "If you do it right the first time, it keeps you from having to go back and do things again and again. So in the end, when you bring your best, it not only benefits the mission, it benefits you."